Celebrini's 5 points help Canada cruise past Latvia

Macklin Celebrini tallied a goal and four assists as Canada thumped Latvia 10-0 at the World Junior Championship on Wednesday.

Canada moved to 2-0 and into first place in Group A with the win.

Arizona Coyotes 11th overall pick Conor Geekie opened the scoring just over five minutes into the contest with a quick power-play goal. Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager tallied his first of the tournament less than two minutes later.

Undrafted forward Owen Allard converted on the power play 1:17 into the middle frame. Seattle Kraken selection Carson Rehkopf and projected 2024 first overall pick Celebrini also added a goal apiece in the second period.

Canada scored five goals in the third to finish emphatically. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten, Boston Bruins forward Matt Poitras, and Nashville Predators first-rounder Matthew Wood each found the back of the net, while Geekie and Rehkopf tallied their second goals of the game.

Mathis Rousseau stopped all 22 shots he faced for his first shutout at the world juniors.

Canada defeated Finland 5-2 to open the tournament on Wednesday, while Latvia lost its opener 6-0 against Sweden.

The defending gold medalists face tournament hosts Sweden on Friday in a matchup that'll likely decide the top two seeds in the group.