Two Canadians scored a hat trick and Prince Albert Raiders forward Brett Leason added a pair as Team Canada opened its World Junior gold medal defence with a 14-0 shelling of Denmark.
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound Morgan Frost earned player of the game accolades for Canada, scoring three goals and two assists, including the team’s first of the game.
Leason forced a turnover at the blueline and shoveled a backhanded pass to Frost, who deked out Danish netminder Mads Soegaard and tucked the puck home for the Canadians’ first of the preliminary round of the tournament.
Frost would score twice more, while Canadian captain Maxime Comtois found the back of the net four times. Portland’s Cody Glass earned four helpers.
Leason’s first goal came in the third period. Joe Veleno found the forward down low and he snapped the puck short-side over the shoulder of Soegaard to earn his first international hockey goal. He added a second on backup goalie William Rorth, snapping a Frost pass five-hole for his third point of the game.
Leason also finished with a pair of assists.
Michael DiPietro made 14 saves for the shutout.
Elsewhere in the tournament, the US topped Slovakia 2-1 and the Czech slipped past the Swiss by the same margin.
Team Canada continues its gold medal defence Thursday against Switzerland. Prince Albert Raiders goalie Ian Scott is set to start in goal for the Canadians.
