2022  h g c  c a n  s u i  preview  july 31

Hlinka Gretzky Cup Preview: Canada vs. Switzerland

Sunday, July 31 | 7 p.m. MT | Red Deer, Alberta | Preliminary Round

July 31, 2022
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GAME STATS

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

With its lone pre-tournament game behind it, Canada’s National Men’s Summer U18 Team opens up prelim play at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Sunday.

LAST GAME

Canada’s lone exhibition game was a fruitful one, as it shut out Finland 6-0 on Friday night. The Canadians got goals from six different players, with Mathieu Cataford and Tanner Howe finishing with a goal and an assist each. Carson Bjarnason and Scott Ratzlaff split goaltender duties and turned away 15 and 10 shots, respectively, to blank the Finns.

Switzerland also came out on top in its tuneup, beating Germany 4-2. Simon Meier scored the game-winner at 5:26 of the third period and added an assist, and Kevin Zürcher also had a goal and a helper. Diego Simeoni stopped all 15 shots he faced through 35 minutes before Ewan Huet turned aside six of eight the rest of the way.

LAST MEETING

Canada last saw Switzerland at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, coming away with an 8-0 win over the Swiss in the preliminary round. The Canadians got a pair of goals from Cole Perfetti and Hendrix Lapierre as they outshot Switzerland 48-8.

WHAT TO WATCH

Cataford earned Player of the Game honours in Friday’s pre-tournament win thanks to his two-point effort. The Halifax Mooseheads forward went sixth overall in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft and was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team in his 2021-22 season with 46 points (in 62 games (17-29—46). Cataford can just as easily finish a play as he can set up one, helping to make the Canadians an offensive threat.

Against a heavy shooting Canadian side, the Swiss will need to stay solid between the posts. Simeoni and Huet split goaltending duties in Switzerland’s pre-tournament win Germany, with Simeoni stopping all 15 shots he faced. Expect to see him get the start in the tournament opener.

A LOOK BACK

Canada has dropped just one of 17 games to the Swiss since 2001, winning 10 games by at least three goals, including each of the last four. The only game that needed extra time came at the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament; in that one, Spencer Watson and Brayden Point were the shootout scorers for the Canadians in a 4-3 prelim win, with Julio Billia turning away 38 shots.

All-time record: Canada leads 16-1-0 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 97
Switzerland goals: 36

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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