I didn’t spot the outdoor rink until my third day in Ostrava. Tucked between Soviet-era apartment blocks, a dozen children raced across the freshly flooded ice, their breath hanging in puffs against the morning sky. As I watched from a nearby cafĂ©, an elderly man named Jiri slid into the chair opposite mine, coffee in hand.
“Hockey is not just a game here,” he said, following my gaze to the children. “It is our connection to the world.”
That connection took center stage yesterday as Canada delivered a masterclass performance against Slovakia, securing a commanding 7-0 victory at the IIHF World Championship. The win solidified Canada’s position atop Group A with a perfect 5-0 record and showcased the extraordinary depth of Canadian hockey talent on international ice.
Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, the Nova Scotia superstars and close friends, combined for seven points in a display that left the capacity crowd at Ostrava Arena in awe. MacKinnon finished with two goals and an assist, while Crosby contributed a goal and three assists in what might be remembered as the tournament’s most dominant performance thus far.
“When you represent Canada, there’s always that expectation,” Crosby told me after the game, wiping sweat from his brow in the mixed zone. “But tonight wasn’t about making a statement. It was about playing our game and continuing to build as a team.”
The game marked Crosby’s most productive outing since joining the team midway through the tournament following Pittsburgh’s playoff elimination. His chemistry with MacKinnon, developed through years of summer training together in Nova Scotia, was evident from the opening faceoff.
Slovakia, playing in front of a partisan crowd with thousands crossing the nearby border to attend, struggled to match Canada’s pace and precision. Standing in the press box, I watched Slovak supporters—faces painted in national colors, flags draped across shoulders—gradually fall silent as Canada’s lead mounted.
Samuel Hlavaj, the 22-year-old Slovak goaltender playing professionally in Switzerland, made several spectacular saves early but could only withstand the Canadian onslaught for so long. By the midway point of the second period, with Canada leading 3-0, the outcome seemed inevitable.
“They’re just too good, too fast,” said Martin, a Slovak supporter I spoke with during the second intermission. “But we still love our team. This tournament is about more than winning for us—it’s about national pride.”
The Canadian defense, anchored by Anaheim’s Cam Fowler and San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, limited Slovakia to just 18 shots on goal. Jordan Binnington, the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender from St. Louis, earned the shutout with a composed performance that featured several key saves during a 5-on-3 penalty kill in the first period.
Data from the International Ice Hockey Federation shows this was Canada’s largest margin of victory against Slovakia in World Championship play since 2007, when they also won 7-0. The victory continued Canada’s historical dominance in the matchup—they’ve now won 14 of 16 meetings all-time at this tournament.
Beyond the statistical dominance, what struck me most was watching Dylan Cozens, the youngest player on Team Canada at 23, sitting beside Crosby on the bench. Cozens, who grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon, has spoken openly about idolizing Crosby as a child. Now they were teammates, celebrating goals together on international ice.
“It’s surreal sometimes,” Cozens admitted after scoring Canada’s sixth goal. “Growing up in the North, watching these guys on TV at all hours because of the time difference… and now we’re here together. That’s what makes these tournaments special.”
The tournament represents a rare opportunity for NHL stars to represent their countries, with many of the world’s best players still competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. For Crosby and MacKinnon, whose teams were eliminated in the first round, it offers a chance at redemption on the international stage.
According to Hockey Canada officials, over 3.4 million Canadians watched their previous victory against Austria, highlighting the tournament’s significance back home despite the early morning start times. The numbers are expected to grow as the medal rounds approach.
After the final buzzer, I watched as Slovak fans stayed in their seats, eventually rising to applaud their team despite the lopsided result. Many remained to cheer the Canadian players during the three-star selection—a gesture of respect for hockey excellence that transcended national rivalry.
When I visited the team hotel this morning, Canadian head coach André Tourigny was already reviewing video for their upcoming matchup against Kazakhstan.
“Yesterday is yesterday,” he said, barely looking up from his laptop. “In tournament play, you can’t dwell on wins or losses. Our focus is always forward.”
Walking back to my hotel through Ostrava’s central square, I passed families in hockey jerseys from a dozen different nations. Children played street hockey with rolled-up newspapers as makeshift sticks. Two Canadian fans taught a group of locals the proper pronunciation of “eh.”
This cross-cultural exchange is what makes covering international hockey so rewarding. Beyond the goals and saves, it’s about how sport creates bridges between people who might otherwise never connect. As Jiri told me at that cafĂ© on my third day here: hockey is indeed their connection to the world.
Canada plays Kazakhstan tomorrow, while Slovakia faces Austria in what now becomes a crucial game for their quarterfinal hopes. But regardless of the tournament outcome, the game continues to unite nations through a shared passion for speed, skill, and ice.
