Czechia stuns Canada with big ...

This is why they play the games!

A heavily favoured Canadian side was taken down 5-2 by Czechia during the opening game of the 2023 World Junior Championship on Monday. Canada outshot Czechia 38-26, but it was all for naught. Stanislav Svozil led the way for Czechia with a goal and an assist, and though Connor Bedard looked every bit worthy of the first overall pick next summer, it wasn’t enough.

Here are three takeaways and one key criticism from Czechia’s stunning victory.

Connor Bedard’s otherworldly shot on full display

Connor Bedard is the best player to enter the draft since Auston Matthews, and much like the Maple Leafs superstar, the 17-year-old possesses an extraordinary release that belies his undersized stature. Bedard is the runaway favourite to go first overall in a loaded draft class, and though he’s outstanding at weaving in and out of traffic, his release and accuracy are his calling cards.

Bedard is going to dominate this tournament as an underage player. This was to be expected. And we’ll try to highlight other elements of his game in this blog. Trailing 3-1, Canada needed some offensive injection and Bedard showed why he is the marquee player in this draft class and this tournament, by some distance.

Benjamin Gaudreau’s performance opens up the goaltending competition

Your annual reminder — and one that journalists could use, too — that the players in this tournament are just kids. Benjamin Gaudreau will almost certainly have better nights ahead in his young career. It would be tough to write about this game without mentioning Gaudreau’s rough evening, however.

In fairness to Gaudreau, there were plenty of tepid defensive efforts from Canadian blueliners tracking back. If the hallmark of a quality goaltender is to give his team a chance, Gaudreau absolutely did not. And when Jaroslav Chmelar beat Gaudreau to give Czechia a 5-2 lead, Gaudreau’s night was done, replaced by Thomas Milic.

Stanislav Svozil deserves all 15 minutes of fame and more

One of the best parts of a condensed tournament is that it can create heroes out of relative unknowns. Czechia’s Stanislav Svozil and Jaroslav Chlemer deserve all the recognition they'll get for their standout performances on Monday night.

Svozil was a third-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2021, so yes, he didn’t appear out of thin air. But for one night at least, Svozil elevated his game and deserves to be lionized among the Czechia fans, while earning an early look at the all-tournament team.

TSN attempts to launder the broken reputation of Hockey Canada

The partnership between Hockey Canada and TSN is inextricable. Hockey Canada relies on TSN’s round-the-clock coverage to accelerate its revenue goals, especially during a year where it is hosting the tournament. And with most of the star-studded prospects taking part in this summer’s rendition, this year feels like nothing more than an avenue for the broken governing body to make up lost income.

Hockey Canada has been revealed to be a national disgrace throughout the calendar 2022 year, after TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that concurrent sexual assault scandals allegedly occurred, involving players from the 2003 and 2018 teams. The board of directors — including the disgraced CEO Scott Smith — have been ousted, but Hockey Canada has yet to show actual remorse. And it was once again evident on Monday night, with TSN laundering Hockey Canada’s attempts at rehabilitating its image.