Hage scores in OT, Canada squeaks by Latvia 2-1 at world junior hockey championship

Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic (1) makes a save against Latvia at the world junior hockey championship in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

MINNEAPOLIS — Jack Ivankovic had seen most of Saturday’s script at the world junior hockey championship play out exactly one year ago.

The goaltender also counted on his University of Michigan teammate, as he has time and again this season for the NCAA’s top-ranked program, to come through in the clutch.

Michael Hage delivered — and spared his country the embarrassment of another stinging upset at the world junior hockey championship.

The big centre scored on a power play 44 seconds into overtime as Canada survived a late blown lead to pick up a 2-1 victory over Latvia.

“Special player,” Ivankovic said of Hage, a 2024 first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens. “When you give him time and space, the puck’s going to be in the net.”

Hage buried a one-timer on a 4-on-3 man advantage off Gavin McKenna’s setup to rescue his team after Latvia’s Roberts Naudins was whistled for delay of game late in the third period.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Hage, U.S. college hockey’s second-leading scorer with 28 points in 20 games. “Happy I could help us get a win … glad I got pretty good wood on it.”

“A big relief off the shoulders,” added McKenna, who finished with two assists.

Cole Reschny had the other goal — also on the power play — for the Canadians. Ivankovic made 26 saves.

Rudolfs Berzkalns replied for plucky Latvia. Nils Maurins stopped 36 shots.

“They play a defensive structure,” Canadian head coach Dale Hunter said. “Stayed back and made sure that we didn’t get odd-man rushes.”

Canada, which topped Czechia 7-5 in Friday’s barn-burning opener after getting eliminated by the same opponent at the quarterfinal stage the last two tournaments, gently ticked another revenge box following a stunning shootout loss to Latvia — one of the biggest upsets in the showcase event’s history — exactly 12 months prior in Ottawa.

“You can’t play hockey that is as (fast) and skilful as Canada,” Latvian head coach Artis Abols said. “I don’t want to park the bus in the defensive zone and stay there. I want to be aggressive. But if you have a gun with 100 bullets, you can shoot all over.

“If you have a gun with 10 bullets, you need to be smart.”

McKenna, one of six returnees from last year’s team, said the angst of the previous Latvia defeat in the nation’s capital when Canada held a 57-26 shot advantage started to creep into his thoughts when Canada again surrendered a late lead.

“But this, I wasn’t nervous, honestly,” said the star forward. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in that room. We found a way.”

Canadian captain Porter Martone, another veteran of the 2025 squad, said his team had to stay patient.

“They’re pesky, they play hard,” he said of the Latvians. “I think this year, we stuck with it and didn’t get away from it. We got the result.”

Ivankovic, who wasn’t at fault for the disaster 365 days earlier and got the start at 3M Arena on the University of Minnesota campus after Carter George played Friday, wasn’t fazed with the Latvians once again hanging around and sitting one shot away.

“We all live to play hockey and be at this tournament,” he said. “No one really was too focused on last year.”

Canada’s next game at the men’s under-20 tournament is Monday against Denmark before wrapping up Group B play on New Year’s Eve against Finland.

The lacklustre Canadians, who like in Ottawa played on a back-to-back against the rested Latvians in their curtain-raiser, broke through in the second after Martins Klaucans was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head.

Reschny took a pass from McKenna on the ensuing power play and wheeled into the slot before the Calgary Flames prospect fired past Maurins at 2:22.

Caleb Desnoyers had a great chance to make it 2-0 midway through the third only to be denied by Maurins. Brady Martin then clanked a shot off the crossbar with under five minutes to go in regulation.

That left the door open for the Latvians, who pounced with 1:58 left when Berzkalns kicked the puck from his skate to his stick for the equalizer before the penalty to Naudins set the stage for the late drama.

“Cat-and-mouse game ‚” Hunter said. “It’s what you do after that really counts.”

Martone mea culpa

Martone apologized in the hours before puck drop for his actions in Friday’s dying moments. He scored the empty-net clincher and was then assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after skating past Czechia’s bench and tapping forward Adam Novotny on his backside.

“Unacceptable,” Martone told reporters at the team’s hotel. “It sets a bad (example) … I take full responsibility.”

Handshake drama

Hockey Canada also issued an apology following the team’s failure to take part in Friday’s post-game handshake line.

“Hockey Canada takes full responsibility for this oversight and we have apologized to the team, Czech Ice Hockey Association and (International Ice Hockey Federation) for our mistake,” the federation said in a statement Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press