World junior men’s hockey preview: Canada’s goal bears repeating — ‘The standard is gold every single time’

When Brennan Othmann looks around Team Canada’s dressing room, he can’t help but smile.

The Pickering, Ont. native and New York Rangers prospect is among nine players returning to help Canada defend gold at the world junior men’s hockey championship, starting Monday in Halifax and Moncton.

“We have a lot of returning guys, we have pro experience and our goaltenders are very good,” the 19-year-old forward says. “I think you’re going to get an unbelievable kind of team coming at you. We’re confident in our group and we’re confident in the system.”

That is Canada, more or less, on an annual basis at the world juniors: supremely talented, supremely confident. They believe they will be going home with another championship.

“The standard is gold every single time,” says forward Logan Stankoven, fourth among scorers at the last tournament — rescheduled in August — with four goals and six assists. “Just because a handful of us have one gold medal, it doesn’t mean anything. Coming back here and winning a second one would be huge.

“It’s been 12 or 13 years since the team won back-to-back at this tournament. I think this time we can really do it with this group.”

Canada was the last country to repeat. That was in 2009, when a team led by John Tavares won the last of five straight golds. They’ve won more in the interim, just not two in a row. But it’s a distinct possibility this time.

In addition to having experience on their side, Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli are contenders to go first overall in the NHL draft. Bedard draws comparisons to Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews (for his shot); Fantilli is more of a power forward along the lines of Jack Eichel and Jamie Benn.

“It’s a very experienced group,” says player personnel director Alan Millar. “The majority of our players are 19 years old. “It’s a group that has grown up together in our programs. We’ve got lots of skill. We want to play fast, we want to play hard and we want to compete and put teams on their heels.”

Canada’s first game is Monday night against Czechia in Halifax. Sweden, Germany and Austria are in the same group. The U.S., Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Latvia will play in Moncton. Russia has been barred for the second straight tournament.

Group A (Halifax)

Canada

Last time: gold

Medal count: 19 gold, 20 silver, five bronze — most ever

Skinny: Perfect 7-0 in the rescheduled summer tournament and favoured here … Gifted three NHLers: Shane Wright (Kraken), Brandt Clarke (Kings) and Dylan Guenther (Coyotes) … Eight returnees: Connor Bedard, Ethan Del Mastro, Nathan Gaucher, Zack Ostapchuk, Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger … Bedard and newcomer Adam Fantilli expected to go 1-2 in the NHL draft … Big, balanced defence.

Sweden

Last time: bronze

Medal count: two gold, 11 silver, seven bronze

Skinny: Last championship was in 2012 … Some say they lack star power, but scouts will be watching 18-year-old centre Leo Carlsson, a top-five prospect for the 2023 draft … Isak Rosén (drafted 14th by Vancouver in July) heads a list of six first-round picks on the roster, and 16 drafted players overall … The defence seems weak, but Axel Sandin Pellikka is also a potential first-rounder.

Czechia

Last time: fourth

Medal count: two gold, five silver, seven bronze (including 0-5-1 as Czechoslovakia)

Skinny: Shocked the U.S. in the quarterfinals in the summer, but lost to Sweden in the bronze-medal game … Stanislav Svozil, 18, is Bedard’s teammate on the Regina Pats and one of the top blueliners in the CHL — third among defencemen with 37 points and draft eligible … Gabriel Szturc has 37 points in 26 games for the Kelowna Rockets … The Czechs boast 12 NHL draftees.

Germany

Last time: sixth

Medal count: none

Skinny: In top pool four years in a row … Eliminated in quarterfinals in the summer … Hurricanes prospect Nikita Quapp should be the No. 1 goalie … Capitals prospect Håkon Hänelt plays forward and defence … Winger Julian Lutz (Arizona) is the only other NHL draftee … Forward Quirin Bader is their best pure scorer.

Austria

Last time: 10th

Medal count: none

Skinny: Coached by Kirk Furey of Glace Bay, N.S., who played eight years in the Austrian league … Austria has never won a game at this level … Forward Jonas Dobnig, born in Niagara-on-the-Lake, leads a handful of returnees. He scored in the summer … Lost all four games last time, outscored 20-4 … Player to watch is David Reinbacher, a six-foot-two, right-shot defenceman from Switzerland’s top league. He’s draft eligible … Centre Marco Kasper went eighth overall to Detroit in the July draft.

Group B (Moncton)

Finland

Last time: silver

Medal count: five gold, five silver, seven bronze

Skinny: Five returnees include Joakim Kemell, drafted 17th by Nashville … Went unbeaten in a five-team tournament in Czechia in November, outscoring opponents 18-3. Kraken prospect Jani Nyman, just 18, led scorers with seven points … Jets draft pick Brad Lambert should lead the offence … The Kapanen cousins, Oliver and Konsta, could play together. Konsta, ex-Leaf Kasperi Kapanen’s brother, is draft eligible. Oliver was drafted by Montreal in 2021.

United States

Last time: fifth

Medal count: five gold, two silver, six bronze

Skinny: Chip on their shoulder after missing the medals in Edmonton … Defenceman Luke Hughes is the captain and among eight returnees. The others: centres Redmond Savage (Detroit draft pick), Logan Cooley (Arizona) and Charlie Stramel (draft eligible); goalies Kaidan Mbereko and Andrew Oke (both draft eligible); defencemen Sean Behrens (Colorado) and Jack Peart (Minnesota) … Mbereko went 3-1-0 in the summer … Only two blueliners over six feet tall.

Switzerland

Last time: eighth

Medal count: one (bronze)

Skinny: Defenceman Lian Bichsel, drafted 18th by Dallas, played in top Swedish league … Could be bolstered by major junior products, including Mississauga goalie Alessio Beglieri (10-6-2) … It’ll feel like home to Attilio Biasca, a point-a-game forward with the Halifax Mooseheads, and forwards Miles Müller and Jonas Taibel of the Moncton Wildcats.

Slovakia

Last time: ninth

Medal count: two bronze

Skinny: They’d be a lot better with No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens, but Slovakia is producing more talent and could move up with Russia banned from the tournament … They have defenceman Simon Nemec (drafted No. 2 by New Jersey) and fellow first-rounder Filip Mesár (Montreal), a creative centre, as well as Adam Sýkora, a New York Rangers prospect … Draft eligibles include forwards Samuel Honzek and Dalibor Dvorský.

Latvia

Last time: seventh

Medal count: none

Skinny: Brought a young team to the summer tournament and overperformed: beat the Czechs, lost to Slovakia in a shootout and gave Sweden a scare in the quarterfinals … Most of that team is back, and could be a thorn in the side of at least one medal contender … Only three NHL draftees. Centre Dans Locmelis (Boston) should lead the offence.