It was a collective effort that allowed the Canadians to get their hands on this first victory. “I loved everything about this match. We were very solid from start to finish. I liked each of the players,” said head coach Dave Cameron.
Who else but child prodigy Gavin McKenna to break the ice at the end of the first period. The young 17-year-old striker made a great individual effort near the net to thread the needle. “It wasn’t a goal like any other,” he admitted. It was a special feeling to be able to open the score and see the crowd react the way they did. It’s something I’ll remember forever.”
In this sequence, Gavin McKenna scored Canada’s first goal at the 2025 World Hockey Championship. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
At the start of the second period, Easton Cowan made Finland’s turnaround pay dearly with a good wrist shot.
At the end of the game, Luca Pinelli nailed the coffin for the Finns with a power play goal. “When I saw the opening, I took it,” said the captain of the Ottawa 67’s.
“I watched this tournament my whole life growing up. It was surreal. Plus, Ottawa is a special place for me. I’ve been playing it for three and a half years now,” he added.
Matthew Schaefer completed the score in an empty net.
Carter George stood like a wall in front of his cage. He stopped all 31 shots aimed at him to record his first shutout of the tournament. “He was very solid, especially during a short-handed breakaway when the game was very close,” said Cameron.
Several players sacrificed themselves at the end of the match while Finland attacked six against five. Many shots were blocked to help keep the score at zero.
“I loved our end of the match. I think we blocked six pucks. It gives an incredible training effect, sometimes more than scoring a goal. We are trying to build a team culture,” explained Franco-Ontarian Sylvain Favreau, who acts as assistant to Dave Cameron.
An incredible crowd
The Ottawa crowd was there for this first duel for the Canadian team. She was very loud and involved. Even from the press gallery, it was possible to hear very clearly some of the songs that were performed a cappella during the meeting.
“I had chills, it was incredible! I’m so looking forward to being able to continue playing in front of such a great crowd,” admitted Matthew Schaefer.
“It’s incredible the support we receive. I hope everyone will come back for the next game to continue cheering us on,” added Pinelli.
Canada will continue its tournament on Friday against Latvia. The duel will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa.
