Hockey Canada forced to issue apology after 'classless' move at World Juniors

Canada's National Junior Team skated off the ice without shaking hands with Czechia after their opening game, and Hockey Canada felt the heat immediately.

Imagine Connor Bedard and Team Canada did this when he was on their World Junior roster?

The handshake line after international games isn't a minor tradition; it's part of the respect hockey players and fans expect from players under 20. International opponents line up and salute each other regardless of how heated things got in the 60 minutes prior.

Canada's decision to leave early struck many as tone-deaf and lacking the basic sportsmanship that separates elite programs from petulant ones.

Canada did win the contest 7-5 in a barnburner that saw both teams trade leads and body language that suggested both squads wanted to bury the result. But winning doesn't erase optics, especially when you're wearing the maple leaf and everyone at the rink expected a handshake at the end.

Coach Dale Hunter didn't shy away from the mistake when asked about it, admitting he «didn't know» the protocol but «knows now,» and promised a proper handshake against Latvia.

Hockey Canada also issued a formal apology to the Czech Ice Hockey Association and the IIHF for what they called an «oversight.»

Fans online roasted the move, with some calling the non-handshake «classless,» while others pointed to emotions running high after a heated opener. The chatter reflects how quickly moments like this can shape the narrative around a young team's maturity and identity internationally.

Canada faces Latvia next in a crucial second game of pool play, and Hunter says the standard handshake tradition will be front and center this time around. The apology may put a pin in the immediate controversy, but it also served as a reminder that international hockey still values respect even when the games get physical and emotions spike.