Teenage captain Celebrini scores 2 as Canada shuts out Italy at ice hockey worlds

FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) — Teenage captain Macklin Celebrini scored twice and Canada shut out Italy 6-0 at the ice hockey world championship on Saturday.

In his three-point game, the 19-year-old Celebrini netted a one-timer from the right circle after receiving a cross-ice pass from Porter Martone to make it 3-0 with 3:04 remaining in the opening period.

Celebrini followed his first goal of the tournament with his second from a backhand shot high into the net at 2:09 in the middle period for 4-0.

Canada was two wins from two in Group B in Fribourg after beating Sweden 5-3 in their opening game on Friday.

Sidney Crosby, fresh from the NHL playoffs, registered the first assist on the second goal by Celebrini. Dylan Holloway, Fraser Minten, Evan Bouchard and Ryan O’Reilly also scored and goaltender Cam Talbot saved all 19 shots he faced.

Canada next plays Denmark on Monday.

Newcomer Italy returned to the top division for the first time since 2022.

Holloway and Minten scored 47 seconds apart midway through the opening period. Holloway received a pass from John Tavares in front of the goal to beat goaltender Davide Fadani and Minten doubled the lead on a rebound.

Bouchard, on a power play, and O’Reilly completed the shutout by scoring within 25 seconds late in the second.

Finland also recorded a second win, 4-1, over Hungary in Group A in Zurich.

Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire season due to an injury, had two assists for Finland.

Switzerland also kept a perfect record by winning over Latvia 4-1 after beating defending champion the United States 3-1 on Friday. Damien Riat scored twice for the host in Zurich.

Marcel Mahkovec scored on a breakaway 1:14 in overtime for outsider Slovenia to beat 2024 champion Czechia 3-2 in Fribourg.

It was the first victory for Slovenia over the Czechs at the worlds.

The Czechs came from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead through Martin Kaut and Lukáš Sedlák. But Anze Kuralt tied it at 8:28 in the final period to force overtime.

Czechia outshot Slovenia 34-17 in the game.

Slovenia goaltender Lukáš Horák, who was born in Czechia, stopped 32 shots.

Another newcomer, Britain, lost to Austria 5-2. The Austrians scored three times in the first 10 minutes of their opening game in Zurich.

Britain answered with a couple of goals through David Clements and Liam Kirk 37 seconds apart in the first period. Austria stretched the lead with two more goals in the second when Britain was restricted to only two shots on goal.

Peter Schneider scored twice for Austria.

In Fribourg, Marek Hrivik scored midway through the final period to lift Slovakia 2-1 over Norway.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Switzerland's Damien Riat, back center, scores their third goal pasat Latvia's goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis, left, and Alberts Smits during the Group A preliminary round game between Switzerland and Latvia at the men's ice hockey world championship, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Zurich, Switzerland. (Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP)

Finland's Eemil Erholtz celebrates the goal to make it 1: 3 from Finland's Janne Kuokkanen during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A game between Hungary and Finland, in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Macklin Celebrini in action, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Italy and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Italy's goaltender Davide Fadani concedes a goal 0:3 during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Italy and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Italy's Peter Spornberger, left, vies for the puck against Canada's Sidney Crosby, right, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Italy and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Macklin Celebrini, left, vies for the puck against Italy's Alex Trivellato, center, and Italy's goaltender Davide Fadani, right, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Italy and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Slovakia's goaltender Samuel Hlavaj in action during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Norway, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Norway's goaltender Tobias Normann, concedes a goal during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Norway, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Britain's Liam Kirk, right, scores his team's second goal, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A game between Britain and Austria, in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Britain's Liam Kirk celebrates scoring his team's second goal, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A game between Britain and Austria, in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Austria's Peter Schneider, 2nd from left, scores his side's fourth goal past Britain's goaltender Mat Robson, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A game between Britain and Austria, in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, killing all military personnel on board, the military said. The military did not immediately disclose how many people were aboard the helicopter.

The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, during an ongoing protest and strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.

The military did not suggest any link between the protest and the crash.

Witnesses said the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a helipad. Ambulances arrived at the scene and transported the victims to a nearby hospital.

“Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site,” the military said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the crash, paying tribute to the military personnel killed. In separate statements, they conveyed sympathies to the families of the victims.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of those killed, according to the statement.

Such crashes are not uncommon in Pakistan. In September 2025, an army helicopter on a routine flight crashed in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians on board.

Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)

A police vehicle is parked at along a road as smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)

Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)

Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)

A police vehicle is parked at along a road as smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)