World junior championship: Canada-Russia livechat, Monday 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT!

Please ring in the new year early with BTN, as the Chatravaganza resumes at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT when Canada and Russia face off for a bye to the semifinal of the world junior championship.

Russia has beaten Canada on North America ice in the past two IIHF world U20 championships in Buffalo and Calgary and will have the advantage of an extra day's rest. (Amazingly, Canada does not get to call the shots on scheduling for the world junior when it's played in a foreign country.) However, Canada has outscored opponents 7-1 across its last 90 minutes of hockey and is hinting that is has fused into a fighting force of extraordinary magnitude. So come one, come all; you have our gratitude.

Yahoo! Sports' Sunaya Sapurji is Ufa for the tournament. Here at home, Cam Charron is representing the nocturnal sorts on the west coast while Neate Sager will represent the early risers back east — both of which counters our regular habits. Please brew some coffee for a second wind and check in. Happy new year and bring your own peanuts!

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.