Team Canada departs for Halifax

MONCTON - Team Canada's time in New Brunswick has come to a close.

After holding selection camp in Moncton, training camp in St. Stephen and a pair of pre-tournament games at the Avenir Centre, Canada will spend the remainder of this year's IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax.

Canada played their final game in Moncton on Wednesday night, defeating Slovakia 6-1. QMJHLers Zach Dean (Gatineau Olympiques) and Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke Phoenix) scored in the victory.

Captain Shane Wright, who unfortunately scored on his own net, spoke to the Moncton crowd after the match.

Thank you, Moncton! 👏

🎙 Hear from Shane Wright after 🇨🇦 wrapped up its pre-tournament games in New Brunswick.
#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/3d4b6mJUU5

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 22, 2022

“All the support from the fans in Moncton has been incredible," Wright said after the game. "They have been cheering us on since we got here, and as players we love that. It is nice to be on home soil and have Canadian fans cheering us on. It was a nice touch to be able to say thank you to the fans at the end of the game, and we just wanted to let the fans know how much we appreciate the support.”

Canada concludes pre-tournament play on Friday at Scotiabank Centre, taking on Finland. They begin the tournament on Boxing Day against Czechia.

A few other notes...

• CBC has details on the contract signed between the New Brunswick government and Hockey Canada. New Brunswick is spending $1.25 million to co-host the world juniors, reports CBC, "but Hockey Canada may have to repay some of that money if any Hockey Canada representatives involved with the event are found to have engaged in 'unethical' or 'illegal' conduct before the tournament ends on Jan. 5."
• Like Monday's Team Canada game, the Avenir Centre was packed Wednesday night. But announced attendance for Wednesday's match was only 7,830. The first Wildcats game in the building in 2018 had an announced crowd of 8,800.
• Despite the big crowds, there wasn't much of an atmosphere at Avenir Centre for either Team Canada game. It's too bad COVID robbed us all of a Wildcats 2020 playoff run - we would have seen what this building is capable of.
• Maybe I've officially become a #boomer, but does anyone else miss paper programs? I get that digital only is a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option, but having, at the very least, a sheet of paper with names and numbers makes for an easier viewing experience. Maybe I'm in the minority on this one - I don't know. I'd much rather watch a game like Wednesday's United States/Sweden game, where I don't know who is who, with a roster sheet in front of me rather than unlocking my phone and zooming in on a roster every few whistles.
• Austria defeated Germany 4-3 in overtime on the StFX campus on Tuesday. After spending a week in town, the Austrian team skated around the rink with a "thank you Antigonish" sign after the game.