Connor Bedard scored twice in his males’s hockey worlds debut to assist Canada double up newcomer Nice Britain 4-2 on Sunday in Prague, Czech Republic.
The 18-year-old Bedard, coming off a terrific rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks, netted twice in a four-minute span of the second interval to place the Group A sport in Prague out of attain.
Canada needed to rally from a objective down regardless of outshooting Britain 12-3 within the opening interval and 34-15 total.
Liam Kirk put Britain a 1-0 forward on an influence play eight minutes into the sport, however the lead lasted simply 30 seconds as Michael Bunting discovered the again of the web from the purpose to tie it 1-1.
Connor Bedard scored twice as Canada defeated Nice Britain 4-2 within the opening sport of pool play on the 2024 Hockey World Championships in Prague.
Brandon Hagel put the defending champions forward 5:45 into the second interval with a shot excessive into the roof of the web.
Then it was Bedard’s flip.
{The teenager} discovered the web halfway by way of the body for his first objective on the senior worlds. He made it 4-1 after Nick Paul fed him with an ideal go.
Ben O’Connor scored within the third interval for Britain.
Canada’s goaltender Joel Hofer posted 13 saves, whereas Jackson Whistle of Nice Britain made 30 stops.
Bedard netted twice in a four-minute span within the second interval to place the sport out of attain. The North Vancouver native, who led all rookies with 61 factors in his first season within the NHL with Chicago, received the U18 world championships in 2021 and the 2022 and 2023 world juniors championships with Canada.
“He is a nice participant,” Canadian captain Colton Parayko mentioned about Bedard. “Off the ice he works actually laborious, he is actually skilled. It is thrilling to having a participant like that on our staff and we’re wanting ahead to seeing him evolve because the match goes on.”
Canada received the match for the twenty eighth time in 2023, beating Germany 5-2 within the closing.
“There are one of the best on the earth and we skated with them tonight,” mentioned O’Connor in regards to the Canadians. “We even took it to them at occasions, it is fairly cool. Final time we performed Canada I believe it was 8-0, so we have come a good distance.”
Canada will subsequent face Denmark on Sunday, additionally taking part in Austria, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and hosts Czech Republic within the preliminary spherical.
The match concludes with the medal video games on Might 26.
U.S. hoping to bounce again from loss
In Group B within the metropolis of Ostrava, Kazakhstan defeated France 3-1 of their opening sport.
The US hopes to get better from a gap 5-2 loss to Sweden in a Group B sport in opposition to Germany later Saturday.
One other newcomer within the high division, Poland, faces final 12 months’s bronze medalist Latvia in the identical group, whereas Austria performs Denmark and the Czech Republic meets Norway in Group A.
Canada’s roster:
- Michael Bunting (Scarborough, Ont.), Ahead
- Brandon Tanev (Toronto), Ahead
- Dylan Guenther (Edmonton), Ahead
- Jack McBain (Toronto), Ahead
- Dawson Mercer (Bay Roberts, N.L.), Ahead
- Jared McCann (London, Ont.), Ahead
- Nick Paul (Mississauga, Ont.), Ahead
- Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Yukon), Ahead
- Brandon Hagel (Morinville, Alta.), Ahead
- Ridly Greig (Lethbridge, Alta.), Ahead
- Pierre-Luc Dubois (Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que.), Ahead
- Andrew Mangiapane (Bolton, Ont,), Ahead
- John Tavares (Oakville, Ont.), Ahead
- Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C.), Ahead
- Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.), Defenceman
- Bowen Byram (Cranbrook, B.C.), Defenceman
- Kaiden Guhle (Sherwood Park, Alta.), Defenceman
- Jamie Oleksiak (Toronto), Defenceman
- Owen Energy (Mississauga, Ont.), Defenceman
- Colton Parayko (St. Albert, Alta.), Defenceman
- Damon Severson (Melville, Sask.), Defenceman
- Joel Hofer (Winnipeg), Goaltender
- Nico Daws (Burlington, Ont.), Goaltender
- Jordan Binnington (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Goaltender
