Zayne Parekh achieved a remarkable milestone during the world junior hockey championship by scoring a goal and providing an assist, setting a new record for points by a Canadian defenceman. His performance was instrumental in Canada securing a bronze medal with a decisive 6-3 victory over Finland on Monday. With this game, Parekh concluded the tournament with 13 points across six matches, surpassing the previous record of 12 points set by Bryan McCabe in 1995 and Alex Pietrangelo in 2008.
In the bronze medal match, Gavin McKenna also had an outstanding game, contributing one goal and three assists. Canada, which had faced disappointment just a day earlier after losing 6-4 to Czechia in the semifinals, displayed resilience in the final match. Sam O’Reilly scored twice, and Braeden Cootes and Porter Martone added their names on the scoresheet. Goaltender Carter George made 32 saves to secure the victory for his team.
The match against Finland began with a fast start from Canada, as O’Reilly found the back of the net just 70 seconds into the first period, receiving a pass from Michael Hage during a 2-on-1 opportunity. However, Finland quickly equalized when Arttu Valila scored at 3:23. Canada regained the lead shortly after when Cootes scored from the slot at 4:57. The Finns managed to tie the game once again at 11:58 with a power-play goal from Julius Miettinen, but Parekh responded with a crucial goal with only 1:19 remaining in the first period, contributing to Canada’s successful power play.
In the second period, Canadian defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson delivered a significant hit on Max Westergard during the following faceoff, sending the Finnish forward to the locker room. Martone scored at 1:47 on a feed from Tij Iginla, eventually leading to Parekh’s record-setting assist. O’Reilly netted his second goal of the game at 5:27 on another power play, giving Canada a commanding 4-2 lead.
As the game progressed, Heikki Ruohonen brought Finland back to within a goal at 14:18 of the second period, scoring to make it 5-3. However, McKenna sealed the deal for Canada in the third period by scoring at 13:35, marking his fourth point of the game while Hage contributed his fourth assist, further solidifying Canada’s advantage.
This bronze medal marks a significant achievement for Canada, which has previously claimed a record 20 gold medals in this tournament. It was only the sixth time Canada has won bronze, and the first appearance in the third-place game since 2014. The last time Canada won a bronze medal was in 2012, further emphasizing the importance of this victory.
In a noteworthy development, Czechia and Sweden were set to compete for the gold medal later that same day at the Grand Casino Arena, marking the first podium showdown since 2016 that did not involve either Canada or the United States. This tournament has highlighted the competitive nature of junior hockey, with shifting dynamics and emerging talent.
Overall, Canada’s performance in this championship, while falling short of gold, showcased the talent and potential of their young players, including Parekh, who has already made 11 appearances for the NHL’s Calgary Flames this season.
