Former Guelph Storm scores in Canada's World Juniors opener

A former Guelph Storm player has helped Team Canada get its first win at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden.

The team is defending their title after taking both the 2022 and 2023 championship.

Team Canada got off to a good start with a 5-2 win over Team Finland in a Boxing Day matinee.

Canada was the board first with a quick shot from Nate Danielson at 16:24.

Owen Allard got another for Canada in the second, followed by Finland’s first goal of the game.

The score was 2-1 going into the third period.

Macklin Celebrini extended Canada’s lead to 3-1 in the third. He knocked the puck in close, near the pads of Finland’s goalie, and a video review was called.

That was followed by an empty netter from Matthew Poitras, the 19-year-old centre who was with the Guelph Storm from 2020 to 2023. The Brooklin, Ont. native now plays for the Boston Bruins.

The Finnish captain, Jere Lassila, got the team’s second goal of the game.

But Canada was able to secure its win with just 6.2 seconds left on the clock.

Fraser Minten, Owen Beck, Maveric Lamoureux, Matthew Poitras, Matthew Savoie for Team Canada at the the World Juniors Championship. (Source: Hockey Canada)

Team Canada returns to the ice Wednesday where they’ll face off against Team Latvia. That match will air on TSN starting at 1:30 p.m.

The gold medal game is set for Jan. 5.