Team Canada is going into the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship on a winning note thanks to a 2-1 shootout win over Sweden on Saturday morning in Helsinki, Finland.

 

The win won’t be what’s being talked in the lead up to the tournament though as forward Boone Jenner received a five-minute major and game misconduct for a late hit in the second period and could be suspended for games in the tournament.

 

Sweden opened the scoring on a power play goal from Alexander Wennberg midway through the first period.

 

Canada evened the score at 1-1 just three minutes into the second period as 17-year-old Jonathan Drouin broke in a breakaway and beat goalie Joel Lassinantti on a nice backhand.  

 

The two teams skated through the third period and overtime with no score, meaning both teams would get some practice on the shootout before the start of the tournament.

 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the shootout winner for Canada and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored on his shootout opportunity. Jordan Binnington stopped two of three Sweden shots in the shootout and made 59 saves in the win.  Canada fired 58 shots on the Swedish net.

 

Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Morgan Rielly didn’t factor into the scoresheet.

 

Team Canada will now travel over to Ufa, Russia for the start of the World Juniors on Boxing Day against Germany.  Puck drops on that game at 3:30am.

 

Prince Albert Raider Mark McNeill will join the team before the start of the tournament after forward Charles Hudon of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens was sent home with a lower back injury on Friday.