OTTAWA - Eriks Mateiko is leaving the IIHF World Junior Championship as one of the tournament's leading goal scorers.
The Latvian forward scored another pair of goals on Thursday, giving him five in five games and placing him in a tie for the tournament lead. That doesn't include the shootout goal he scored against Canada, either.
The Saint John Sea Dogs captain scored both of Latvia's goals in a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Sweden at TD Place, ending what has to be considered a successful tournament for the underdogs, who many thought would end up playing in the relegation game.
Not sure if TSN showed this but Latvia did a couple laps of the ice before leaving. #CanadasTeam pic.twitter.com/olhS7jZgqo
— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) January 2, 2025
Mateiko played a pivotal role in Latvia's success, pulling the team into games at times. He was, unsurprisingly, named one of the team's top three players at the tournament and has made a strong case for the event's all star team.
The Washington Capitals prospect finished with four shots in 18:51 of ice time on Thursday. The Swedes outplayed the Latvians for most of the game – shots were 50-13 Sweden – but netminder Linards Feldbergs of the Sherbrooke Phoenix once again kept his team in it.
Mateiko had one of the best world junior performances by any Sea Dog in the club's history – but he's likely played his final game for Saint John. The import forward is expected to be dealt prior to Monday's QMJHL trade deadline.
Le meilleur buteur du Mondial junior 2025, Eriks Mateiko, passera des Sea Dogs à l'Océanic de Rimouski lors de la date limite des transactions. #LHJMQ
— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) January 2, 2025
Sweden will play Finland in Saturday's first semifinal followed by the United States taking on Czechia.
Czechia defeated Canada 4-3 on Thursday night in what was another disastrous game by the Canadians. Former Sea Dogs forward Pavel Simek did not play for Czechia.
New Brunswick's Bradly Nadeau scored his second goal of the tournament in the loss. He finishes as Canada's leading goal scorer.
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