All-WHL line leads Canada to Hlinka Gretzky Cup final matchup with Czechia

Photo credit: Jonathan Kozub / Hockey Canada

During the regular season, Medicine Hat’ Gavin McKenna, Victoria’s Cole Reschny and Vancouver’s Cameron Schmidt scored more than 85 goals between them.

In the semi-final of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Friday, the trio – who have formed Canada’s top line at the tournament – led them into the final as they each found the back of the net in a 5-1 win over the USA.

“We were using our speed and making plays and I don’t think they could handle us in their ‘D’ zone so we took advantage of that and that was a big part of our game,” Reschny said.

Schmidt’s third of the tournament gave Canada a 1-0 lead 15:05 into the first before Chicoutmi’s Alex Huang doubled the lead early in the second. After the USA cut the deficit in half, Reschny’s third goal made it 3-1 with 4:41 left in the second. Kitchener’s Luca Romano scored into empty-net late in the third before McKenna put a bow on the win with 13.2 seconds left in regulation.

Gavin McKenna finishes the semi-final off in style as 🇨🇦 advances to the #HlinkaGretzkyCup final! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/CNzLVX6Efv

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) August 10, 2024

Canada will face Czechia in a rematch of the 2023 final at 8pm ET / 5pm PT Saturday.

“We stuck with it the whole time,” said Reschny. “That’s what I like about our team. We’ve got a really deep team and we came in waves … so I was happy the group did that.”

Reschny began the tournament on Canada’s second line alongside Moncton’s Caleb Desnoyers and Chicoutimi’s Émile Guité but after the two-game suspension of Seattle’s Braeden Cootes, he has since filled the top line centre position. Reschny leads Canada in scoring with seven points (three goals) in four games.

“I enjoy playing with those two guys,” Reschny said of his WHL linemates. “They bring out the best of my game. It’s good to play fast and I think that helps me. They’re very smart and I think I’m a very smart player too so it’s easy to play with them.”

C̶o̶l̶e̶ Goal Reschny 🇨🇦 #HlinkaGretzkyCup | @victoriaroyals pic.twitter.com/6K9xEG3426

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) August 10, 2024

Canada head coach Kris Mallette has shuffled his lines around at various times throughout the tournament that more than anything has highlighted the depth of this Canadian team. And while the team’s top line has remained fairly unchanged, movement in the bottom six especially has made Canada even more dangerous.

“Everyone is so good, it’s crazy,” said Halifax’s Liam Kilfoil. “The guys lower in the lineup have done a great job of accepting their roles and have done a really good at playing those roles in this tournament and that’s how teams are going to win.”

On Saturday, Canada will have to come prepared. While they beat Czechia for gold a year ago, they were beaten 6-4 on Aug. 3 in pre-tournament action. Like Canada, Czechia enter tonight’s final unbeaten in the tournament.

“They’re a tough team, a hard-working team,” Kilfoil said. “They move pucks quick. They kind of surprised us in that pre-tournament game so we’ll have to be ready to go but we’ll be much better prepared this time around.”