LEMPAALA, FINLAND - Steven Stamkos (Unionville, ON/Sarnia, OHL) showed great hand-eye coordination when he scored midway through the third period to give Team Canada a 2-2 tie with Sweden in preparation of the IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship on Saturday night in Finland.

Alex Grant (Antigonish, NS/Saint John, QMJHL) fired a shot from the point and Stamkos tipped it home for the goal at 10:28. Brandon Sutter also picked up an assist on the goal.

The game was played in Lempaala before an excited group of fans. It was Canada’s first of two exhibition games.

Angelo Esposito (Montreal, QC/Quebec, QMJHL) gave Canada a 1-0 lead at 8:32 of the first period. Sweden came back to tie it on a goal by Simon Hjalmarsson, whose hard wrist shot beat Canada’s goaltender, Trevor Cann (Oakville, ON/Peterborough, OHL).

Sweden took a 2-1 lead when Marcus Johansson scored early in the third period.

Canada is in action again on Monday afternoon, when it faces Germany in Nokia. That will put a wrap on Team Canada’s exhibition play, as the preliminary round at the World Under-18 Championship starts on Wednesday. Canada’s first game goes Thursday against Germany in Rauma.

Team Canada’s players and staff met in Toronto last week. On Thursday, the group went to the Hockey Hall of Fame for a tour, followed by lunch at Gretzky’s. The team then boarded a plane for Frankfurt, Germany, before catching a flight to Helsinki, Finland.

The team arrived in Finland on Friday afternoon and the players hit the ice for practice within hours. Team Canada will remain in Tampere until Tuesday, when it travels to Rauma, site of Canada’s preliminary games at the tournament.

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team brings together players who are born in 1989 or later, many of whom will be top picks at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Canada has competed in this tournament since 1999, winning gold in 2003.

Canada 2 - Sweden 2 - Lempaala, Finland