Canada vs. Czechia: Live score, highlights, updates from 2023 World Juniors game
Czechia #Czechia
The quest for back-to-back gold begins today for Canada, as the defending champions take on Czechia to kick off their 2023 World Juniors.
Canada won their 19th gold medal at the U20 tournament this past summer, defeating Finland in overtime. It was their second gold medal in three years and third in the last five.
The key returners for the team are Connor Bedard, Olen Zellweger and Logan Stankoven. Zellweger and Stankoven finished third and fourth, respectively, in points among all skaters at the 2022 tournament, while Bedard was tied for ninth.
MORE: Watch the 2023 World Juniors live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only)
Looking at the newcomers, Shane Wright, Dylan Guenther and Adam Fantilli are expected to have a major impact for Canada. Both Wright and Guenther passed on the 2022 restarted tournament in favor of focusing on making their respective NHL clubs, but have been loaned to Team Canada for the 2023 competition. Fantilli is projected to be a top-three pick in the 2023 draft.
Czechia lost to Sweden in the bronze-medal game in the last World Juniors, missing out on their first World Juniors medal since 2005. The names to watch on the Czech roster are Jiri Kulich, David Jiricek and Eduard Sale.
Kulich, a Sabres 2022 first-rounder, averaged a point per game in the summer. Jiricek is a Blue Jackets prospect who went No. 6 overall in the 2022 draft and should get top minutes on the Czech blue line. Sale is a potential top-10 pick in the 2023 draft and is getting his first crack at the World Juniors as a 17-year-old.
Canada defeated Czechia twice at the 2022 World Juniors, once in group play and then again in the semifinals.
MORE: Team Canada roster, schedule for 2023 World Juniors
The Sporting News will provide live updates and highlights from the Canada-Czechia matchup at the 2023 World Juniors.
Canada vs. Czechia score Matchup P1 P2 P3 OT F Canada — — — — — Czechia — — — — — Canada vs. Czechia live updates, highlights from 2023 World Juniors
All times Eastern time (ET)
Pregame
5 p.m.
What channel is Canada vs. Czechia on today?
TSN has all the World Juniors action in Canada. In the United States, viewers can find the games on NHL Network.
Gord Miller and Mike Johnson are on the call live from the Maritimes. James Duthie, Bob McKenzie and Cheryl Pounder will provide analysis during intermissions.
How to live stream World Juniors hockey games
Fans in Canada can stream all World Juniors games at TSN.ca or the TSN app.
U.S. fans can stream the tournament on fuboTV (free trial), NHL.tv or the NHL app.
Canada vs. Czechia odds
According to Sports Interaction, Canada is a 2.5-goal favorite on the puckline for the contest against Czechia at the World Juniors.
Canada World Juniors schedule 2023
(All times Eastern)
Date Opponent Result Time (ET) TV Info Dec. 26 Czechia — 6:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN Dec. 28 Germany — 6:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN Dec. 29 Austria — 6:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN Dec. 31 Sweden — 6:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN Jan. 2 TBD (Quarterfinals) — TBD TSN, NHLN Jan. 4 TBD (Semifinals) — TBD TSN, NHLN Jan. 5 TBD (Gold-Medal Game) — TBD TSN, NHLN