Latvia stuns Canada with shootout victory at World Juniors

Eriks Mateiko scored the only goal of the shootout as Latvia stunned an alarmingly uninspired Canada 3-2 in the World Junior Hockey Championship on Friday.

The forward set up his country's eighth try before conceding a goal in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

Mateiko and Peteris Bulans scored for the hard-working Europeans in the regular season in their first match of the 10-team showcase in the country's capital. Linards Feldbergs stopped 54 shots in 65 minutes. Bruno Osmanis had two assists.

Calum Ritchie and Jett Luchanko replied for the tournament hosts, who finished a disappointing fifth place in Sweden last year. Jack Ivankovic made 24 saves.

Canada, seeking its 20th gold medal, entered with a 4-0 record and a combined 41-4 lead on the all-time scoreboard against Latvia at the event, including a 10-0 win about 12 months ago.

After the Latvians tied the match 1-1 after a man advantage in the third period, Ritchie fired home a one-timer off a feed from Easton Cowan.

But Canada's Ethan Gauthier was whistled for hooking with just over three minutes left and Bulans tied that power play with 2:29 left.

Canada took a too-many-on-ice penalty in 3-on-3 overtime, but survived that short-handed situation and forced the shootout that not many saw coming before the opening face-off.

Ivankovic is only the third 17-year-old goaltender to play for Canada at the under-20 tournament, and the first to start a game since Jimmy Waite in 1987. Brian Finley came into action in 1999 at the age of 17.

The goaltender from Mississauga, Ont., started in place of Carter George at the end of a back-to-back after making 31 saves in a 4-0 win over Finland in Thursday's opener.

Hockey Canada's brain trust led by Peter Anholt spoke before the tournament about how the group was much better prepared this time around after the disastrous performance in Gothenburg, where the powerhouse was bounced by the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.

The coaching staff led by Dave Cameron arrived early, while the program also hosted a summer camp and hired a full-time scout.

The management team insisted that all the pieces were in place. In short, there were no excuses.

However, Canada didn't have many answers against one of the sport's minnows on Friday, despite having 11 NHL first-round picks and three other players projected to go high in the next two drafts.

A disjointed performance in the opening 20 minutes was highlighted by an injury to star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, a 17-year-old potential top pick in the 2025 NHL draft, after he crashed into the Latvian net on a power play after the rush.

Ivankovic had to be sharp on a few penalties and another chance only on the stick of Olivers Murnieks.

From then on things didn't improve much.

Canada didn't get on the board until 3:28 into the middle period when Luchanko stole a puck on a penalty kick and scored on a breakaway after Feldbergs decided to stay in his crease.

The Canadians, 0-for-3 in the power play against Finland, fell to 0-for-6 later in the period after two largely lifeless man advantages.

With his team seemingly content to stay on the outside and not challenge the Latvians for the center of the ice, an unfortunate feature of the country's 2024 iteration, Cameron stuck his players on the bench late in the period .

The crowd at the Canadian Tire Center tried to cheer up the nation's teens midway through the third period, but the group continued to search for answers that simply couldn't be found.

Canadian defender Andrew Gibson then took an elbow penalty to set up Mateiko's equalizer with 6:42 left in regulation time before Ritchie and Mateiko exchanged goals late.

YOUNG GUNS

Cameron said before the match that the Canadian trio of 17-year-olds Gavin McKenna, Ivankovic and Schaefer will not receive special age-related treatment.

“If we thought they needed a special shift, they probably wouldn't belong on the team,” said Cameron, who was in charge of the junior bench for the third time. “We don't want any additional obstacles such as having to spoil boys through scenarios. We have enough work to do as it is.

“No matter how young they are, they are adults.”

FAMILIAR FACES

Canadian forward Berkly Catton and defenseman Caden Price were neighbors growing up in Saskatoon, while captain Brayden Yager's family moved to the city from Prince Albert, Sask., when he was 11.

“We all dreamed of this,” Catton said. “We just live it and enjoy it.”

NEXT

Latvia faces the US on Saturday. Canada meets Germany on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024.