Pressure is always high for Canada at the world junior hockey championship. But this year's team faces a whole host of unusual circumstances.
Not only will the squad be playing summer hockey on home soil when they begin tournament play against Latvia in Edmonton on Wednesday, they'll be doing so under unique scrutiny.
Hockey Canada has faced intense criticism in recent months for its handling of sexual assault allegations levied against members of former world junior teams.
The allegations prompted parliamentary inquiries and the federal government has frozen its funding of the organization. Big-name sponsors -- including Telus and Canadian Tire – followed suit, leaving the ice at Rogers Place free of ads and the surrounding boards devoid of the usual logos as play gets underway Tuesday with Slovakia taking on Czechia.