By Canadian Press

Slovakian goalie calls world juniors ‘a joke,’ criticizes organizers, COVID protocols

Dec 30, 2021 | 1:45 PM

RED DEER, Alta. — Slovakia’s goaltender at the world junior hockey championship says that this year’s tournament was “a joke.”

Simon Latkoczy criticized the event’s organizers In a pair of Instagram posts on Thursday.

The International Ice Hockey Federation cancelled the under-20 men’s world championship after players on three teams had confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Latkoczy says in the first of two posts that the tournament’s organization was “terrible” from the first day of the event.

He says that his team’s hotel in Red Deer, Alta., was still open to the public throughout the world junior tournament including a busy restaurant and even hosting a wedding.

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Although Latkoczy’s Instagram account is not verified, his club team in the USHL confirmed it is his.