The senior vice-president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada is taking responsibility for the country’s second straight quarterfinal loss to Czechia at the world junior championship.

Scott Salmond pointed the finger at himself during a press conference on Friday, less than 24 hours after Canada lost 4-3 to Czechia in Ottawa.

“Who do you blame? You can blame me,” Salmond said, per Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press.

“In our country, you gotta win way more often than you lose, and that’s what we sign up for.”

Salmond has been in his current role since 2018. He has been with Hockey Canada since 2001.

Coach Dave Cameron and the management staff have come under heavy criticism for the team’s undisciplined play and roster selection at this year’s event.

Canada scored just 13 goals in five games. Several first-round NHL picks and top NHL prospects didn’t make the final cut or weren’t invited to the team’s selection camp.

The team also opted not to practise on several occasions during the tournament. When asked why, Cameron said Thursday the team was “exhausted.”

Peter Anholt, who heads up the junior team’s management group, defended the move Friday.

“That’s a situation where you’re always thinking about the fatigue of the players and the energy level, and the emotional level of the team,” he said, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. “Those are decisions that we make as a group, whether the team skates.”

Pressed if practising more could have helped team chemistry, Anholt said: “That’s not really how it works.”