Team Canada players flirt with Karma against Czechia and get away with it

If there was any doubt about the tension between Team Canada and Czechia, it vanished before the puck even dropped.

Canada opened its 2026 World Junior Championship tournament Friday night against Czechia, an opponent that has ended Canada’s run in the quarterfinals in back-to-back years. The animosity was already baked in. Then warmups made sure everyone felt it.

Before the game, a couple of Canadian players crossed the red line during warmups, drifting into Czechia’s end at center ice. There was some light contact, a few brushes, and plenty of lingering: classic hockey mind games designed to get under the opponent’s skin.

It was subtle. It was intentional. And it worked.

Watch the video below to see the pre-game moment that sparked it all:

What followed was an intense, emotional matchup that felt like a playoff game disguised as a preliminary round matchup. Momentum swung. Tempers flared. And while karma easily could have swung the other way, Canada held on for a 7–5 win in a game that never settled down.

On the empty net goal by Porter Martone, the captain was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty as he tapped the butt of a Czech on his way to the bench as he celebrated his tally.

Karma might bite back later..

Whether the pre-game antics fired up Canada, distracted Czechia, or simply added another chapter to a growing rivalry is up for debate, but it set the tone for the night.