Jake Virtanen’s golden dreams turned into a nightmare at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation’s world junior championship tournament.
After winning a gold medal last year, Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a 6-5 loss to Finland on Saturday.
Canada’s undisciplined play cost them in the third period, as Virtanen took a pair of minor penalties, and defenceman Joe Hicketts was assessed a delay-of-game penalty to put Canada down two men. Finland scored on the ensuing five-on-three-man advantage to notch the game-winner at 5:50.
The tournament was considered a disappointment for Virtanen, who scored only one point in four games for Canada.
His future is also up in the air, with the Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning stating the team will take some time to determine whether Virtanen will finish the season in Vancouver or return to junior with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.
The Canucks do have some time to make a decision on the star Abbotsford minor hockey product, as junior-eligible players can spend up to 40 games on an NHL roster without burning a year of free agency. Virtanen has played a total of 19 games for the Canucks this season. He scored 52 points in 50 games in junior with the Hitmen last season.
Virtanen and the Canucks host the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday before welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning to Rogers Arena on Saturday.
