Canada, what a glorious hockey country. Especially so, after winning Gold for the 25th time at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Team Canada won 2-1 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB this past Saturday night.
With the victory, it was Canada’s third straight victory at the Hlinka. Liam Kilfoil scored the game’s first goal at 6:29 in the first period. Caleb Desnoyers would close the first period with another goal for a 2-0 Canada lead after one period of play.
Canada would outplay the Czech’s for the rest of the game, mainly, although Czechia would not go down without a dog fight. The Czech’s finally got on the scoreboard in the third period of play, and wound up ultimately losing 2-1.
Sweden took home the Bronze Medal, after smashing Team USA in the Bronze Medal match 6-3.
Steven Ellis on Czechia
#8 Vit Zahejsky, RW: “From an overall standpoint. I think Zahejsky had a good tournament, and I’m excited to see him in the WHL because his work ethic will allow him to thrive.”
#1 Ondrej Stebetak, G: “Stebetak had to be busy. There’s only so much you can do when your high flying offense dries up.”
Steven Ellis on Canada
#3 Jackson Smith, D: “I think Smith continued to elevate his performance with every single game. But today, his physical play took the Czech attackers off guard.”
#19 Cameron Reid, D: “Smith’s D-partner [Reid] had probably his best game of the tournament. While Smith was more about providing the boom, Reid kept his defensive game simple and smart.”
#23 Cameron Schmidt, RW: “He’s a stink disturber, nobody scares him. Despite being just 5’8. When you’re small and have an edge, scouts notice and like it.”
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
