Gavin McKenna scores hat trick, Canada cruises past Denmark 9-1 at world juniors

Gavin McKenna scored a hat trick as Canada finally flexed its muscles at the world junior championship in a 9-1 victory over Denmark on Monday night.

Porter Marton added two goals and an assist for the Canadians, while Zayne Parekh, Michael Misa and Kashawn Aitcheson each scored and set up another. Braeden Cootes rounded out the offence.

Carter George had to make just 12 saves. Brady Martin had three assists, while Michael Hage and Caleb Desnoyers chipped in two apiece.

Frederick Amondsen replied for Denmark, which is taking part in the men's under-20 showcase for the first time since the 2019 event. The under-siege Patrick Tiedjin finished with 41 stops.

Canada, which is looking to get back atop the podium after consecutive quarterfinal exits, improved to 7-0 all-time against Denmark with a combined score of 59-5.

The Canadians, who thumped the same opponent 13-2 in exhibition play last week, now turn their attention to a New Year's Eve clash with Finland for first in Group B ahead of the medal round.

Coming off a back-and-forth 7-5 victory against Czechia and a nervy 2-1 overtime triumph versus Latvia where Canada never got in gear against a determined underdog, the hockey powerhouse tilted the ice early — and never really let up.

McKenna, one of the top prospects for the 2026 NHL draft, scored on a power play at 3:17 of the first period before Cootes, a Vancouver Canucks prospect, ripped a shot upstairs at 8:36 at 3M Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

Parekh, who has played 11 games for the Calgary Flames this season, made it 3-0 at 10:03 off the rush with Denmark forward Tristan Petersen struggling to get back to his team's bench minus a skate blade at the other end of the rink.

Aitcheson then delivered a thunderous hit on Oliver Larsen along the boards in an opening 20 minutes that finished with a 15-1 shot advantage as an opponent with just one NHL draft pick struggled to keep up with the talent-rich North Americans.

Denmark got on the board on only its second shot 28 seconds into the second when Amondsen jumped on a turnover and roofed a shot on George.

Martone restored the three-goal lead for Canada, which last faced the Danes at the world juniors on Boxing Day 2018 in Vancouver when the hosts picked up an emphatic 14-0 victory following an 8-0 whitewash the previous year in Buffalo, at 6:11 on a man advantage.

Tiedjin robbed Tij Iginla later in the period with a terrific glove stop before McKenna buried his second at 15:03 to make it 5-1.

George had little to do at the other end, but made a nice pad stop on Anton Linde late in the second.

Misa, the No. 2 pick at the 2025 draft by the San Jose Sharks, scored at 4:41 of the third before McKenna tucked home his hat-trick 64 seconds later on a slick move around Tiedjin. Aitcheson and Martone rounded out the scoring.

Canada made two lineup changes, with defenceman Keaton Verhoeff seeing his first action for fellow 17-year-old NHL draft prospect Carson Carels, while Carter Bear took the spot of Liam Greentree as the 13th forward.

The overmatched Danes had a tough night, but 13 of their 24 players are eligible to return for next year's event in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., if they again qualify for the main field.

PLAYING OUT

Verhoeff, who's expected to be a high pick in June, played goalie until switching to defence at age 12.

"I actually didn't know that," McKenna said when asked about the University of North Dakota freshman following before the game. "That's news to me … pretty crazy."

TEAM TALK

Canadian baseball legend and former Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who still lives in the area, took in his country's morning skate before addressing the team.

"It means so much more when you're playing for each other," Morneau, the third-string netminder for the 1998 Memorial Cup champion Portland Winter Hawks, said of his message. "I think these guys are pretty good at that."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2025.