The Team Canada coaching staff had a message for Brett Connolly.
Be prepared for more ice time.
Connolly, an 18-year-old Prince George resident, did see an increase in his workload and helped Canada beat the Czech Republic 7-2 at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Tuesday in Buffalo.
"It was good," Connolly told The Citizen. "I was told before the game that I'd be put in more situations and they were going to get me back on track and get me back in the rotation and I thought I had a very good game. It was good to contribute a little more tonight."
In Canada's tournament opener on Sunday, a 6-3 win against Russia, Connolly was used sparingly. The move was precautionary, because he was coming off concussion-like symptoms, which started after he took a hit to the head in an exhibition game against Sweden last Tuesday.
Against the Czechs, Connolly didn't register a point but was much more involved in the offence.
"I kind of built off my shifts that I had in the first game and worked hard," he said. "I was just making simple plays and trying to create as much offence (as possible). Me and Schenner (forward Brayden Schenn) started to play a little better as the game went on, started getting used to each other. We got on a few power plays and scored on a few of those.
"Right now, it's not about the points for me," added Connolly, the captain of the Prince George Cougars. "I want to contribute to the team as much as I can and help the team win. That's all I really care about right now and it's a good start."
There was another Prince George angle to the game, as former Cougars blueliner Petr Senkerik was flattened by Canadian forward Zack Kassian early in the second period. The open-ice check appeared to be a clean, shoulder-to-chest blow but the six-foot-three, 226-pound Kassian was handed a major penalty and a game misconduct for a hit to the head.
"On the replay it looks clean, and I think it is clean," Connolly said. "It happened so fast. It's unlucky for (Senkerik) and we hope he's OK. Zack is a big, physical player and if you're in a bad spot when he's running into you it's not going to be pretty."
Senkerik lay motionless on the ice for several minutes and was eventually taken off on a stretcher.
Kassian's misconduct means he will miss Canada's game against Norway today. He could also be disciplined further if tournament officials decide to take that course of action.
Canada led 2-1 after the first period and 5-1 after the second. Schenn, a member of the Brandon Wheat Kings, finished the contest with a goal and four assists. Other Team Canada goals came from Jaden Schwartz, Louis Leblanc, Ryan Ellis, Cody Eakin, Tyson Barrie and Jared Cowen. Canada outshot the Czech Republic 39-19 and went 4-for-7 on the power play.
The Czechs, on a perfect shot by Antonin Honejsek, scored just 49 seconds into the contest but were no match for the bigger, more physical Canadians after that.
"We have a very resilient bunch and not much is going to bother us," Connolly said. "It was definitely not good to get that one scored against us right away but we bounced back and we took over after that."
Jakub Jerabek, with a power-play marker late in the third period, had the other goal for the Czechs.
On the down side for Canada, defenceman Calvin de Haan was lost to a possible leg injury in the middle frame after he took a hit from Michel Hlinka.
Connolly is looking for another strong performance by Team Canada in today's game against Norway.
"We can't underestimate anybody," he said. "We're going to bring the same work ethic and the same compete level and we'll see what happens."
