OverDrive - Masters on Canada's underwhelming start, the team looking for positives and McKenna's strong role

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

TSN World Juniors Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss Canada's start at the tournament, the evident disconnect through the first couple games, shaking off negative performances, the search for more goals, Gavin McKenna's good start, Keaton Verhoeff's role and more.

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How you doing, Mark? I'm doing great. Yeah, it's been two games. It's felt like two weeks with everything that's been going on around Team Canada. Yeah, no kidding. I mean, how do you evaluate the team or how are they evaluating things, considering what I just said, Mark,

the fact that they go to overtime against Latvia and then Latvia gets pumped by Finland the next day. Should we read anything into that? Is it too early to do so? where do you stand on it? Well, I mean, it's a short tournament, so it's not too early. I don't think Canada's thrilled with how they've played through two games. The opener, very leaky defensively, quite a roller coaster ride.

And then, you know, the Latvia game, they didn't really generate much. You know, at least last year when they lost the Latvia, I think it was like 58 shots. This year was 37. They struggled to generate any sustained offense. And really, they only have one line clicking right now. The Michael Hage line, the Canadians prospect, with, Gavin McKenna, the projected first overall pick in the 2026 draft, and Brady Martin, who's been excellent all throughout this process on the right side. And they're really trying to find something

everywhere else in the lineup, basically. So they still have time. The other thing that's interesting is that no one really has looked all that great here, to be honest. The Americans, the Swedes, I guess the Finns have had a couple of blots, but they haven't been tested. No one is feeling particularly unbeatable or like they're in a groove. So Canada still likes where they're at but they got some work to do when i watch this group they're they're obviously very skilled and i was something that people really wanted to see but they don't really look too connected masters it looks like it it kind of i get it and you're kind of watching me and then maybe i lose it you go get it then i'm watching you um i thought with hunter like i expected it would be flowing

the offense would be flowing and and maybe that's unfair expectation in a short time but what are you seen or hearing from the players regarding kind of being more connected Yeah, they've talked a lot about that the last couple of days. Talked about being too fancy going for the high risk plays rather than just the given goes, right? Talking to Michael Hage and Gavin McKenna, they love that they've been doing the given goes. They've just, they get the puck, they move into space, they get the puck back, and they're able to really make things happen and confuse the opposition, whereas the other lines, it feels like maybe they're trying to complicate things.

But yeah, I was expecting a lot of offensive fireworks, and we certainly saw seven goals, one empty netter on Boxing Day, but then not. much against the Latvians. And you're talking about a forward group that includes 13 first round picks and a guy in McKenna who's going to be probably the first overall pick. So yeah, you're expecting a bit more firepower. The top line has struggled. It sounds like they're going to keep them together. Michael Misa spoke yesterday. He has only got three shots on goal. He's got to shoot more. Tija Ginnla, I think maybe on that top line has been the best. Porter Martone spoke today about how he has to get his game to another level. He wants to be more dominant,

show that power forward game that's allowed him to make a pretty smooth transition to the NCAA this season but yeah it's it's been lacking so far mark is there one player you've watched so far where you're like that guy is much better than i thought he was i haven't seen a lot of michael hage playing down in the ncdbara he's maybe been canada's best player um he's been incredible the speedy plays but the only thing he hasn't been able to do is when face offs he's he's like 36% last game 16% in the first game but other than that like there's a lot to like i'm impressed by his personality. He's having fun out there.

It doesn't feel like the pressure's got to him, and he hasn't really played for Canada before at an international event. So I've been really impressed that Canadians. Maybe at least fans won't be thrilled to hear that, but it looks like the Canadians have another good one there in Michael Hage. With Mark Masters, live from the World Juniors, again, Canada playing Denmark tonight, in terms of, you know, the carryovers from a year ago, where they couldn't generate offense, and that was a big concern last year, and you just referenced

that. It seems to be a lot of disconnected lines at this point. Them trying to figure out exactly the style of play they want to apply here. You get the impression that nerves would start to kick in, you know, that the deja vu is starting to arrive here. And if so, how can they thwart that? And how big of a role does Dale Hunter have to play in avoiding that? Because when we had him on a week or two ago, he did not want to talk about the past. Like, he had no interest, and I understand why. But it feels like the past early in this tournament is starting to show up.

a little bit. So how do they shut that down? Yeah, a couple of players mentioned flashbacks with that Latvia game. It felt eerily similar with Latvia tying it late and then going overtime. The difference, of course, this year is that Canada finds a way to get the win. They get the power play in overtime. And the power play, which was such an issue last year, comes through and has been converting. So maybe that's a bit of a difference this year. But everything felt very similar. Even, you know, coming off an emotional Boxing Day win just like last year where the tournament started good. And then all of a sudden, the Latvians give you some humble pie.

So, yes, it will be a lot on Dale Hunter. And if you look and you think back to his 2020 world juniors, there are some similarities there where they lost 6-0 to Russia in the preliminary round, which was the most lopsided loss in the history of Canada at the world juniors, lost Alexei LaFranier to an injury in that game. And there was a lot of adversity. Barrettin, the captain of that team didn't take off his helmet during the Russian anthem. It was very chaotic to feel.

And then he was able to settle things down. So tonight's an important night. Denmark is a team that they should be able to hang a crooked number on. If we don't see that tonight, I think you'll see some stress and some nervousness build for that game against Finland. Because they dropped the point to Latvia, we'll see what happens in this Finland-Cechia game, but it's still on the table that Canada could finish third in the group.

With Mark Masters and Keaton-Virhoff is going to make his debut tonight, is that right? And what do we expect out of him? And does he have a chance to do enough this evening to stay in the lineup or is this one of those gratuitous? You're going to play so you're a part of it, but then you're back out of the lineup once you get to the next game. Yes, I had forgotten that Hunter doesn't give lineup changes

when I think back on 2020, but this year you're like, what's the lineup? He's like, oh, we'll see. And then Verhoff comes down and he's like, I'm so excited to play tonight. So it's a big night. It's a big night for Keaton Verhof, right? Like, I got to tell you, the upside of this kid is amazing. Right shot, big, offense.

But every time you hear someone from hockey Canada, talk about him, it's the balance of the defense and can he be trusted in the puck management? And even today, Dale Hunter was asked, you know, what do you want to see from Keaton Verhoff if he's in? And he said, sound defensive play. So that's what he's got to show. He's got to bring the spark from the back end because this is maybe his only opportunity. It's a chance to experiment a little bit. You know, you're facing Denmark. And can he show that he can bring the spark from the back end while also being reliable defensively? He's got some work to do to kind prove that he's young 17-year-old he's only four days older than cars and carls who's like the

fifth youngest player on defense to play for can at the world juniors so he's really young it's not easy to make this jump as a young defenseman uh and he'll be in the spotlight here tonight gab mcken obviously has a big spotlight on him he's delivering he's getting quite a few points but every year you know there's badard everyone's watching him or going back to connor mac david or everything all these guys so what are you seen from from him you know probably going to be the highest pick of the draft this year. I think he's off to a good start. I mean, there was a lot of pressure on him. He acknowledged on the first day of camp that there's been a lot of chatter he called it about his start in the NCAA. He knows people are doubting him. They don't think he's made a good

transition or as good, I should say, a transition to the NCAA in terms of his production. He's got four assists so far. Probably would like to see the puck go in maybe once or twice here just to get that going a little bit and round things out. But four assists, as I mentioned, playing well with Michael Hage doesn't seem to be having any stage fight with the kind of the stage here seems to be kind of embracing everything that comes with it. So I think it's been a good start for Gavin McKenna and that's important for Canada because he's got that game-breaking ability and it feels like they're going to need them once they get to the business end of this tournament. Absolutely. All right Mark, great stuff, buddy. Enjoy it down there. We'll

do it again soon. Thank you for this. One last note for you guys. Justin Morno at the morning skate today. Minnesota Twins legend firing up team Canada. So we'll see if they get the Morno bump here tonight. I love it. What a beauty. That's great. Get the MVP in there, man. You can't beat that. All right. Memorial Cup champ, too, Hasey. He was the third goalie on the Portland Winterhawks back in 1998, which I did not know. I had no idea. He doesn't have the hockey connection there. Wow. That's amazing. That's awesome. Okay, there you go. Get Morno in the house. Canadian royalty. I love it. I can't wait. Thanks, Mark Masters. Joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Get in and Goer Adventure

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