The Canadian team saw its journey end prematurely for a second consecutive year with a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Czech Republic in the quarter-final. This is the first time since the introduction of the current format of the World Junior Hockey Championship that Canada has finished fifth two years in a row.
“We are disappointed that our national team tournament has already ended, especially given the incredible support from spectators here in Ottawa and across the country,” said Katherine Henderson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. Canadians expect to see our team play for a medal every year, and we take that expectation very seriously. In the days ahead, there will be moments of reflection and discussions about the next steps in our program. Please know that we share the Canadians’ disappointment with this year’s tournament.”
If many wonder if Canada is still the best nation in hockey, for the big boss of Hockey Canada, the answer is obvious.
“We won gold two years in a row in the under-17 category. We won gold at under-18 and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Our women are currently the reigning world champions. Our under-18 women’s team will be in action from next week and our senior team is currently number one in the world. Canada remains the number one hockey nation on the planet.”
Katherine Henderson remains convinced that Canada is still at the top of the world hockey ladder. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
Success off the ice
It was the first time in 16 years that the tournament was presented in a single city. The last time was in Ottawa, in 2009. This edition attracted a huge total of 453,282 spectators, an average of 14,622 per match, a record that still stands. In 2025, more than 300,000 supporters will have attended the various meetings.
“This community knows how to put on a great hockey event within the community, which I think is key to us having a great event,” said Dean McIntosh, vice president of revenue generation, customer experience and community impact at Hockey Canada. Beyond that, I think success can be measured in many ways. It’s community engagement. We saw spectators, not only in Ottawa, but from all over Eastern Ontario and around the world, take part in this event.”
It’s not just Ottawa that has benefited from the frenzy of the World Junior Hockey Championship, several communities in eastern Ontario too. Arnprior, Bellville, Brockville, Cornwall, Hawkesbury and Kingston hosted preparatory meetings.
“The photo of the mayor of Arnprior wrapped in a Latvian flag was one of those moments where you say to yourself that it’s really impressive, to see the impact that a community has on a team and that a team has on a community. […] It is also our responsibility to reinvest these funds in hockey to make it healthier, not only here in Ottawa and in the Eastern Ontario region.
Even if he does not yet have all the data in his hands, Dean McIntosh said he was satisfied with the tournament in terms of events. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
A lack of French
Hockey Canada had promised to make every effort to ensure that all communications were done in both French and English. If the goal announcements and posters are bilingual, the crowd entertainment is unilingual in English at the Canadian Tire Center and at TD Place.
“We would like to be better at this level in the future. We are aware of the issue. We have done a good job on several other aspects, but the next step would be for everything to be truly bilingual.”
