When something exciting and monumental happens in your life, sometimes it can take a moment for it to sink in. That was the case for Donovan McCoy when he saw his name pop up on the TV announcing his selection as the 15th pick in the 2020 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft.

“My dad kind of jumped on me because he got it a bit early,” McCoy says. “It didn’t really hit me until everyone started celebrating and then I started celebrating.”

The celebration was quickly followed by a phone call from Peterborough Petes general manager Michael Oke to congratulate McCoy.

“Those probably were the most exciting 15-20 minutes I’ve ever had,” he says.

The excitement of the moment was not lost on McCoy’s siblings. The love of hockey runs deep in his family, with three of his five siblings also playing the game.

Rheydan, who is nine months older than McCoy, has played alongside his brother frequently growing up. They became interested in hockey after spending time at rinks with their dad, Norman McCoy, since he does arena maintenance for the recreation department with the City of Belleville.

“(Rheydan’s) playing in Napanee, going to a few junior camps,” the 16-year-old says. “He might have a longer road, but I talk to him all the time and I tell him it’s not impossible to get here.”

His sister, 11-year-old Kalysia, has a great hockey mind and uses her height to her advantage in her age group, according to McCoy.

“If she keeps trying, she can do whatever she wants, hopefully make it to [Team Canada] or even play at higher levels for women’s hockey.”

Ten-year-old Brycen really admires his older brother. In fact, he even chose to wear the same number as McCoy when he played for the Quinte Red Devils.

“My younger brother, he follows me and does a lot of things that I do,” McCoy says. “He’s always asking me about different guys on Peterborough, or even with the [National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp], I know when I get home, he’s going to have a whole questionnaire for me to answer.”

His other two siblings, 22-year-old Anthony Aylesworth and six-year-old Adria, are the only ones who do not play hockey, but Adria is expected to hit the ice when she’s older. With the family following in his footsteps, McCoy is very aware of the impact he has not only as an big brother, but also as a mentor.

“I feel like I’m (a coach) for my younger siblings, just being able to teach them things here and there, even if we’re at home or on the ice with each other,” he says. “I just feel like a big role model, almost like a teacher.”

For families that have multiple hockey players, there’s a lot of planning and sacrifices involved—something Norman McCoy knows all too well.

“There were some weekends, especially two years ago, if you’d seen our calendar on the fridge, they were all colour-coded for each child and it was just a rainbow of colours from Sunday to Sunday,” Norman says.

Faced with four unique hockey schedules to balance, Norman is very grateful for the support of family and friends in the hockey community. Having a village of supportive people has made it easier to make sure every child is where they need to be.

“When they say that [it takes a village], it’s not being cliché, it’s very true,” he says. “You need good people around you to help you do it, especially families that have multiple kids in hockey. You can only be in one place at one time.”

Of course, the balancing act can be tough at times. Sometimes personal time for Norman and McCoy’s stepmom, Tammy, got pushed to the side to allow for driving to tournaments and first periods of games have been missed from juggling other schedules. But for Norman, he would do it all again in a heartbeat.

“Seeing where they all ended up and where the rest are going, as the journey is still kind of taking off for them… it was definitely sacrifices worth making.”

Those sacrifices are not lost on McCoy, either. He’s very grateful to have support from his dad, his stepmom, his mom Lisa Aylesworth, his stepdad Ron Anderson and all of his siblings.

“It really means everything to me just knowing that they’re there, right with me,” McCoy says. “I’m just glad that they were willing to take those sacrifices and help me get to where I am today.”

Although it has been more than a year since McCoy was drafted by the Petes, the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed his OHL debut. During the extended off-season, McCoy went to the gym, got on the ice when he could and worked with trainers to complete summer programs to stay in game shape.

“It was really hard at first,” he says. “I had to really train my mind to not be down on myself as the season kept getting pushed back or cancelled. I had to keep looking at the positives on what I was doing, just being hopeful that something will come eventually.”

The pandemic also provided some extra family time before McCoy leaves for Peterborough. It’s important that he takes time to show his support to his siblings, so whenever he didn’t have hockey, McCoy says he would be out cheering them on at their games.

“You couldn’t ask for a better relationship between all these kids together,” Norman says.

Back at home, McCoy helps his younger siblings with schoolwork, makes lunches and spends time playing together, whether it’s video games or mini-sticks.

“I think I’m still undefeated in my family,” he says of his mini-stick career. “I don’t think any of them will beat me, so I’ll probably be undefeated for a little bit longer.”

With the OHL on track to return in October, McCoy is looking forward to finally playing with his new teammates at the Petes’ training camp. His family has already planned a road trip to see his exhibition games and home opener.

But one of McCoy’s favourite parts about playing in Peterborough? It’s only a 90-minute drive away from his home in Belleville.

“My friends have been bugging me saying that they’re going to be coming down to Peterborough a lot since it’s close. That’s always a good thing to know that I got my friends and my family just down the highway from me that are always there supporting me.”

After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called during the virtual draft – 89 of 223 – hail from north of the 49th parallel. (That includes players who were born outside the country but are products of the Canadian hockey system, like No. 3 pick Mason McTavish.)

It's a sizeable increase over the 73 who were selected last October in the 2020 draft.

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 49 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition – 18 of them 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship gold medallists.

The red-and-white run started from the top, with 2021 IIHF World Championship gold medallist Owen Power going No. 1 to the Buffalo. The Mississauga, Ont., native is just the second Canadian defenceman to be taken with the first pick since 1996, joining Aaron Ekblad (2014).

From Mississauga, Ont., to gold at #IIHFWorlds to No. 1 in the #NHLDraft, Owen Power credits his family for helping him achieve his dreams.
@OHFHockey | @GTHLHockey | @BuffaloSabres pic.twitter.com/ZZabIEQD1E

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) July 24, 2021

McTavish followed quickly behind, going to the Anaheim Ducks with the third pick. He was the first of eight U18 worlds gold medallists to go in Round 1, along with Brandt Clarke (eighth overall to Los Angeles), Dylan Guenther (ninth to Arizona), Brennan Othmann (16th to the New York Rangers), Wyatt Johnston (23rd to Dallas), Corson Ceulemans (25th to Columbus), Chase Stillman (29th to New Jersey) and Nolan Allan (32nd to Chicago).

Canadians accounted for 18 of the 31 first-round picks (Arizona forfeited its first-rounder at No. 11), the second-most in a single year since the draft became a truly global event in 1990, just one shy of the mark set last year.

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 77 of the 89 players selected – including 15 of the 18 first-round picks – were products of CHL programs, from 46 different teams. The Western Hockey League led the way with 32 picks, followed by the Ontario Hockey League with 23 and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 22.

The Western Hockey League was the leading provider of talent during the 2021 #NHLDraft, with 33 players selected.

DETAILS 📰 | https://t.co/2DAwLG2ZpB pic.twitter.com/isLxyGwAwp

— The WHL (@TheWHL) July 24, 2021

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (26) – Francesco Arcuri, Jack Bar, Jack Beck, Joshua Bloom, Talyn Boyko, Ethan Cardwell, Ethan Del Mastro, Justin Ertel, Benjamin Gaudreau, Braden Haché, Brett Harrison, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Tristan Lennox, Logan Mailloux, Jack Matier, Ayrton Marino, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Owen Power, Ben Roger, Chandler Romeo, Chase Stillman, Joe Vrbetic, Ryan Winterton

Hockey Alberta (16) – Gage Alexander, Corson Ceulemans, Lucas Ciona, Sebastian Cossa, Colton Dach, Ryker Evans, Jayden Grubbe, Dylan Guenther, Taige Harding, Dru Krebs, Gannon Laroque, Taylor Makar, Kyle Masters, Zack Ostapchuk, Sean Tschigerl, Olen Zellweger

Hockey Quebec (15) – Isaac Belliveau, Zachary Bolduc, Xavier Bourgault, Tyson Hinds, Zachary L’Heureux, Manix Landry, Joaquim Lemay, James Malatesta, Olivier Nadeau, Robert Orr, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau, William Trudeau

B.C. Hockey (9) – Caedan Bankier, Jake Chiasson, Tyson Galloway, Vincent Iorio, Kent Johnson, Carson Latimer, Jalen Luypen, Ethan Samson, Logan Stankoven

Hockey Nova Scotia (6) – Ben Boyd, Riley Kidney, Cameron MacDonald, Jacob Melanson, Oscar Plandowski, Cameron Whynot

Saskatchewan Hockey Association (6) – Nolan Allan, Ryder Korczak, Ryan McCleary, Josh Pillar, Cole Sillinger, Max Wanner

Hockey Eastern Ontario (4) – Brandt Clarke, Connor Lockhart, Mason McTavish, Pasquale Zito

Hockey Manitoba (4) – Cole Jordan, Tyson Kozak, Carson Lambos, Conner Roulette

Hockey New Brunswick (2) – Cole Huckins, Evan Nause

Hockey Newfoundland & Labrador (1) – Zach Dean

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2021 National Men’s Team
Owen Power

2021 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Nolan Allan, Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Benjamin Gaudreau, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Wyatt Johnston, Jack Matier, Mason McTavish, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Guillaume Richard, Logan Stankoven, Chase Stillman, Ryan Winterton, Olen Zellweger

2019 World Junior A Challenge
East: Ayrton Martino

West: Corson Ceulemans, Kent Johnson

2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black: Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Zach Dean, Ethan Del Mastro, Benjamin Gaudreau, Jayden Grubbe, Zachary L’Heureux, James Malatesta, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Sean Tschigerl, Cameron Whynot, Ryan Winterton

White: Jack Beck, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Tyson Hinds, Riley Kidney, Carson Lambos, Mason McTavish, Oscar Plandowski, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Cole Sillinger, Chase Stillman

Red: Nolan Allan, Joshua Bloom, Zachary Bolduc, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Connor Lockhart, Kyle Masters, Olivier Nadeau, Evan Nause, Francesco Pinelli, Conner Roulette, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger

2019 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team
Tristan Lennox

2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black: Joe Vrbetic

White: Xavier Bourgault, Sebastian Cossa, Tristan Lennox, Owen Power

2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Red: Xavier Simoneau

CALGARY, Alta. – Forty-five of the nation’s top under-18 players have earned invites to Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp, July 25-Aug. 4 at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut'ina Nation near Calgary.  

The players include four goaltenders, 15 defencemen and 26 forwards. Of the 45 invitees, two won a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship in Frisco and Plano, Texas (Bedard, Mateychuk).

“This stage of our Summer Showcase is about bringing together the top under-18 players in Canada to work and learn from an elite-level coaching staff, giving them the necessary skills for their hockey development to grow and succeed,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel for Hockey Canada. “We have an opportunity to connect with the players through on- and off-ice sessions to give them the tools that will only enhance their skill set as they advance through our program and prepare for the upcoming season.”

Over the 11-day camp, the players will be split into two teams, Red and White, and participate in practices and intrasquad games. The camp will also feature combined practices and intrasquad games with Canada’s National Junior Team on Aug. 2-3.

Coaching staff named for National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp

Hockey Canada has also named the coaching and support staff that will work with the players throughout camp, including a number of staff that have previously been involved at various levels of the Program of Excellence (POE).

Steve Hartley (Hawkesbury, Ont./Drummondville, LHJMQ), Stéphane Julien (Shawinigan, Que./Sherbrooke, LHJMQ), Brent Kisio (Calgary, Alta./Lethbridge, WHL), Alan Letang (Renfrew, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) and Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL) will return to the POE as U18 camp coaches, while Brad Lauer (Humboldt, Sask./Edmonton, WHL) will make his debut with the program.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF CAMP STAFF

The summer camp is typically used to evaluate and select Canada’s roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but Canada will not participate in this year’s event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

CALGARY, Alta. – After a 2020-21 season that saw limited on-ice opportunities and virtual summer camps, Hockey Canada has announced its men’s and women’s national teams will return to the ice in July for their annual summer camps.

From July 25-Aug. 10, Hockey Canada’s national team program, including the men’s under-18 and under-20 teams, and women’s under-18, NextGen (born in 2003), development and senior national teams, will gather in Calgary for a series of on- and off-ice activities for the first time since 2019.

“After a unique and difficult season, Hockey Canada is thrilled to provide our national team athletes and staff the opportunity to return to the ice for our annual summer camps in Calgary,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams. “We look forward to hosting the top athletes and staff from across the country in July, and are excited to kick off our preparations for a new season and a number of international competitions.”

The Program of Excellence (POE) camps, which includes the men’s under-18 and under-20 programs, will take place at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut'ina Nation, while the BFL National Women’s Program Summer Showcase, presented by Sobeys, will take place at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will also gather for a five-day off-ice boot camp in preparation for the 2021-22 season and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

“This year’s summer camps mark the first time that all levels of the National Women’s Program will participate in camp at the same time, helping us provide consistency with all our athletes and staff throughout the program,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of women’s national teams. “Despite a difficult season, our athletes have done an excellent job of staying connected and working hard with limited resources, and we are excited to get back on the ice this summer as we work towards the upcoming season.”

The following national team camps and programs will be hosted in Calgary this summer:

• National Para Hockey Team boot camp (July 21-25)
• National Women’s Team pre-worlds camp (July 25-Aug. 10)
• National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp (July 26-Aug. 3)
• BFL National Women’s Under-18 Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 5) – including NextGen athletes
• BFL National Women’s Development Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 9)
• National Junior Team summer development camp (July 29-Aug. 3)

In the coming weeks, Hockey Canada will announce the rosters and staffs for each national team program.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

CALGARY, Alta. – Preparations for the 2021-22 season are underway, and Hockey Canada will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) executives as part of its Program of Excellence (POE) management group.

Philippe Boucher (Saint-Apollinaire, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL) and Peter Anholt (Naicam, Sask./Lethbridge, WHL) will make their debuts as members of the POE management group, guiding the under-17 and under-18 programs, respectively. James Boyd (Midland, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) will return to the program after an abbreviated 2020-21 season, and will advise the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team. 

The management group will work alongside Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams, and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel, as well as Hockey Operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

“We are excited to welcome Philippe and Peter to the Program of Excellence to lead our U17 and U18 programs, and to welcome James back to the program at the U20 level,” said Salmond. “All three men have had incredible success in the Canadian Hockey League and bring their expertise in helping build successful junior hockey teams. We know their leadership and contributions will be beneficial to athletes and staff throughout the upcoming season as we continue to develop and excel throughout all levels of the program.”

Boucher has served as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the past two seasons. Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as head coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts for five seasons (2013-18), leading the team to the semifinals at the 2015 Memorial Cup. Boucher was also the general manager of the Rimouski Océanic for two seasons (2011-13), winning the Maurice-Filion Trophy as the QMJHL’s general manager of the year in 2013. As a player, he collected 300 points over 16 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins, winning a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009.

Anholt took over as head coach and general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2014-15 after beginning the season as the assistant general manager. For the past six seasons he has served as general manager of the Hurricanes, winning the WHL Executive of the Year award in 2016 and 2020. Prior to joining Lethbridge, Anholt was a scout for the Seattle Thunderbirds (2012-14) and Red Deer Rebels (2007-09), and was also an assistant coach with Red Deer for two seasons (1998-2000). He began his coaching career in the WHL as an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-88) before being promoted to head coach and director of hockey operations for the 1988-89 season. Anholt has also served as head coach with Seattle (1989-95) and the Kelowna Rockets (1996-98), and returned to the Prince Albert bench as head coach for five seasons (2002-07). As a player, he captained the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) to a Centennial Cup title as national Junior A champions in 1981. 

Boyd will oversee the under-20 program for the first time after being selected to lead the under-17 program in 2020-21. He previously served as director of operations for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, was an assistant coach at the 2004 IIHF U18 World Championship and was the head coach of Team Ontario at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Boyd has been the general manager of the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since 2017, winning the inaugural Jim Gregory Trophy as OHL general manager of the year in 2020. He also led Ottawa to the OHL final in 2019 after winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the league’s best regular-season team. Boyd spent time with the Belleville Bulls (1999-2004), Toronto/Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (2004-12) and Mississauga Steelheads (2012-17) of the OHL, helping lead the Majors to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Memorial Cup.

The Program of Excellence will continue to be overseen by Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada CEO; Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), Hockey Canada president and COO; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.), QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, and Twitter.

FRISCO, Texas – For the first time since 2013, Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team has won gold at the IIHF U18 World Championship, defeating Russia 5-3 in the gold medal game on Thursday night.

After Matvei Michkov gave the Russians an early lead, Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) responded to a missed penalty shot with a top-shelf backhand that beat goaltender Sergei Ivanov. Dmitri Buchelnikov gave the Russians a 2-1 lead just over two minutes later, but Shane Wright (Burlington, Ont./Kingston, OHL) scored on the power play with 45 seconds remaining in the first period to even the score.

Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Flint, OHL) and Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) added goals in the second period to lift Canada to a 4-2 lead, but Russia pulled within one midway through the third. Wright sealed the win with his team-leading ninth goal of the tournament, an empty-netter that broke a Canadian record for most goals in a single IIHF U18 World Championship.

“This win means the world to me. It means the world to all of my teammates, our coaches and staff, and the entire country,” said Wright. “I could not be more proud of all the work that everyone has put in, how hard everyone has pushed and all the sacrifices we have made to get to this point. I am so happy for all the guys in our locker room.”

Benjamin Gaudreau (Corbeil, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) made 31 saves and was named Player of the Game. Following the tournament, Gaudreau was named Top Goaltender by the IIHF Directorate. He led the tournament with five wins, a 2.20 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

“Tonight’s game was really exciting to be a part of. The last minute of the game felt longer than the rest of the game, so it seemed like it took a little while for the clock to finally hit zero,” said Gaudreau. “Once [Wright] put the icing on the cake with 40 seconds to play, the reality set in that we won. It was a huge win for us and it’s hard to describe the feeling, but we could not have done it with a better group of guys.”

A full game summary and recap can be found at HockeyCanada.ca.

Bedard, who finished tied for second in tournament scoring with 14 points, and defenceman Brandt Clarke (Ottawa, Ont./Barrie, OHL), who recorded seven points, were named to the media all-star team.

“I have had a great time coaching this team. It was a lot of fun to be able to bring the gold medal back to Canada, and I was very fortunate to have two great assistant coaches in Mike Stothers and Gordie Dwyer,” said head coach Dave Barr (Toronto, Ont.). “Ultimately you are trying to win the gold medal and you never know how a game like tonight’s is going to go, but we focused on what we were able to control and that gave us a great chance to win.”

Canada finished atop Group A with wins over Sweden, Latvia, Switzerland and Belarus, outscoring its opponents 28-5. It booked a spot in the gold medal game with convincing wins over the Czech Republic (10-3) in the quarterfinals and Sweden (8-1) in the semifinals.

Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and three bronze (2012, 2014, 2015).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

GAME STATS: CANADA 5, RUSSIA 3

FRISCO, Texas – Put the gold medal and a perfect tournament for Canada on ice.

It wasn’t without adversity, but in the end, that made it so much sweeter for one of the best teams Canada has ever assembled at this level.

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team won its fourth gold medal and first since 2013 at the IIHF U18 World Championship on Thursday night, defeating Russia 5-3 in another classic for the ages between these two powerhouse hockey nations.

GOLDEN YARDSALE! Canada locks up the Gold Medal at the Men's #U18Worlds! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/0TXjVenLPv

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 7, 2021

Shane Wright (Burlington, Ont./Kingston, OHL) posted two goals, setting the single-tournament Canadian record with nine, despite missing two games during the preliminary round.

He also added an assist and finished even with Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) – who had a goal and a helper – atop the Canadian scoring chart with 14 points, one off Canada’s all-time record of 15 points (set by Tyson Jost in 2016).

Canada overcame a pair of one-goal deficits in the opening frame after having not trailed at any point in the tournament, taking a 2-2 tie into the second period where Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Flint, OHL) and Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) put Canada ahead for good.

Wright took a feed from Bedard in the dying seconds and walked his second of the game into the empty net to seal the gold for Canada, topped the podium without a blemish on its perfect 7-0 record.

Benjamin Gaudreau (Corbeil, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) was brilliant in goal again for Canada, making 31 saves and outduelling tough competition at the other end in Sergei Ivanov, who made 29 stops.

Russia won the discipline battle, but its high-powered power play, starring tournament MVP Matvei Michkov, could only muster one goal on five power plays. Canada went 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

The highly-anticipated final lived up to the hype in the opening minutes when Gaudreau was called into action early, using his mask to stop Russia’s first shot of the game that came from a dangerous open look in the slot.

Moments later, defenceman Nolan Allan (Davidson, Sask./Prince Albert, WHL) set the physical tone with a crunching check on Nikita Chibrinkov that sent the Russian captain into Canada’s bench.

But soon after, Canada was in uncharted territory trailing on the scoreboard for the first time in Texas.

Michkov was in the right spot to collect a bouncing puck inside the blueline and deposit his tournament-leading 12th goal and open the scoring for Russia just over five minutes into the first frame.

But a final billed as a showcase between the tournament’s two best offences and the tournament’s two youngest talents in Michkov and Bedard was bound to have more fireworks.

Bedard’s first opportunity to answer for Canada on a penalty shot was stopped, but it made his equalizer a minute-and-a-half later that much sweeter. The 15-year-old put the puck to his backhand on the rush and elevated his effort top shelf past Ivanov to tie the game with his seventh goal.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CONNOR BEDARD. 🇨🇦😱 #U18Worlds pic.twitter.com/75WLJo1KHx

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 7, 2021

Dmitri Buchelnikov had Russia poised to take a one-goal lead into the first intermission when the forward put Russia back ahead, but Wright was on target during Canada’s first man advantage to snap his seventh tally through traffic from his usual spot at the top of the right circle just 35 seconds from the intermission.

Canada carried momentum into the second period and took the lead when Othmann darted in off the right wing and wired a sharp-angle shot on the short side past Ivanov.

CANADA TAKES THE LEAD! 🇨🇦🚨

Brennan Othmann makes it a 🇨🇦 3-2 🇷🇺 game! #U18Worlds pic.twitter.com/5PNNmPc7j0

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 7, 2021

The steady stream of snipes didn’t stop there. Stankoven was next two minutes from the end of the second period, dragging the puck and wiring one into the top corner on the rush after Allan delivered the drop pass just inside the blueline.

Midway through the third period, Canada seemed to lose focus on a scramble around Gaudreau’s crease that ended with Vladimir Grudinin beating the netminder from between the circles to make it a 4-3 game and set the stage for a stressful finish.

The Russians looked determined, but a late surge with the goalie pulled in the offensive zone opened up ice for Bedard to find Wright on an uncontested breakaway to seal the gold medal for Canada.

Gaudreau was a deserving recipient of Top Goaltender honours after leading all netminders in wins (five), goals-against average (2.20) and save percentage (.919), while Bedard joined Brandt Clarke (Ottawa, Ont./Barrie, OHL) on the media all-star team.

GAME NOTES: Canada vs. Russia (May 6)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Two nations are left standing, and you can’t deny that their places in the final aren’t warranted.

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team is set to contest the gold medal at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship on Thursday against Russia in a highly-anticipated final between the tournament’s two most-potent attacks.

Canada hasn’t claimed a medal at the U18 worlds since 2015, but that will change tonight. However, the question remains: will it be a first gold medal since Connor McDavid led Canada to victory eight years ago, or will Russia break up the perfect tournament and force it to settle for silver?

LAST GAME

Canada moved into the gold medal game with an 8-1 semifinal win over Sweden that was much closer than the final score indicated. The game was scoreless after one period and Canada held a narrow 2-1 edge through two before exploding for six goals in the final 20 minutes.

Two days after posting five points in a quarterfinal win over the Czech Republic, Connor Bedard added another three goals to his total. Shane Wright added a goal and three assists for the Canadians, who outshot the Swedes 29-3 in the third period.

Russia survived a wild opening 10 minutes that included four goals and a missed penalty shot, and then an even wilder finish to edge Finland 6-5 and advance to face the Canadians. Nikita Chibrikov scored twice and Ivan Miroshnichenko added a pair of goals in the third period for the Russians, who outshot the Finns 38-24 but were pushed to the final minutes.

LAST MEETING

Amazingly, Canada and Russia have not met at the tournament since 2014, when they were matched up in Group A during the preliminary round in Imatra, Finland.

Travis Konecny and Mat Barzal scored to give Canada a pair of one-goal leads, but a last-minute Russian equalizer from Vladislav Kamenev forced extra time. After overtime failed to produce a winner, Kirill Pilipenko scored the lone goal in the shootout, beating Canadian goaltender Mason McDonald to give the Russians a 3-2 victory.

WHAT TO WATCH

Scoring. Special teams. Goaltending. The tournament’s two most prolific entries are on a collision course in the gold medal game. Canada and Russia rank in the top two offensively for shooting percentage, power-play efficiency and save percentage, with both attacks having the ability all on their own to win gold.

At the forefront will be the lights-out trio of Bedard, Wright and Matvei Michkov. Bedard has eight points (5G 3A) in his last two games and sits just two points back of McDavid’s mark for points by a 15-year-old (14), Wright is a one point behind Bedard and has scored in all four games he has played, and Michkov has racked up a tournament-leading 11 goals and 13 points in six games. The craziest part? None of the three are NHL draft eligible this season.

Between the pipes, Benjamin Gaudreau has seized the Canadian crease with four wins in as many starts to go along with a 2.00 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, while Sergei Ivanov has been the workhorse in the Russia net, playing every second of the last five games and posting a 2.36 GAA and .920 save percentage.

Which nation will earn the final ‘W’? Anticipate a thrilling conclusion in Texas.

A LOOK BACK

The head-to-head series is tight; Russia holds a narrow 6-5 advantage, with the teams having alternated victories in the last six meetings, dating back to 2007.

This is just the fourth time the long-time rivals have met in the semifinals or later at U18 worlds; Russia earned a 5-2 semifinal win in 2004 and won bronze with a 6-4 victory in 2011, but Jordan Eberle scored twice in a five-goal first period and Canada romped to an 8-0 win in the gold medal game in 2008.

All-time record: Russia leads 6-5 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 44
Russia goals: 40

GAME STATS: CANADA 8, SWEDEN 1

FRISCO, Texas – A hat trick from Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) and a four-point performance from Shane Wright (Burlington, Ont./Kingston, OHL) assured Canada a spot in the gold medal game at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship with an 8-1 semifinal victory over Sweden on Wednesday night.

Canada will take home its first medal in seven years and contest its first gold at the tournament since 2013, when a similar exceptional talent in Connor McDavid led the Canadians to their third and most recent title.

Bedard opened the scoring in the opening minute of the second period before finishing off his hat trick with two in the third period as part of a six-goal outburst that saw the Canadians outshoot Sweden 29-3 in the final 20 minutes.

Benjamin Gaudreau (Corbeil, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) made 16 saves for Canada, outduelling his Swedish counterpart despite Carl Lindbom atoning for his early exit against Canada in the preliminary round with 48 stops.

Canada awaits either Russia or Finland in Thursday’s final pending the result of the second semifinal.

Lindbom looked sharp early, making eight stops in the opening eight minutes after conceding three goals in as many minutes and getting the early hook in a lopsided 12-1 win for Canada nine days ago.

A sharp start from Lindbom mirrored the Swedish defence in front of him, clogging the neutral zone and limiting Canada to low-percentage chances in the opening period.

Sweden nearly broke the deadlock five minutes before the intermission against the run of play when Arvid Eljas struck the post on the rush after the Swedes spent the majority of the first period in their own zone.

The shots showed 14-5 in favour of Canada at the intermission but weren’t indicative of Sweden’s influence on the game through 20 minutes. The Swedes had an answer to Canada’s game plan, absorbing pressure and attacking on the rush when the opportunity arose, but the star power of Canada soon took over.

After putting in a sensational five-point performance against the Czechs in the quarterfinals, Bedard continued his torrent offensive display. The exceptional talent put a wicked wrist shot off the right post and past Lindbom to break the deadlock 3:50 into the middle frame.

Penalty trouble awarded Sweden an avenue back into the game with Corson Ceulemans (Beaumont, Alta./Brooks, AJHL) and Guillaume Richard (Cap-Santé, Que./Tri-City, USHL) taking simultaneous penalties for an extended 5-on-3 kill for the Canadians.

Isak Rosen made the man advantage count, delivering Fabian Lysell’s cross-ice feed into the back of the net with a hard one-timer that tied the game at one just a minute after Bedard opened the scoring.

Chase Stillman (Peterborough, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) showed great persistence to give Canada back the lead for good, starting and finishing his own play around the Swedish net before the midway point of the second frame and putting Canada up 2-1 through 40 minutes.

Confidence continued to pour out from Canada, and Bedard didn’t wait long to follow up his second-period snipe with an even more unstoppable shot that was earmarked for the top corner just 45 seconds into the final frame.

CONOR BEDARD WITH THE ROCKET! 🚀

Canada leads 3-1 pic.twitter.com/Ge9DVHLXo1

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 5, 2021

Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Flint, OHL) was on the spot in front to accept a feed from Wright and go between his legs for his second of the tournament and a 4-1 Canada lead at 3:40.

Francesco Pinelli (Stoney Creek, Ont./Kitchener, OHL) made it 5-1 when he finished off a relentless shift from Canada with his fourth of the tournament midway through the final frame.

Wright started a stretch of three goals from Canada in 2:03 in the final 10 minutes when the captain shovelled his team-leading seventh goal of the tournament in close over Lindbom.

Bedard capped off a memorable night 38 seconds later, notching the hat trick from the left of goal on one knee before Conner Roulette (Winnipeg, Man./Seattle, WHL) sealed the victory with his second tally in Texas just over three minutes from the final whistle.

GAME NOTES: Canada vs. Sweden (May 5)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

With sights firmly set on the gold medal game, Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team squares off with Sweden in the semifinals at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship on Wednesday afternoon, the second meeting in nine days between the rivals and third time in six years they clash in the final four.

LAST GAME

Connor Bedard proved too much for the Czech Republic to handle in the quarterfinals on Monday, tallying two goals and three assists in a 10-3 win to send Canada through to the semis. Bedard posted a goal and two helpers in the first period as the Canadians jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the opening seven minutes.

Dylan Guenther added a pair of goals and Shane Wright added his team-leading sixth in just three games for Canada, which got 29 saves from Benjamin Gaudreau.

Sweden sent the United States home without a medal for the first time in 18 years at the tournament with a pair of goals from Fabian Lysell and 31 saves from goalie Carl Lindbom in a 5-2 quarterfinal win.

The Americans tied the game at 1-1 in the second period before Lysell took over, restoring the Swedish advantage with an absolute beauty just 43 seconds later before adding the eventual game-winner just 1:26 into the third period.

LAST MEETING

In a much-anticipated battle between the defending gold medallists and a star-studded Canadian roster, it was Brandt Clarke recording two goals and two assists and Shane Wright posting a hat trick as part of Canada’s lopsided 12-1 victory last Tuesday.

Canada put four goals past Sweden in each period, with a Simon Forsmark consolation marker midway through the final frame spoiling the Thomas Milic shutout bid and breaking up a run of 10 unanswered goals for the boys in red and white. In all, nine Canadians scored goals and 16 recorded points.

WHAT TO WATCH

Make no mistake — Canada will be facing a much-different Sweden side in the semifinals than the one it encountered early in the group stage.

The Swedes arrived in Texas as defending gold medallists, but a long layoff from competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a date with Canada in their second of back-to-back games to open the tournament made for an early wake-up call.

Lindbom now holds a 2.48 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in four games despite giving up four goals on 14 shots in the opening period against Canada, while the offence has pitched in with 15 goals in the three games since its double-digit dismantling.

An upset win over the host Americans and playing their best hockey of the tournament when they need it most only inflates the Swedes’ desire for revenge in the semis against the undefeated Canadians.

A LOOK BACK

Last week’s lopsided result inflated the goal differential in favour of Canada, but the margin in the head-to-head history is a narrow 10-8 lead for the Canadians.

You only have to go as far back as 2019, the most recent edition of the tournament, to find the last meeting in the semifinals, when a late Albin Grewe goal sent the Swedes to the gold medal game and an eventual world title. This will be the fourth final-four face-off between the teams – Canada earned a 3-2 win en route to gold in 2008 and Sweden posted a 6-5 shootout decision in 2016 before the 2019 nailbiter mentioned above.

All-time record: Canada leads 10-8 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 73
Sweden goals: 51