David Alter, TSN.ca Staff Team Canada , The Canadian Press
All it took was some time on the ice for Quinton Byfield to get back up to speed.
“Definitely in camp not playing hockey for eight-to-nine months definitely affects you a little bit, Byfield said after Team Canada’s 10-0 rout of Switzerland Tuesday night. I had to ease myself into it a little bit, almost, and I’ve found my footing.”
After recording just one assist through two tournament games, Byfield exploded for a pair of goals and added four assists as Team Canada dominated Team Switzerland to remain undefeated at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
Philip Tomasino had a goal and an assist and Jack Quinn scored an empty-netter for Canada. Devon Levi made 17 saves for the win on his 19th birthday.
“I didn’t go on my phone much. I was focused on the game,” Levi said. “I can answer my birthday messages later, but the task at hand was to win the game.”
Martin Romiak scored for Slovakia (1-1). Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj of the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix stopped 20 shots in the loss.
The closest Slovakia has come to beating Canada in the world junior tournament was a 0-0 tie in Brandon, Man., in 1999.
Braden Schneider played just four shifts on Boxing Day before being ejected for a hit to the head on German forward Jan-Luca Schumacher. The Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman was suspended one game and missed Sunday s win over Slovakia. I wasn t, honestly, too surprised, he said. I know with the IIHF they take head shots very seriously, as they should, and I was kind of expecting one and I think I got what I deserved.
Hitting is part of Schneider s DNA as a hockey player. He studied Scott Stevens bodychecks on YouTube as a kid and views Shea Weber as his National Hockey League role model. But the Rangers first-rounder admits he needs to recalibrate his physical play to avoid further issues at the World Juniors.
EDMONTON Jordan Spence scored what turned out to be an important goal for Canada in his first shift of the world junior hockey championship. A day after Canada romped 16-2 over short-staffed Germany to start the tournament, goals were much harder to come by in a 3-1 win over Slovakia on Sunday. Spence was a healthy scratch in Canada's opener. The defenceman was informed Sunday afternoon he would draw into the lineup for suspended teammate.