Connor Bedard had four assists to tie Eric Lindros for Canada's all-time points record at the world junior hockey championship as the tournament hosts wrapped up preliminary round play with a dominant 5-1 victory over Sweden on Saturday night.
Brennan Othmann, with two, Joshua Roy, Tyson Hinds and Kevin Korchinski scored for the Canadians. Thomas Milic made 22 saves. Ludvig Jansson replied for Sweden, which got 39 stops from Carl Lindbom.
Canada, which wore its black jerseys on New Year's Eve, will face Slovakia in Monday's quarterfinals at the men's under-20 event, while Sweden is set to take on Finland. United States will face Germany and Czechia will play Switzerland in the other matchups.
The presumptive first pick at the 2023 NHL draft, Bedard has played just 13 total games at the world juniors, while Lindros registered his 31 points in 21 contests over three tournaments.
The 17-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., who wasn't shy about throwing his weight around against Sweden, leads this showcase with 18 points in four games, while his 14 career goals are tied with Jordan Eberle for Canada's all-time national record at the world juniors.
The first New Year's Eve game at the world juniors since the 2020 tournament, and Canada's first Dec. 31 victory on home soil in eight years, saw the host country shot out of a cannon in front of an electric and well-lubricated crowd inside a sold-out Scotiabank Centre.