Latvia beats Canada on penalties at World Junior Championships

OTTAWA – Eriks Mateiko scored the only goal in the shootout as Latvia beat an alarmingly uninspired Canada 3-2 at the World Junior Hockey Championships on Friday.

The striker scored in his country’s eighth attempt but then scored, causing one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.

Mateiko and Peteris Bulans scored in regular time for the hard-working Europeans in their first game for the 10-man team in the country’s capital. Linard’s Feldbergs stopped 54 shots in 65 minutes. Bruno Osmanis had two assists.

Calum Ritchie and Jett Luchanko responded to the tournament hosts, who finished a disappointing fifth place in Sweden last year. Jack Ivankovic made 24 saves.

Canada, seeking its 20th gold medal, entered the event with a 4-0 record and a combined 41-4 lead in the standings against Latvia, including a 10-0 win about 12 months ago.

After the Latvians tied the game at 1-1 with the man advantage in the third period, Ritchie shot up a one-timer after a pass from Easton Cowan.

But Canada’s Ethan Gauthier was whistled for a hook with just over three minutes left, and Bulans tied it on that power play with 2:29 left.

Canada took a penalty in 3-on-3 overtime for too many men on the ice, but survived the outnumbered situation and forced the shootout that not many expected before the opening faceoff.

Ivankovic is just the third 17-year-old goalkeeper to play for Canada in the U20 tournament and the first to start a game since Jimmy Waite in 1987. Brian Finley entered an active phase in 1999 at the age of 17.

The goaltender from Mississauga, Ont., started in place of Carter George at the end of a back-to-back game after making 31 saves in a 4-0 win over Finland in Thursday’s opener.

Hockey Canada’s brain trust, led by Peter Anholt, spoke before the tournament about how the group was much better prepared this time around after the disastrous performance in Gothenburg, which saw the powerhouse fall to the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.

The coaching staff, led by Dave Cameron, was on site early, and the program also hosted a summer camp and hired a full-time scout.

The management team insisted that all the pieces were in place. In short, there were no excuses.

However, Canada didn’t have many answers Friday against one of the sport’s duds, despite drafting 11 first-round NHL picks and three other players who were expected to be high performers in the next two drafts.

A disjointed performance in the first 20 minutes was marked by an injury to star defenseman Matthew Schaefer – a 17-year-old potential top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft – after he crashed into the Latvian net on a rushing power play.

Ivankovic had to be sharp with a couple of penalties and another single-handed chance from Olivers Murnieks’ stick.

Not much improved from there.

Canada actually got on the field at 3:28 of the middle period when Luchanko stole a puck on a penalty shootout and scored on a breakaway after Feldbergs decided to stay in his crease.

The Canadians, who were 0-3 on the power play against Finland, fell to 0-6 later in the quarter after two largely lifeless man advantages.

With his team seemingly content to stay on the outside and not challenge the Latvians around the middle of the ice – an unfortunate hallmark of Latvia’s 2024 season – Cameron left his players on the bench towards the end of the period.

Midway through the third period, the Canadian Tire Center crowd tried to lift up the country’s teenagers, but the group continued to search for answers that just couldn’t be found.

Canadian defender Andrew Gibson then took an elbow penalty and set up Mateiko’s equalizer with 6:42 left in regulation before Ritchie and Mateiko traded goals late.

Cameron said before the game that Canada’s trio of 17-year-olds – Gavin McKenna, Ivankovic and Schaefer – were not receiving any special age-related treatment.

“If we thought they needed a special service, they probably wouldn’t be on the team,” said Cameron, who is leading the Junior World Bank for the third time. “We don’t want any additional hurdles, such as having to spoil the boys with scenarios. We have enough to do as it is.”

“As young as they are, they are mature.”

Canadian forward Berkly Catton and defenseman Caden Price were neighbors growing up in Saskatoon, while captain Brayden Yager’s family moved to the city from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan when he was 11.

“We’ve all dreamed of this,” Catton said. “We just live and enjoy it.”

Latvia will face the USA on Saturday. Canada faces Germany on Sunday.