Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram scored about three minutes apart in the first period and Connor McMichael added an empty-netter as Canada defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 in the quarterfinal round of the World Junior Championship in Edmonton on Saturday night.

The hosts join Russia and Finland in the semifinals, and either the United States or Slovakia, who face off later Saturday, will occupy the fourth spot.

Byram - named Canada's player of the game - and Cozens are serving as Canada's co-captains after Kirby Dach's tournament-ending injury.

The Czech Republic outshot Canada 29-25 - including an 11-6 margin during the third period - in the contest.

Canadian goaltender Devon Levi continued to excel at the tournament, stopping all 29 shots he faced.

The semifinals will be played Monday, followed by the gold- and bronze-medal games Tuesday.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have secured forward Pierre-Luc Dubois' services for the next two seasons at an average annual value of $5 million, the club announced Thursday.

Dubois was a restricted free agent.

More to come.

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Alberta became the first province to green-light NHL games Thursday, the province said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

Provincial lawmakers approved Calgary and Edmonton for competition on Dec. 25 after examining the league's return-to-play protocols.

Meanwhile, Canada's federal government agreed to allow the start of NHL training camps by issuing an exemption to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for players and team staff returning to the country, citing "national interest grounds."

The four other Canadian provinces that host NHL teams - British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec - still need to sign off on permitting NHL games.

All seven Canadian clubs will play in the same division as part of the league's realignment for the upcoming campaign. The new divisional structure has been known for weeks, but the league still requires the approval of provincial and federal governments in conjunction with health officials.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last week the league believes it is "aligned and in agreement (with lawmakers) on the conditions on which each of our Canadian franchises can begin play in their own buildings for the start of the 2020-21 NHL season."

The regular season is slated to begin on Jan. 13. Training camps for clubs that took part in last season's 24-team playoff begin Jan. 3, while the seven squads that missed out on that postseason open camp Thursday.

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Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is confident his club will name a new captain for the upcoming season, and that the choice will be a no-brainer.

"We expect to have a captain," Sweeney said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.

"We'll make a decision moving forward," the GM added, according to the Boston Sports Journal's Conor Ryan. "I think it's an obvious decision."

The Bruins' longtime captain, Zdeno Chara, signed a one-year, $795,000 contract with the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Chara wore the "C" for all 14 seasons he played with Boston, beginning in 2006.

Patrice Bergeron appears to be the obvious choice, having served as an alternate captain with the team since it handed Chara the captaincy. Fellow center David Krejci was also an alternate for Boston last season.

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The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defenseman Vince Dunn to a one-year contract worth $1,875,000.

Dunn was a restricted free agent.

More to come.

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Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson doesn't appreciate people saying his offensive output declined last season because Artemi Panarin signed elsewhere.

"It definitely lights a fire under my ass," Atkinson told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "The season before (Panarin left), I had 41 goals, and so right away (in 2019-20) people are like, 'He's nothing without Panarin.' I mean, seriously.

"(Panarin) is a great player, no doubt. But I had f------ (35 goals) the year before Panarin and (27) the year before that. People are pretty quick to turn the page without really knowing what's up.

"And shit like that ... that really fuels my fire."

Atkinson played on Panarin's line in 2018-19 when he racked up the aforementioned 41 markers, which set a personal best and tied a franchise record. Panarin inked a seven-year deal with the New York Rangers the following summer, after which Atkinson produced only 12 goals and 14 assists across 44 games in 2019-20.

However, Atkinson collected at least 20 goals in four straight seasons before the Chicago Blackhawks traded Panarin to Columbus prior to the 2017-18 campaign. Atkinson registered 53 points in 2015-16 and 62 points the following season.

Atkinson's lackluster 2019-20 numbers can also be attributed in part to bad luck, as he posted a career-low shooting percentage (8.1%). He's averaged 11.5% in that department over his nine NHL seasons.

The 31-year-old has played his entire career with the Blue Jackets, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2008 draft.

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Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is scheduled for open-heart surgery, he revealed Monday.

Lundqvist will undergo an aortic valve replacement, as well as an aortic root and ascending aortic replacement.

Earlier in December, the 38-year-old announced he would not play the upcoming season due to a heart condition. Doctors advised him to sit out the campaign after weeks of tests.

The Capitals signed the veteran netminder to a one-year, $1.5-million contract on Oct. 9.

Lundqvist spent his first 15 seasons with the New York Rangers, who bought out the final year of his contract in late September.

He ranks sixth on the NHL's all-time goaltending wins list and holds franchise records in games played, victories, and shutouts.

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The Montreal Canadiens have inked forward Corey Perry to a one-year, $750,000 contract.

Perry, who was an unrestricted free agent, helped lead the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

The 35-year-old collected five goals and 16 assists over 57 regular-season games in 2019-20 before adding five markers and four helpers in 27 playoff contests.

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Colorado Avalanche prospect Bowen Byram and Buffalo Sabres draft pick Dylan Cozens will take turns wearing the "C" for Canada during the World Junior Championship in games, with Washington Capitals selection Connor McMichael donning the "A" for every contest.

Kirby Dach will remain the team's captain. He suffered a wrist injury in an exhibition game against Russia on Wednesday and was ruled out for the tourney the following day. The Chicago Blackhawks forward reportedly won't be ready to start his second NHL season when the league begins its 2020-21 campaign on Jan. 13.

Byram and Cozens helped Canada win gold at the 2020 event in the Czech Republic. Cozens poured in two goals and seven assists over seven games, while Byram collecetd a pair of assists in the same number of contests.

Dach didn't play in the previous world junior tournament because he made the Blackhawks' roster in October. He was named Canada's captain and was able to take part this time around because of the NHL's delayed start.

The Canadian squad will begin round-robin play Saturday versus Germany.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Carl Soderberg on a one-year, $1-million deal, the club announced Saturday.

Soderberg was an unrestricted free agent.

More to come.

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