A five-point performance by Macklin Celebrini leads Canada over Latvia at world juniors

GOTHENBURG, Sweden –

Macklin Celebrini knew there would be lots of eyes on him in Sweden.

The presumptive top pick at the 2024 NHL draft hasn’t blinked.

Canada’s Macklin Celebrini (17) scores on Latvia goaltender Linards Feldbergs (29) during second period preliminary round hockey action at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. (PHOTO BY CHRISTINNE MUSCHI /The Canadian Press)Celebrini had a goal and four assists in a dominant performance from start to finish as Canada hammered Latvia 10-0 at the world junior hockey championship on Wednesday.

“Making this team, it was an honour, a childhood dream,” said the 17-year-old from Vancouver. “I’m just trying to enjoy it and do whatever I can to help us win.”

Celebrini’s five points were two short of the national record for a single game at the under-20 tournament – a mark held by six players, including Connor Bedard at the 2023 event in Halifax.

“Really special doing this at a young age,” said Matthew Wood, whose goal and two assists were overshadowed by his linemate. “His habits are unbelievable, his skill’s unbelievable.

“The real deal.”

Conor Geekie and Carson Rehkopf, with two each, also scored for Canada, while Fraser Minten and Brayden Yager both had a goal and an assist.

Owen Allard and Matthew Poitras rounded out the deluge, while Denton Mateychuk and Ty Nelson had two assists apiece.

Mathis Rousseau made 22 saves for the shutout less than 30 hours after leading the Canadians to a 5-2 victory over Finland in their opener.

Linards Feldbergs allowed seven goals on 31 shots for the overmatched Latvians, who dropped their first game 6-0 to hosts Sweden, before getting chased early in the third period. Aksels Ozols made seven saves on 10 shots after Feldbergs got the mercy pull.

“Real good performance,” Canada head coach Alan Letang said. “Those are some of the tougher games to stay involved in emotionally and stay involved in mentally.”

Canada is in Group A with the Finns, Swedes, Latvians and Germany. Group B consists of the United States, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Norway.

Looking for a third straight gold medal despite missing an impressive list of NHL talent, with Bedard right at the top, Canada entered Wednesday’s game with a 3-0 record against Latvia all-time with a combined 31-4 scoreline, including a 16-0 victory on Dec. 26, 2009.

Things weren’t quite that bad on this night. The Latvians, unsurprisingly, were also never close.

Geekie got things going five seconds into a Canadian power play at 5:19 of the opening period when he snapped his first of the tournament past Feldbergs from almost the same spot where he always ends his warmup routine.

Ty Nelson was then assessed a major for kneeing on a phantom call that resulted in a long delay – the DJ at Scandinavium arena played the song “What’s Up?” by 1990s group 4 Non Blondes that includes the lyric “What’s going on?” – that eventually saw the defenceman’s penalty completely expunged following a glacial video review.

“It was going to be probably overturned,” Letang said. “But you never know what their thought process is.”

Celebrini picked up his second assist of the period at 7:11 when he moved over the blue line and fed Yager, who fired his first glove side.

Latvia survived a 5-on-3 power play early in the middle period, but Allard scored his second with Canada still up a man on a deflection at 1:30.

Rehkopf, who started the tournament as the 13th forward despite having 31 goals in 31 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, scored his first when he stepped past a defender with ease and slid the puck home at 4:46 for a 4-0 lead.

“He’s got 31 for a reason,” Geekie said. “Goal-scorer’s goal.”

Celebrini stretched the advantage to five when he buried his second on a breakaway after collecting an inch-perfect pass from Wood and finishing with a move to the backhand at 10:56.

 “I was calling for it, but that landed right on my tape,” Celebrini said. “I don’t know how he got that to me.”

 Then the floodgates really opened.

Minten and Wood scored early in the third to chase Feldbergs before Geekie and Rehkopf doubled their accounts, with Celebrini picking up his fifth point on Canada’s 9-0 goal.

Poitras made it an even 10 with nine minutes left in regulation as the red-clad contingent in the stands sang late into the Gothenburg night.

“There’s a sense of pride,” Celebrini said. “Special to have the support.”

Those fans also know they have a special player.

“There’s pressure until you’re on the ice, and then it’s just hockey,” Celebrini added. “I just like to play my game and play with my teammates.

“They make it fun. You forget about all that.”

It was a night he won’t soon forget.

UP NEXT

Canada meets Sweden on Friday, while Latvia faces Finland.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2023.