Jake O’Brien is Golden Following 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
A total of 33 players with ties to the CHL came away with a medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton
Nine OHL players, part of a larger group of 22 CHL players, proudly won gold as Team Canada topped the podium at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup by beating Czechia 2-1 in Saturday’s gold medal game in Edmonton, Alberta. Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL) and Liam Kilfoil (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL) tallied the goals for Canada in Saturday night’s final, while Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads / OHL) made 18 saves as he was named Canada’s player of the game.
Canada’s victory marked the third year in a row they’ve won this tournament and the 25th time they’ve come away with gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Among the 22 CHL players who were a part of this year’s gold medal-winning Canadian squad (see complete list below), there were nine who hailed from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), eight from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and five from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Over the course of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Canada got goals from 12 different skaters, led by Émile Guité (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) and Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL), who both finished the tournament as Canada’s scoring leaders with seven points (3G-4A). Right behind them were Gavin McKenna (3G-3A) of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Matthew Schaefer (2G-4A) of the Erie Otters who both recorded six points in five games.
In net, Ivankovic completed what was an impressive tournament, allowing just three goals over his four starts. His 0.75 goals-against average and .967 save percentage were the best of any goaltender at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, ahead of his teammate Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau Drakkar / QMJHL) who registered a 1.00 goals-against average and .964 save percentage following his lone start of the tournament.
After helping lead Canada to back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Kris Mallette (Kelowna Rockets / WHL) returned to the bench in 2024 to help Canada secure a third straight Hlinka Gretzky Cup title, this time as the team’s head coach. Mallette was joined by assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL) and Ryan Oulahen (North Bay Battalion / OHL), along with goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops Blazers / WHL) and video coach Ethan O’Rourke (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL).
A total of 33 players with ties to the CHL came away with a medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In addition to the 22 CHL players from Canada, there were 10 players with ties to the CHL who earned a silver medal with Czechia, while Filip Ekberg (Ottawa 67’s / OHL) was the lone CHL draft pick to win bronze as Sweden doubled up the United States 6-3 to place third. Among some of the event’s top performers were Czech forward Vít Záhejský (Kamloops Blazers / WHL) and Slovakian forward Jan Chovan (Sudbury Wolves / OHL), who both ranked among the top-10 scorers of the tournament with seven (3G-4A) and six (1G-5A) points respectively.
In total, 46 players with ties to the CHL competed in the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, including at least one player from each of the eight participating countries (see complete list below). The latter included 18 players from both the WHL and OHL, along with 10 from the QMJHL. The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup no doubt featured some players who will represent the CHL at its newest event, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada. The 2024 CHL USA Prospect Challenge is a two-game series scheduled for November 2024 between the CHL and USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP). Fans interested in learning more about the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge are encouraged to enter their name and contact information at chl.ca/prospectschallenge.
Following the 2024 edition of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Canada has now won 25 gold medals in 33 years of summer under-18 competition, along with three silver medals and one bronze.
As the best development league in the world, the CHL continues to be the top supplier of talent to Hockey Canada’s various national programs, which include providing Team Canada with world-class players, coaches, and hockey operations staff. For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
46 PLAYERS WITH TIES TO THE CHL AT THE 2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP
GOLD – Canada (22)
(G) Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
(G) Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau Drakkar / QMJHL)
(D) Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans / WHL)
(D) Peyton Kettles (Swift Current Broncos / WHL)
(D) Reese Hamilton (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
(D) Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph Storm / OHL)
(D) Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL)
(D) Alex Huang (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
(D) Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
(F) Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL)
(F) Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
(F) Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
(F) Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
(F) Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
(F) Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
(F) Braeden Cootes (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
(F) Tyler Hopkins (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(F) Émile Guité (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
(F) Ethan Czata (Niagara IceDogs / OHL)
(F) Ben Kindel (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
(F) Liam Kilfoil (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
(F) Luca Romano (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
SILVER – Czechia (10)
(G) Ondřej Štěbeták (Portland Winterhawks / WHL)
(D) Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
(D) Štěpán Černý (Gatineau Olympiques / QMJHL)
(D) David Holub (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
(F) Vít Záhejský (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
(F) Vojtěch Čihař (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
(F) Robin Svancara (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
(F) Matěj Pekař (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
(F) Adam Novotný (Peterborough Petes / OHL)
(F) Dominik Pavlík (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL)
BRONZE – Sweden (1)
(F) Filip Ekberg (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
Finland (1)
(G) Patrik Kerkola (Barrie Colts / OHL)
Germany (3)
(D) Max Bleicher (Owen Sound Attack / OHL)
(D) Carlos Händel (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
(F) David Lewandowski (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
Slovakia (5)
(F) Andreas Straka (Québec Remparts / QMJHL)
(F) Tobias Tomik (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
(F) Jan Chovan (Sudbury Wolves / OHL)
(F) Tomas Chrenko (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
(F) Adam Nemec (Sudbury Wolves / OHL)
Switzerland (2)
(F) Florian Schenk (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
(F) Lars Steiner (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL)
United States (2)
(D) Blake Fiddler (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
(F) Travis Hayes (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
