The premier matchup of the tournament went down Thursday night in Davos, Switzerland, as HC Davos lost to the Canadians 4-1 in front of an over-capacity crowd at Vaillant Arena.
Team Canada's Andrew Ebbett had two goals, while newly-added forward Zach Boychuk had a goal and an assist.
Davos opened the scoring in the first period on a beautiful one-timer from defenseman Sam Lofquist, but that was all the offense the Swiss side could muster, as the red and white were all over them from the jump.
Canada awaits its semifinal challenger, with that contest set for Saturday from Davos.
Claesson was assessed a match penalty for his illegal check to the head of Boston Bruins forward Noel Acciari on Wednesday night. This is the first suspension of Claesson's career.
Through 31 games for Ottawa this season, the fifth-round draft pick has one goal and one assist.
Bundle up, because the world junior hockey championship outdoor game between the United States and Canada is a go on Friday.
Tournament officials gave the go-ahead for the game to be played at the NFL Buffalo Bills’ New Era Field during a meeting Thursday. USA Hockey and organizing committee official Dave Fischer confirmed the decision in a text to The Associated Press.
The forecast for Friday’s game at 3 p.m. Eastern time calls for temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 to -6 Celsius). The cold prompted some to wonder if the game might be relocated to Buffalo’s downtown KeyBank Center, where the majority of the 10-nation tournament is being played.
The preliminary-round game between the U.S. and Canada will be the first outdoor game played at the international level. The Canadians have won their first two tournament fixtures, while the Americans are 1-0 and face Denmark on Thursday night.
The United States is the defending champion after beating Canada in a shootout in January.
Scheifele was injured midway through the second period Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oilers. He took a light bump from Edmonton defenseman Brandon Davidson and subsequently crashed heavily into the end boards.
Through 38 games this season, the 24-year-old Kitchener, Ont., native has been an absolute workhorse for the Jets, racking up 15 goals and 23 assists in just under 21 minutes a night.
The Central Division-leading Nashville Predators are looking to add more ammunition to their arsenal in the form of their top prospect.
Eeli Tolvanen, the club's first-round selection in the 2017 draft, is on general manager David Poile's radar, and Poile is hopeful of luring him to the Music City this season.
"I think based on what he's accomplished so far this year, that might be probable," Poile told Adam Vingan of The Tennessean.
Tolvanen has scored 17 goals with Jokerit of the KHL this season, and recently received an All-Star nomination as an 18-year-old. He's currently suited up with Finland at the world juniors.
"We certainly would like to make contact with the player in terms of what his thought process would be to sign a contract sooner than later," Poile said.
Tolvanen is under contract for one season in the KHL with an option for another year. The regular season continues until March 1, and Jokerit is currently in third place, so it's likely a playoff run could follow.
While nothing is imminent, the thought of Tolvanen joining a Predators lineup already reinforced by the acquisition of Kyle Turris and, soon, the return of Ryan Ellis, Nashville has serious potential to defend its Western Conference crown.
Although there's an 18-point gap between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings, Thursday's matchup holds particular significance for Jonathan Drouin, who will play his first game against his former club since being traded over the summer.
Drouin returns to Tampa Bay after a roller coaster three-year tenure that saw him demand a trade and hold out of his subsequent AHL assignment. He capped it all off with playing the best hockey of his career in a deep playoff run and throughout the season that followed.
For better or worse, Drouin always found his way into the spotlight with the Lightning, but with the entire saga in tow, the 22-year-old says he doesn't regret how it all played out.
"Maybe being more patient in my decision-making, where I'm young and stubborn and want to do my own thing, and what I did," Drouin told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.
"But I've said it before, I don't regret what I did, it got me to my hometown team and a lot of good players to play with."
Drouin was drafted third overall to the Lightning in 2013, and recorded 95 points across 164 regular-season contests. This year in Montreal, he's notched five goals and 13 assists in 32 games.
The game is being played at a level never seen before, allowing for jaw-dropping highlights almost every night.
Cutting a list of goals of the year to five is no easy task, but here's what we came up with:
5. Spurgeon's home run - Jan. 17
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon set the bar high early in the year, scoring in a way we hadn't really seen before.
Spurgeon's catch-and-shoot really was a hit.
4. More magic from Crosby - March 21
Sidney Crosby has wowed us so many times over the course of his already legendary career, but the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar brought something fresh to the table with this ridiculous one-handed backhand goal in Buffalo after cutting straight through the Sabres' defense.
Back in his old barn, he proceeded to score a truly sensational goal at the expense of not just his former club, but the very player for whom he was deemed expendable.
Let's be clear: Mike Hoffman's execution of the Peter Forsberg breakaway move on Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask in the playoffs stands alone on its own merits.
But what made this the clear-cut goal of 2017 was a picture-perfect pass from Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson that was delivered from his own goal line and landed at just the right spot for Hoffman to break in onside.