Team Canada issues official apology to Team Czechia after disrespectful actions last night
Team Canada picked up a massive win in game one of the World Juniors, but the following day, they've now issued an apology for failing to shake hands.
Last season was a major disappointment for Team Canada at the World Juniors, with the team finishing 5th after being eliminated by Czechia in a tight contest, and on Friday, they got their chance at revenge in their opening game of the 2026 tournament.
They did just that in what was a surprisingly tight contest, winning 7-5 on the back of a two-goal performance from Zayne Parekh, picking up their opening win of the tournament as they look to dominate Group B.
Team Canada apologize for disrespectful act
During the game, captain Porter Martone picked up a two-minute misconduct penalty after the game sealing empty net goal, but it was something after the game that caught the attention of fans even more.
Despite teams being required to shake hands, that never happened, and on Saturday, Team Canada took to social media to issue an apology to Team Czechia following the disrespect.
Following last nights game, Canada's National Junior Team skated off the ice before shaking hands with Czechia. Hockey Canada takes full responsibility for this oversight and we have apologized to the team, Czech Ice Hockey Association and IIHF for our mistake.
It's unclear exactly why this mistake from Team Canada occurred, but they quickly made up for it with an apology, and now they will hope to take to the ice with sportsmanship once more for the remainder of the tournament.
Their next game takes place on Saturday against Team Latvia, and with the chance to make a statement that they are here to go for gold once again, we may see their best performance as a group yet.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 27|624 ANSWERS Team Canada issues official apology to Team Czechia after disrespectful actions last night Was this apology warranted for Team Canada's actions? | ||
| Yes | 545 | 87.3 % |
| No | 79 | 12.7 % |
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