“Got to do the right things” – Canada to lock horns with Finland in gold medal game at 2022 World Junior Championship


“Got to do the right things” – Canada to lock horns with Finland in gold medal game at 2022 World Junior Championship

Team Canada at 2022 World Junior Championship

Young Canadian ice hockey goalie Dylan Garand has got another golden opportunity he’s been waiting for the last 18 months. The moment occurred when Team Canada reached the finals of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship finals for the second time in a row. 

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After losing to the United States of America in the finals at the 2021 world juniors, the 20-year-old Garand has a chance to help his country capture the tournament’s top prize again.

“It’s exciting to be at this moment now. But the hardest work is ahead,” Garand said in a statement on Friday after backstopping his team to a 5-2 semifinal win over Czechia, the country popularly known as the Czech Republic.

“We’ve got to do the right things here, get the right rest, recovery and be ready to go.”

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“Garand has been steady and solid all the way through”

Dylan Garand
Dylan Garand

The Victoria native Garand stopped 31-of-33 shots on Friday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. As a result, one of his longtime teammates Logan Stankoven believes he has more to give heading into the tournament’s ultimate bout.

For those who missed, Stankoven who’s played three seasons with Garand for the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League (WHL), had a goal and an assist in the SF, and was one of seven players to hit the scoresheet for Canada.

“He’s been steady and solid all the way through. … He’s just so focused and ready to go every game,” said Stankoven. 

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There’s momentum changes throughout the game and we’re going to need him to make some big stops tomorrow, no matter who we play.”

Canada (6-0-0) will face Finland (5-1-0) in Saturday’s gold-medal match as the Finnish earlier blanked Sweden 1-0 in semifinal action. On the other hand, Sweden will face Czechia in the bronze-medal game on Saturday.

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