Canada crashes out of hockey world juniors with 4-3 loss to Czechia

Canada was also upset by the Czechs in the dying moments at the same stage 12 months ago at the under-20 event in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Canada was buzzing. The ice was tilted. A dramatic comeback victory felt inevitable.

A team previously unable to click offensively appeared to have finally unlocked some cohesion.

Then the group’s other issue — penalties — bubbled to the surface one final time at the world junior hockey championship.

And Hockey Canada is now left to pick up the pieces following another disastrous result.

Adam Jecho scored the winner on a power play with 39.4 seconds left in regulation as the tournament hosts fell 4-3 to Czechia in the quarterfinals Thursday.

“It sucks,” Canadian forward Calum Ritchie said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not the way we all wanted it to end.”

Canada was also upset by the Czechs in the dying moments at the same stage 12 months ago at the under-20 event in Gothenburg, Sweden. The country has now failed to play for a medal at back-to-back world juniors for the first time since instituting its program of excellence in the early 1980s.

“It was a special group,” said 17-year-old forward Gavin McKenna, tears in his eyes. “Didn’t have anything to show for it.”