For many hockey fans, the holidays can mean a few things. The break in the regular season means more time to spend with family, and perhaps gathering together on the couch cheering on Team Canada in the annual World Juniors tournament as the country goes for another gold medal.

With the team now overseas in Sweden ahead of puck drop, the roster features two OMHA grads, Owen Beck (Quinte) and Matthew Poitras (Whitby), who are looking to go back-to-back with another gold medal.

The only returning member from last year’s squad, Beck has fond memories of the tournament growing up. He attended the event as a fan in 2018, making the journey to Buffalo with his brother. It’s something he remembers always watching during this time of year, and now it’s his opportunity to represent Canada again. It’s not something he takes lightly.

“It’s a huge honour. It’s just one of those tournaments that you ask anybody in Canada about and they tell you they watch it and they’re a huge fan of the tournament always support Canada,” said Beck. “To actually be a part of that team and wear the maple leaf, it’s so special to me and truly an honour. It’s something I take a ton of pride in.”

He was called up last year as a late injury replacement, and jumped right into the deep end. That knowledge is something he views as a benefit now, instead of going into the tournament as a first-year participant.

“It’s not an easy tournament to step into. It’s one of the highest levels you can be playing at this age. It’s a super short and intense tournament. Just knowing what to expect and being ready from the start of the first game will be a huge experience for me to have from last year and something I’ll hopefully be able to take into the tournament this year.”

Beck was part of the Red Devils team that captured the U16 AAA Championship in 2020. While his hockey journey has now taken him to Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League, he did have stops in Mississauga and a one-game callup to the Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him 33rd overall in the 2022 Draft.

He still keeps in touch with his former minor hockey teammates, building friendships that have lasted to this day. His Red Devils team was featured on the third season of Home Ice, and it was an experience that he’s been able to go back and watch.

“I’ve watched Home Ice back a couple of times. I think that’s probably one of the coolest memories, just having that season documented,” said Beck. “It’s awesome that I can always go back and look at that whenever and relive those days.”