NOTE: The following is an excerpt from “It’s Our Game” by Michael McKinley, which celebrates the 100-year history of Hockey Canada. The book is available now, online and at all major bookstores.

At 10 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 4, 1914, Canadian history was made. It was not a military triumph in the cold and bloody trenches of Flanders, where the soldiers fighting and dying in the colours of the Canadian Expeditionary Force now knew that they would not be home by Christmas. This history was far more genteel but no less significant in the forging of the national identity: next to the country’s majestic Parliament buildings in a chandeliered meeting room of the Chateau Laurier, Ottawa’s two-year-old grand hotel, a group of 21 hockey executives gathered to change the world.

Of course, on that chilly morning in late autumn, the stated purpose of hockey’s guardians seemed clerically humble, meeting to create “a governing body for the sport of hockey.” The Toronto Daily Star added the spin the next day, shouting out in an almost relieved headline, “National Hockey Body Formed at Last,” explaining that this new group would have “jurisdiction over the amateur game throughout the whole of Canada.”

Indeed, the men at that historic inauguration represented hockey’s breadth and complexity in a vast country just past its 47th birthday: from New Westminster, B.C., there was Reverend Albert E. Vert, a Presbyterian minister and local amateur athletics champion; from Winnipeg there was C.C. Robinson, an executive of the historic Winnipeg Victorias Hockey Club, winners of the Stanley Cup in the days of horse and carriage; from Montreal there was the American-born entrepreneur Leo Dandurand, future owner of the soon-to-be fabled Canadiens, and there was also William Northey, founder of the Canadian Arena Company, and chair of the meeting. In between those worthies there were representatives from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, with as many from Manitoba – six – as there were from Quebec.

The gathering reflected the breakaway growth of the sport in the Canadian landscape. Just four decades after James Creighton had staged the world’s first indoor hockey match in Montreal, the sport was so popular in Canada that it now needed a national government.

Rather, it needed a body to oversee the amateur game, now that hockey had gone so robustly professional. As Canada settled to the west, hockey went with it, and by the turn of the 20th century there were elite league teams, school teams, company teams, and women’s teams across the country.

By 1904 the game had such a range of players and popularity that the world’s first professional hockey league took off to rich success in the United States. In Canada, the game was still resolutely amateur, as and a result the great hockey event of the late winter of 1905 saw the Dawson City Nuggets, an amateur team from the Yukon, travel by bicycle, steam ship and railway across Canada to challenge for the Stanley Cup in Ottawa. They captured the imagination of the public, but got a pasting from the slick Ottawa Silver Seven, who sent them back to stare at the Northern Lights and contemplate their 32-4 beating over two games.

Hockey became professional in Canada in 1908, which only served to focus the distinction between those players who were paid, and those were not. And so in Ottawa on that December morning in 1914, the men who assembled at the Chateau Laurier also took a crack at creating an organization to govern both professional and amateur hockey, an idea “promptly opposed by many of the representatives present.”

But they won the agreement from Allan Cup trustee William Northey that this trophy would become the chief prize awarded by the new governing body. Montreal banker, steamship line owner and Canadian blueblood Sir H. Montague Allan, C.V.O. had donated the cup in 1908 to encourage excellence in amateur hockey after the Stanley Cup increasingly became the domain the championship trophy of the professionals. And now, it would become the symbol of excellence for Canada’s newest sporting body, one which would govern and grow the game for the next century and beyond.

After thanking the hotel manager for use of the room, the founders adjourned and went about their business of the day, having just created the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the schedules and ticket package details for the 2024 editions of the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship and Para Cup.

In addition, Hockey Canada has also announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Junior A World Challenge, which is set to take place at Encana Arena in Camrose, Alberta, from Dec. 9-15, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and National Hockey League (NHL). The schedule and format for this year’s event will be announced at a later date.

“The unveiling of the schedules and ticket packages for our Fall events is an exciting milestone, as the anticipation for the puck to drop continues to build while allowing fans and community members to plan their involvement in world-class events across the country,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president, revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “Hosting major events is not possible without the commitment and passion of these great communities, and we are grateful for the community leaders, volunteers, partners and our Members who make these events possible.”

The U17 World Challenge returns as a six-team format for the second-straight year, with Sarnia, Ontario, hosting at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena from Nov. 3-9. The teams — Canada Red, Canada White, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States — will be split into two groups and will each play two preliminary-round games before the medal round. The event will also feature pre-tournament games in Sarnia, Petrolia and Forest on Nov. 1.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, the U18 Women’s National Championship will be held in Atlantic Canada. Eight teams consisting of the top under-18 players in Canada — Alberta, Atlantic, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario Blue, Ontario Red, Québec and Saskatchewan —will descend on the qplex in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, from Nov. 3-9.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of ParaSport and Recreation PEI, the Para Cup returns to the East Coast for the second straight year (2023 in Quispamsis, NB), with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team looking to secure its second-straight gold medal in international competition at the Bell Aliant Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Canada will compete against China, Czechia and the United States from Dec. 8-14.

Full-event ticket packages for the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship, Para Cup and Junior A World Challenge are on sale now and can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets .

Fans that purchase a full-event ticket package to any Fall event before Sept. 20 will be entered into a contest to win a 2025 World Juniors prize package. The prize package includes two tickets to both semifinals, as well as the bronze and gold medal games, at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, ON, as well as hotel accommodations for two nights and two $100 Hockey Canada merchandise vouchers.

Hockey Canada and the local organizing committees of its fall events are currently looking to fill several volunteer positions for all four events. Individuals that are interested in creating a world-class experience for players and fans alike are encouraged to CLICK HERE to learn more about Hockey Canada’s volunteer program or visit the individual event pages to apply now.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air select tournament games, with broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok .

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has invited 48 of the nation’s best players to Canada’s National Women’s Team September Camp, presented by BFL CANADA, Sept. 9-15 at Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ontario.

Six goaltenders, 16 defence and 26 forwards were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), senior manager of player development and scouting Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON) and head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL). Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, CHA), and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL) also provided input on player selections.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to evaluate the depth of talent in our player pool and set the tone for the upcoming season,” said Kingsbury. “We will also continue to grow and build on our identity as a team as we prepare for the Rivalry Series and ultimately the IIHF Women’s World Championship next April in Czechia.”

The roster includes 21 players who helped Canada capture its 13th gold medal at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Ambrose, Bell, Bourbonnais, Campbell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, J. Gosling, N. Gosling, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Serdachny, Shelton, Stacey, Turnbull).

It also includes seven players attending their first camp with Canada’s National Women’s Team (Amos, Cooper, Kraemer, Pais, Primerano, Watts, Woods).

The players will be split into Red and White teams for practices, fitness testing and a pair of intrasquad games. Brock University will be hosting the Red-White intrasquad games on Sept. 12 and 14 at Canada Games Park. Click here to purchase tickets. Media wishing to attend camp must apply for accreditation HERE.

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2024-25 season:

• Video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON)
• Strength and conditioning coach Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, ON/Montréal, PWHL)
• Equipment managers Alana Goulden (Aurora, ON/Toronto, PWHL) and Blair Smook (Airdrie, AB)
• Team physician Laura Bennion (Vancouver, BC)
• Therapists Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, AB) and Danielle McNally (Wolfville, NS)
• Massage therapist Meagan Cowell (London, ON)
• Mental performance consultant Sommer Christie (Montréal, QC)
• Senior hockey operations manager Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB)
• Hockey operations manager Savannah Newton (Halifax, NS)
• Hockey operations coordinator Cassidy Wait (North Vancouver, BC)
• Media relations manager Esther Madziya (Lethbridge, AB)

For a complete list of camp support staff, please click here.

Following September camp, players will prepare for the season with their PWHL and college teams before a roster is named for the first international competition of the season, the 2024-25 Rivalry Series starting Nov. 6 in San Jose, California.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has won the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, edging Czechia 2-1 in the gold medal game Saturday night at Rogers Place.

It’s the third year in a row Canada has won the annual summer under-18 tournament, and the 25th time in 32 tries dating back to 1991.

Liam Kilfoil (Quispamsis, NB/Chicoutimi, LHJMQ) opened the scoring for Canada just over six minutes into the first period, potting his second goal of the tournament and giving the Canadians a lead they would not relinquish.

“Canada’s expectations are always to win,” said head coach Kris Mallette (Kelowna, BC/Kelowna, WHL). “I’m so proud of the group in there. It’s amazing to see all of the coaches’ ideas come to fruition and be on display in a short tournament like this. I’m happy to be able to achieve this with this group…and to win for the third year in a row is extra special.”

Caleb Desnoyers (Saint-Hyacinthe, QC/Moncton, LHJMQ), scored the eventual game-winning goal with 52 seconds left in the opening frame.

Czechia drew within one on a power play with less than 10 seconds remaining, but Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, ON/Brampton, OHL) locked things down, backstopping the Canadians with an 18-save performance. Ivankovic was lights out for Canada, finishing with four wins to go along with a 0.75 goals-against average and .967 save percentage. He’s just the second goaltender in Canadian summer U18 tournament history to appear in four games and fashion a sub-1.00 GAA, joining Scott Ratzlaff (2022).

 “Singing that anthem with all the boys is a memory we will never forget,” said Ivankovic. “It’s my favourite song tonight, that’s for sure. We came out of the gate flying. We knew it would be a hard game with a gold medal on the line, but we just kept working and got it done.”

A full game summary can be found at HlinkaGretzkyCup.ca.

“This is every kid’s dream [to win a gold medal for Canada],” said alternate captain Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT/Medicine Hat, WHL). We are all so proud to wear this Maple Leaf… we battled hard all week long, and to win this with this group is something we will remember forever.”

Canada finished the preliminary round in first place in Group A after wins over Switzerland (10-0), Slovakia (5-1) and Sweden (2-1). It earned its spot in the gold medal game with a 5-1 win over the United States in the semifinals.

Cole Reschny (Macklin, SK/Victoria, WHL) and Émile Guité (Chambly, QC/Chicoutimi, LHJMQ) finished as Canada’s co-leaders in scoring, recording three goals and four assists apiece.

Sweden wins bronze

Earlier in the day, Sweden won the bronze medal with a 6-2 win over the United States.

Eric Nilson led the offence with a hat trick, while Love Härenstam made 34 saves. 

It is the eighth time Sweden has won summer U18 bronze, and 13th medal overall.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, please visit hlinkagretzkycup.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram. 

THOROLD, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 14-17 at Canada Games Park.

Twenty-three players – three goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards – will wear the Maple Leaf. The roster includes five players (Cimeroni, Grenier, Manness, Primerano, Zablocki) who captured a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Zug, Switzerland.

The team was selected by Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB), senior manager of hockey operations, and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of scouting and player development. Head coach Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA), assistant coaches Marc-André Côté (Montreal, QC/University of Moncton, AUS) and Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON/Boston, PWHL), and goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) also provided input.

“We have an incredibly promising group set to face off against the United States,” said Sunohara. “These players know our goal is to improve every day and we have been able to see the progress through selection camp. The series provides an excellent opportunity to develop our players and prepare them for more international competition later in the season.”

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team will face the United States on Aug. 14, Aug. 15 and Aug. 17. All U18 games will begin at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while the development games will start at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Four wins down, one to go for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which – for the second year in a row – faces off against Czechia in the gold medal game at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Last Game

Canada moved into another gold medal game by beating the United States 5-1 in Friday’s late semifinal. Jack Ivankovic was terrific in a 28-save performance, and five different players – Cameron Schmidt, Alex Huang, Cole Reschny, Luca Romano and Gavin McKenna – scored goals as the Canadians beat their North American neighbours in the semis for the second year in a row.

The Czechs booked their place in the final with a 5-1 semifinal win over Sweden. Vit Zahejsky led the charge with a two goals and an assist, his first capping off a three-goals-in-11-minutes stretch that put Czechia in control. Adam Benak added a goal and an assist, while Ondrej Stebetek finished with 18 saves.

Last Meeting

The teams met a week ago in pre-tournament play, with the Czechs earning a 6-4 win. Cameron Schmidt had a goal and an assist to pace the Canadians, but two Czechia goals in a span of 10 seconds with less than seven minutes to go proved to be the difference.

As mentioned, this gold medal game is a rematch of the 2023 final, an overtime thriller that ended in a 3-2 Canadian victory. After the Czechs forced extra time with just 4:47 left, Malcolm Spence provided the heroics for Canada, scoring with seven seconds left in the overtime period to give Canada a 24th summer U18 gold.

What to Watch

If Friday’s win – and the tournament as a whole – has shown us anything, it’s how deep the Canadian lineup truly is. Every night, it seems as if someone new is stepping up to provide offence. Through four games, 17 of 20 Canadian skaters have at least a point, six are averaging at least a point a game and no one has scored more than three goals (Reschny, McKenna, Romano, Schmidt and Émile Guité have all reached that mark). The top defensive pairing of Huang and Matthew Schaefer has combined for 10 points, the ‘D’ corps as a whole has been terrific – allowing only three goals in four games – and Ivankovic has been lights out with a 0.67 goals-against average and .973 save percentage.

All eyes on Benak. After co-leading the tournament in scoring a year ago as an underager, the 5-foot-7 forward has been as good as advertised in Edmonton. His goal and assist against the Swedes gives him 10 points (4-6—10) in four games – the same number he had in 2023 and just one back of Swedish sniper Viktor Klingsell for the tournament lead. Benak has found the scoresheet in every game, highlighted by a hat trick and two helpers in a win over Germany on Tuesday. He’ll ply his trade in North America this season, joining the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms after producing a point-per-game (8-21—29 in 29 games) with HC Plzen in the Czech U20 league last year.

A Look Back

The Canadians and Czechs have been frequent foes in summer under-18 competition, facing off 24 times dating back to 1997 (Canada has won 20 of those 24).

That list includes six gold medal game meetings; in addition to last year’s win, the Canadians prevailed in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2014 and 2017 (led by a goal and two assists from 2022 Olympian Jack McBain).

All-time record: Canada leads 20-2-2 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 109
Czechia goals: 45

It’s on to the medal round for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which takes on the United States in an all-North American semifinal Friday night at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Last Game

Canada closed out an unblemished preliminary round with a 2-1 win over Sweden on Wednesday night. Benjamin Kindel got the scoring started seven minutes into the first period and Gavin McKenna provided the winner with 7:28 left in the third for the Canadians, who held off a late Swedish push to top Group A.

The Americans romped to a victory in their prelim finale, getting a goal and four assists from Alexander Donovan, and two goals and a helper apiece from Mason Moe, Sam Spehar and Nicolas Sykora in a 12-3 win over Germany. The U.S. took control with a six-goal second period, outshooting the Germans 21-1.

Last Meeting

The rivals met a year ago at this stage of the tournament, with Canada coming from behind for a 7-2 semifinal win in Trencin, Slovakia. Maxim Massé and Berkly Catton led the offence with two goals apiece for the Canadians, who scored six unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Americans 29-13 over that span.

More recently, it was a Canada-U.S. gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship last spring. McKenna was the star in that one, scoring a hat trick – including a pair of goals in the decisive third period – to lead the Canadians to a 6-4 comeback win for their fifth world title.

What to Watch

Jack Ivankovic has been lights out in the Canadian goal, allowing just a single goal across his two starts and keeping the Swiss and Swedes scoreless for more than 113 minutes to start the tournament. The Mississauga native has fashioned a tournament-leading 0.50 goals-against average and .977 save percentage, adding to his already-impressive international résumé; last November, he backstopped Canada White to a gold medal at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 2.51 GAA and .923 SV% across eight games, both tops among netminders who played at least three games, and making 34 saves in the gold medal game. He also earned a gold medal at U18 Worlds, serving as Canada’s third goaltender.

One of only two Canadian Hockey League players on the American roster, U.S. captain Blake Fiddler has felt right at home at Rogers Place. The 6-foot-4 defenceman, who plays his club hockey with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, recorded a goal and two assists in the preliminary round, opening the scoring in Wednesday’s win over Germany. Fiddler will face a number of familiar faces in the semifinal; the Texas-born blue-liner won gold with Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge before trading in the Maple Leaf for the Stars and Stripes, and will line up Friday against nine players he won gold alongside in Charlottetown.

A Look Back

Canada has not lost to its North American neighbours in summer U18 competition since 2003, and has claimed victory in 13 of the 20 all-time meetings (with three ending in ties).

The Canadians and Americans met in a semifinal thriller when Edmonton hosted the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for the first time in 2018. Dylan Cozens tied things up with a buzzer-beater in the third period before Josh Williams scored in overtime, sending Canada to play for gold with a 6-5 victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-4-3 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 85
United States goals: 46

With its semifinal spot secured, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team goes in search of a perfect preliminary round at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup when it takes on Sweden in the prelim finale Wednesday at Rogers Place.

Last Game

Canada stayed perfect and kept its hold on top spot in Group A on Tuesday night, beating Slovakia 5-1. Cameron Schmidt and Luca Romano led the way with two goals apiece, and Émile Guité added one of his own. The Canadians finished 2-for-3 with the power play and were perfect on four penalty kills, including a late five-minute major.

The Swedes flexed their offensive muscle on Tuesday, scoring four goals in each period in a 12-1 romp over Switzerland. Ivar Stenberg finished with four goals and three assists, Milton Gästrin had two goals and six helpers, and Viktor Klingsell added up two goals and five assists for Sweden, which finished with a 55-19 advantage in shots.

Last Meeting

The last meeting between the teams at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup came in the final prelim game in 2022 in Red Deer. Canada got goals from Calum Ritchie, Zach Benson and Brayden Yager, along with 18 saves from Scott Ratzlaff, to blank the Swedes 3-0 and finish perfect atop Group A.

Most recently, the Canadians and Swedes met in the semifinals of the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship last spring. A four-goal first period – highlighted by a goal and an assist each from Ryder Ritchie and Tij Iginla – seemingly put the Canadians in control, but a furious Swedish comeback provided a thrilling conclusion in what finished as a 5-4 win for Canada.

What to Watch

Wherever Matthew Schaefer goes, he leads. And wins. The No. 1 pick in the OHL Draft by the Erie Otters in 2023, the Hamilton native burst onto the national scene at the 2023 Canada Winter Games , wearing the ‘C’ with Ontario and scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game. Nine months later, Schaefer again served as captain and again took home gold, this time with Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Then he won gold with Canada at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (although there was no letter involved as an underager), and now he’s got the ‘C’ on his chest at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. So far, so good in Edmonton; Schaefer has two goals and two assists through two games, leading all defencemen in scoring.

A year ago, three players – Berkly Catton, Trevor Connelly and Adam Benak – led the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in scoring with 10 points in five games. Gästrin almost got there himself on Tuesday. The Örnsköldsvik native opened the scoring and added two assists in the first period, had another goal and two helpers in the second and finished his night with two more assists in the third as his line with Stenberg and Klingsell combined for a ridiculous 22 points in the win. The performance was all the more impressive when you consider Gästrin only recorded 16 points (7-9—16) in 41 games with MODO Hockey in Sweden’s U20 national league. What can the terrific trio do for an encore against Canada?

A Look Back

The head-to-head history has been one-sided in summer U18 competition, which may come as a surprise to some considering the place both countries hold as world hockey powers. But Canada has won 17 of 20 against the Swedes, including eight in a row dating back to 2013.

There is history at Rogers Place as well; when Edmonton first hosted the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018, it was a Canada-Sweden matchup in the final. Sasha Mutala and Alexis Lafrenière had two goals each in that game as the Canadians erased an early two-goal deficit to earn a 6-2 win and home-ice gold.

All-time record: Canada leads 17-3 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 86
Sweden goals: 43

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team is right back to action Tuesday at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, returning to the ice at Rogers Place to take on Slovakia in the second of three prelim games.

Last Game

The Canadians opened their schedule with a statement win Monday, blanking Switzerland 10-0. Cole Reschny led the offensive charge with two goals and three assists, Matthew Schaefer and Émile Guité chipped in with two goals and a helper apiece, and Jack Ivankovic turned aside all 20 shots he faced for the shutout.

Slovakia came up a goal short in a tournament-opening 4-3 overtime loss to Sweden on Monday afternoon, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort; the Slovaks scored twice in the final 8:45 to force an extra period. The Europeans spread around the offence; seven different players recorded points, while Michal Pradel was terrific in a losing effort, making 42 saves.

Last Meeting

The teams met five days ago in pre-tournament action in Edmonton, with Canada cruising to a 10-1 victory last Thursday. Braeden Cootes scored twice and added an assist, and Guité added a pair of goals for the Canadians, who scored early – two goals in the first 5:31 – and often.

The last tournament meeting came a year ago in Trencin, where Canada set its single-tournament summer U18 scoring record in a 14-4 victory. Michael Misa was the catalyst up front, recording two goals and four assists, while Ryder Ritchie scored a hat trick. In all, 16 Canadians recorded at least one point.

What to Watch

Canada has plenty of offensive weapons up front, and it was Reschny’s turn to step up Monday. The native of small-town Macklin, Saskatchewan (pop. 1,247) was terrific for the Victoria Royals this season, recording 59 points (21-38—59) in 61 games, good for fifth in WHL rookie scoring and third among 2007-born players (behind Team Canada teammates Gavin McKenna and Benjamin Kindel). Reschny wants Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold to complete his medal collection – he won silver with Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games and bronze with the Saskatoon Blazers at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship, where he also earned Top Forward honours.

Andreas Straka is bound for North America this season after being selected fourth overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts. Straka had quite a 2023-24 season with HK Poprad, making his debut in the Slovak Extraliga as a 16-year-old and representing Slovakia as an underager at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, recording three points (1-2—3) in seven games. The Slovak roster also include a familiar name in Adam Nemec; his brother, Simon, was the No. 2 pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nemec is a forward, unlike his brother, who posted 57 points (28-29—57) in 43 games HK Nitra in the Slovak U20 league, and, like Straka, made his Extraliga debut, getting into three games with Nitra.

A Look Back

Canada has been absolutely perfect against Slovakia, winning all 18 meetings dating back to 1997.

The 2016 matchup was the lone game to go past 60 minutes; in that one, Maxime Comtois scored his second goal of the game 4:31 into overtime to help Canada stymie a Slovak comeback and earn a tournament-opening 3-2 victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 18-0 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 109
Slovakia goals: 33

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team gets its quest for a 25th summer U18 gold medal underway Monday night when it takes on Switzerland in its preliminary-round opener at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Last Game

Canada finished its two-game pre-tournament schedule with a 6-4 loss to Czechia on Saturday. Cameron Schmidt scored a goal and set up another, briefly getting the Canadians even with eight minutes to go, but two goals in 10 seconds by the Czechs late in the third period was the difference.

The Swiss erased a two-goal deficit in their exhibition matchup, scoring five goals in less than 14 minutes in the third period to earn a 5-2 win over Germany. Florian Schenk led the charge with two goals and an assist, while Daniele Wagner added a goal and a helper.

Last Meeting

The teams met a year ago in the preliminary round in Trencin, Slovakia, a 5-0 win for Canada. Berkly Catton scored a pair of goals, Cole Beaudoin had a goal and an assist and Carter George made 12 saves to help the Canadians close out the prelims on a high.

The last meeting at the U18 level came in the spring in the preliminary round at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship. Porter Martone had a hat trick in that one, and Canada rode a seven-goal second period to an 8-1 victory.

What to Watch

After his performance at U18 Men’s Worlds in the spring, how can we start with anyone other than Gavin McKenna? The Whitehorse native rewrite the record book in Finland, setting Canadian record for goals (10) and points (20) in a single tournament, capped by a hat trick in the gold medal game to help Canada come from behind to beat the U.S. He wasn’t too bad in the regular season, posting 97 points (34-63—97) to earn CHL and WHL rookie of the year honours. So what does the 16-year-old do for an international encore?

Florian Schenk is a name that will soon be more familiar for Canadian hockey fans, at least those on the East Coast. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound forward will be plying his trade this season with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, who selected him at No, 7 in the CHL Import Draft last month. Schenk spent the 2023-24 campaign with SC Bern, posting 12 points (6-6—12) in nine games with the U17 team and 25 (8-17—25) in 42 games with the U20 team. He also had 17 points (6-11—17) in 22 international games with the Swiss U17 program.

A Look Back

Canada has owned the head-to-head history in summer under-18 competition, winning 17 of the 18 meetings. The lone Swiss victory was in the first of those 18, way back in 2001.

The Canadians have won the last three matchups without allowing a goal, a run that began with a 10-0 victory in Edmonton in the 2018 tournament opener, a game in which Peyton Krebs scored twice and added an assist, and Nolan Maier earned a 15-save shutout.

All-time record: Canada leads 17-1 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 102
Switzerland goals: 36

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is back on Canadian ice, with the game’s future stars in Edmonton from Aug. 5-10. It’s the second time the Alberta capital is playing host to the annual summer under-18 showcase – Canada claimed gold in 2018 at Rogers Place.

Twenty-two players have been named to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, looking to continue a run of Canadian domination at the event.

Let’s take a closer look at the players who will wear the Maple Leaf, and at the tournament itself…

1 – player with a Team Canada parent connection; Jake O’Brien’s mom, Amy Turek, played two games with Canada’s National Women’s Team during the 2000-01 season.

2 – players who did not compete at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and will make their debut in Team Canada colours in Edmonton: Lucas Beckman and Benjamin Kindel

3 – players selected first overall in their respective Canadian Hockey League draft; Gavin McKenna was the No. 1 pick by the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), Caleb Desnoyers went first to the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) and Matthew Schaefer was the top selection by the Erie Otters (OHL).

4 – players who competed at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship; Caleb Desnoyers and Émile Guité (who was named tournament MVP) helped the host Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe to a silver medal, while Cole Reschny (selected as Top Forward) and Reese Hamilton earned bronze with the Saskatoon Blazers.

5 – players who helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship last spring in Finland: Caleb Desnoyers, Reese Hamilton, Jack Ivankovic, Gavin McKenna, Matthew Schaefer

8 – Hockey Canada Members represented on the Team Canada roster: Ontario Hockey Federation (8 – Czata, Hopkins, Ivankovic, Martin, O’Brien, Reid, Romano, Schaefer), Hockey Quebec (4 – Beckman, Desnoyers, Guité, Huang), BC Hockey (3 – Kindel, McKenna, Schmidt), Hockey Alberta (2 – Cootes, Smith), Hockey Saskatchewan (2 – Hamilton, Reschny), Hockey Eastern Ontario (1 – Beauchesne), Hockey Manitoba (1 – Kettles), Hockey New Brunswick (1 – Kilfoil)

9 – players who helped Canada White win a gold medal at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I.: Ethan Czata, Caleb Desnoyers, Émile Guité, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Cameron Reid, Matthew Schaefer, Cameron Schmidt (who scored the OT winner in the gold medal game)

10 –countries Canada has faced in summer under-18 tournaments since 1991: Belarus, Czechia, Finland, Japan, Russia, Slovakia, Soviet Union, Sweden, Switzerland, United States; the Czechs have been the most frequent foes (Canada is 20-2-2 in 24 all-time meetings).

11 – alumni selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft: Cayden Lindstrom (CAN – CBJ 4th), Ivan Demidov (RUS – MTL 5th), Berkly Catton (CAN – SEA 8th), Zayne Parekh (CAN – CGY 9th), Sam Dickinson (CAN – SJS 11th), Adam Jiricek (CZE – STL 16th), Trevor Connelly (USA – VGK 19th), Cole Beaudoin (CAN – UHC 23rd), Liam Greentree (CAN – LAK 26th), Emil Hemming (FIN – DAL 29th), Ben Danford (CAN – TOR 31st)

13 – points by a Canadian at one summer under-18 tournament; the single-tournament record is co-held by Jeff Friesen (1993) and Brett McLean (1995).

19 – members of the Kitchener Rangers to represent Canada in summer under-18 competition since 1991, more than any other CHL team; Cameron Reid and Luca Romano are repping the Rangers in Edmonton.

20 – points by Gavin McKenna (as an underage player) at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship; the Whitehorse native set a record for points by a Canadian, as well as the single-tournament Canadian record for goals (10).

24 – gold medals (in 32 tries) for Canada in summer under-18 tournaments since 1991; Canadian success has included runs of seven (1996-2002) and eight (2008-15) consecutive golds.

87 – minutes (and 59 seconds) played in the gold medal game at the 2023 Canada Winter Games before Matthew Schaefer scored the double-overtime winner to give Ontario a 3-2 win over Saskatchewan; in all, seven players from that game are on the Team Canada roster (Beauchesne, Hamilton, Hopkins, Ivankovic, Martin, Reschny, Schaefer).

97 – points during the 2023-24 season by Gavin McKenna; the most of any player on the Canadian roster; McKenna finished with 34 goals and 63 assists, sitting 12th in WHL scoring and earning CHL and WHL rookie of the year honours.

102 – all-time wins in 124 games by Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (an .826 win percentage); the Canadians have lost only 14 games in regulation time and have outscored their opponents 644-260.

654 – players to wear the Maple Leaf at a summer under-18 tournament since 1991; that number includes three who have been inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame: Paul Kariya (1991), Chris Pronger (1991), Jarome Iginla (1994).