UFA, Russia — It’s a moment that Jonathan Huberdeau still remembers vividly. He remembers suffering defeat at the hands of the Russians in the semifinals of the 2012 world junior championship.

Jonathan Huberdeau doesn't want to come up short again in the semis. (Getty)A year later the wound is still fresh and the disappointment still stings.

“It’s been a year, but it feels like it was yesterday that it happened,” said Huberdeau, one of Canada’s alternate captains.

On Thursday, he will get another chance to advance to the gold medal game when Team Canada faces the U.S. at Ufa Arena at 4 a.m. ET. Like last year, when Canada won bronze in Calgary, the team will have had two days of rest before the semifinal.

“For sure we think about that – we had two days off – it’s the same scenario that happened last year two days off and then we play a semifinal,” said the third overall pick of the Florida Panthers in 2011. “It’s a different team and it’s a different tournament.

“We just want to have a great start and we want to be focused, that’s the most

Read More »from 2013 WJC: Canada doesn't want to repeat history in semifinal showdown with U.S.

UFA, Russia — Team Canada head coach Steve Spott ended his post-game conference with Russian media by wishing them a “Happy New Year” in their native tongue.

Ryan Murphy, Jonathan Drouin and Mark Scheifele celebrate Drouin's goal against Russia. (Reuters)As far as the man sitting beside him on the dais, Russian head coach Mikhail Varnakov, was concerned there was nothing happy about it. His team had just lost 4-1 on home ice to Canada on one the biggest days on the Russian calendar.

“To play against a team like Canada is always hard,” said Varnakov through a translator. “You should always be alert and you should always be disciplined.”

Thus far in the tournament, it has been Team Canada that has struggled with taking penalties. This time however, it was the Russians that found themselves in the box early in the first period when Valeri Nichushkin was given a five-minute major for checking from behind and a game misconduct for slamming defenceman Tyler Worthersoon face-first into the dasher board. Adding injury to injury, it was his first shift back for the Calgary Flames

Read More »from 2013 WJC: New addition to top line sparks Canada's big victory over Russia

UFA, Russia — Skating over to Team Canada’s bench to grab some water during the television timeouts, goaltender Malcolm Subban stopped in front of backup Jordan Binnington. The two shared a few words before Subban skated back to his crease and back to work.

Canada's Malcolm Subban turned in his best game in beating Team USA. (Reuters)“I just told him to keep doing what he was doing,” said Binnington.

What he was doing was stonewalling Team USA, making 36 saves en route to a 2-1 victory over the Americans as Canada remained undefeated at the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship.

“No one deserves it more than him,” said forward Ryan Strome, who scored the game-winner, of Subban. “He proved a lot of people wrong. We knew he had it in him and I think he quieted a lot of people.”

Entering the tournament there had been questions about Subban’s ability to carry Team Canada against tough competition. In the opening games of the tournament against Germany and Slovakia, the Boston Bruins’ first-round draft pick last June appeared to be fighting the puck,

Read More »from 2013 WJC: Subban shines as Canada beats U.S., setting up showdown with Russia

UFA, Russia — There’s no question who Rick and Barb Rankin will be cheering for when Team USA faces Canada on Sunday at the world junior championships.

Ty Rattie celebrates his goal against Slovakia. (Reuters)The couple has a number of American flags proudly displayed in their Beaverton, Ore., home roughly 13 kilometers west of Portland. Rick has worked with the U.S. Army and has been stationed in Afghanistan in the past.

They serve as billets for Canadian forward Ty Rattie and American defenceman Seth Jones, who are teammates for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks.

Before he left for the tournament, Rattie said Barb had a message for him.

“She just said ‘Good luck and I hope you win silver and the U.S. wins gold,’” Rattie said. “I heard that a lot when I was in the U.S.”

There’s no hiding loyalties when it comes to world junior hockey, and Rattie wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I know [Barb] is cheering for the U.S., she’s told me already,” said the native of Airdrie, Alta. “But that’s understandable, they’re

Read More »from 2013 WJC: Ty Rattie and Seth Jones put friendship on hold during Canada-U.S. matchup

UFA, Russia — First it was Nail Yakupov. Now it’s the Slovakians who are tagging the Canadian junior hockey team with the “dirty” label.

Anthony Camara was ejected for this hit on Patrik Luza, but won't face further discipline. (Reuters)The Canadians came back from a 2-0 deficit for a 6-3 victory over Slovakia at the 2013 world junior championship on Friday. Canada’s second straight win came despite losing forwards JC Lipon and Anthony Camara to major penalties from punishing hits on their 0-2 opponents.

“I think, in my eyes, the two hits were dirty,” said Slovak centre Tomas Mikus. “It’s not good in a world championship. We accept clear hits but the hands were too high.

“Really dirty.”

Team Canada dismissed the accusations of playing outside the rules and besmirching the good name of international hockey. The way they see it, they’re simply playing the game the Canadian way.

“We can’t worry about any of that stuff,” said forward Mark Scheifele. “We have to come out and play our game. We have our strategy and the way we play and we’re going to do that. We’re not going to worry Read More »from 2013 WJC: Team Canada says determination, not dirty play, defines its success

UFA, Russia — Long before Jonathan Drouin stepped into the spotlight on hockey’s international stage, he had already won over Andre Tourigny as a fan.

Jonathan Drouin was lighting it up for Halifax before joining Team Canada. (Getty)“His hockey sense and IQ is through the roof,” said Tourigny, an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2013 world juniors. “But along with that he’s a competitor, he wants to make the difference and he plays with a lot of poise.

“I’m a big fan of Jo because I think he’s a player who will make the key play at the right moment.”

Tourigny, who coaches the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, has seen the kind of effect Drouin can have on a game first hand. The 17-year-old has been a standout with the Halifax Mooseheads this season and has carried his dynamic play into a spot on Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Last season in the QMJHL playoffs Drouin and linemate Nathan MacKinnon went on a tear, helping Halifax reach the semifinal where they lost in six games to the Rimouski Oceanic. Drouin

Read More »from 2013 WJC: Jonathan Drouin in spotlight on one of hockey’s biggest stages

UFA, RUSSIA — Scoring five points against Germany might not have been that heroic for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but that didn’t stop him from wearing a satiny black cape in his post-game press conference.

Canada's top line was too powerful for Germany. (Reuters)The 19-year-old star of the Edmonton Oilers was reticent about having to wear the Superman accessory – emblazoned with a red-and-white shield on the back with Team Canada’s motto “The Reason” and the Hockey Canada emblem.

“It’s something that the coaches are going to give out at each game to one player and it’s an honour to be the first to get it,” said Nugent-Hopkins.

“I don’t know if I have to go out for dinner with it or not, we’ll see.”

The idea was the brainchild of head coach Steve Spott, who decided to change up the traditional hat – hard hat, cowboy hat, etc. – in exchange for the cape.

“We think the cape is something unique,” said Spott. “And it embarrasses them a little bit when they have to come out here and face you guys (in the media) …It’s extra motivation

Read More »from 2013 WJC: 'Superman' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins paces Canada past Germany in opener

It’s been a tradition for as long as the Rattie family can remember.

As young children, Ty and younger brother Taden would eagerly gather around the television, still clad in their pajamas, to watch the world junior hockey championship being played in Europe.

"We’d get up at 4 or 5 a.m., and the boys would be quite excited about it,'' said their father, Rob Rattie, from their home in Airdrie, Alta. "We all get excited at world junior time and it’s something the boys have always looked forward to. No matter what it was on, they’d be up to watch it on TV.''

That tradition is changing this year, as the Ratties are going to Russia.

When Ty Rattie, a star winger with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, found out he had made Canada’s world junior squad, his first phone call was home to his best friend - Taden.

"He told me he finally did it,'' said Taden, 14. "We’ve always had that dream since we were kids to play on Team Canada one day.''

One year ago, with the

Read More »from 2013 world juniors a special Christmas gift for Ty Rattie and family