Canada ready for Czech date in world junior hockey championship semifinals

Porter Martone crossed the red line and bumped an opponent with his shoulder.

The Canadian captain was joined by defencemen Zayne Parekh and Kashawn Aitcheson in some Boxing Day dark arts ahead of their opener against the Czechs at the world junior hockey championship.

The sport's powerhouse went on to pick up a 7-5 victory against the country that ended its dreams in the quarterfinals the last two tournaments, but then failed to shake hands after its flag was raised and the anthem played.

The Czech Republic wasn't happy in the moment. Martone, who also took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in regulation for tapping forward Adam Novotny's backside and faced a disciplinary committee for the warm-up antics, later apologized for his actions.

Hockey Canada issued a mea culpa of its own for the post-game snub.

The countries have plenty of recent history at the men's under-20 showcase. The latest chapter is set for Sunday's semifinal showdown after Canada thumped Slovakia 7-1 and the Czechs got past Switzerland 6-2 at the first medal-round hurdle.

"We're going to give our hearts and we're going to play to the best of our ability," Martone said following Saturday's optional practice at Grand Casino Arena. "I know every guy in that room is going to be blood, sweat and tears to the very end."

The 19-year-old is one of six returnees who felt the sting of defeat in Ottawa after falling to the Czechs in the quarters some 12 months ago — a result that hurt even more following the program's near-identical result in 2024.

"We know there's going to be four million Canadians watching back home," Martone added. "That's always a spark for us. We're excited and we're ready to go."

Fellow returnee Cole Beaudoin took a major penalty