2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup HQ
Throughout the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, this daily recap thread will track the performances of current and future OHL players from across the tournament. Check back each day for game recaps, standout performances and updated statistics from Edmonton.
Day 5 Recaps
The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup came to a close on Saturday, with Canada capturing gold on home ice and Finland completing a comeback to earn bronze. Here’s a look at all of the action from the final day of the tournament:
Canada vs. United States – Gold
Final: 8 (CAN) – 1 (USA)
Team Canada secured its record-extending 26th summer under-18 gold medal with a commanding 8-1 victory over the United States on Saturday night.
The Canadians wasted little time taking control, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead with Cooper McAslan (London Knights), Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) and Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) all picking up assists. The Americans capitalized on a late power-play opportunity to cut the deficit to two, but that would be as close as they would come.
Canada took over from there, scoring five unanswered goals to put the game out of reach. McAslan added his second helper of the night, while Wycisk found the back of the net to cap off an impressive tournament. The Guelph Storm forward finished tied for the tournament scoring lead with 10 points while leading all players with eight assists.
The victory gave Canada its first Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal since 2024. The Canadians finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, outscoring their opponents 34-12 while scoring at least six goals in every game.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Cooper McAslan (London Knights) – 2A
- Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) – 1A
- Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) – 1G, 1A
Finland vs. Slovakia – Bronze
Final: 3 (FIN) – 2 (SVK)
Finland battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to earn bronze with a 3-2 victory over Slovakia.
After cutting the deficit in half in the second period, the Finns completed the comeback in the third with Luca Santala (London Knights) playing a role in both goals. Santala tied the game just 34 seconds into the final frame before adding an assist on the eventual power-play winner later in the period to help Finland secure its place on the podium.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Finland
- Luca Santala (London Knights) – 1G, 1A
Day 4 Recaps
Canada and the United States will face off for gold in Saturday’s championship showdown after winning their respective semi-final matchups. Here’s a look at all of the action from Day 4:
Canada vs. Finland – Semi-final
Final: 6 (CAN) – 3 (FIN)
The Canadians earned their way into the gold-medal game with a 6-3 victory over Finland and will now look to reach the top of the podium for the first time since 2024.
Despite falling behind twice, Canada continued to find an answer before finally taking its first lead just over two minutes into the final frame. Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) picked up an assist on the go-ahead goal for his third helper of the game before finding the back of the net himself shortly after, extending Canada’s lead to two.
Finland wasn’t done, however, cutting the deficit back to one with Luca Santala (London Knights) picking up an assist on the goal. But with the Finns pushing for the equalizer late, Canada added a pair of empty-net markers to seal the 6-3 victory, with Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) adding a helper on the final goal.
The Canadians will now turn their attention to Saturday’s gold-medal game against the defending champions and longtime rivals, the United States. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) – 1G, 3A
- Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) – 1G, 1A
Finland
- Luca Santala (London Knights) – 1A
United States vs. Slovakia – Semi-final
Final: 5 (USA) – 2 (SVK)
The defending gold medallists moved one step closer to capturing their second consecutive Hlinka Gretzky Cup title with a 5-2 victory over Slovakia in Friday’s first semi-final.
After surrendering the opening goal for the second straight game, the Americans quickly found their response, scoring three unanswered to take control. Slovakia made things interesting with a shorthanded goal in the second period to cut the deficit to one, but the United States held them off before adding two more in the final frame to seal the victory.
Making his second start of the tournament, Mason Courville (Flint Firebirds) turned aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
The United States will now meet Canada for gold on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. MST
OHL Player Game Stats:
United States
- Mason Courville (Flint Firebirds) – .913 SV%
Day 3 Recaps
The final day of round-robin play got underway on Wednesday, with four countries punching their ticket to Friday’s semi-finals. Here’s a look at all of the Day 3 action:
Canada vs. Sweden
Final: 7 (CAN) – 4 (SWE)
Canada remained perfect through three games with a 7-4 victory over Sweden, highlighted by a five-goal opening period.
The Canadians opened the scoring with a shorthanded marker early in the first, with Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds) recording his second assist of the tournament. Canada added two more goals in quick succession to extend its lead to 3-0, with Cooper McAslan (London Knights) picking up a helper on the third goal. Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) continued his strong tournament with a power-play goal, while Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) recorded two first-period assists.
Sweden responded with the only two goals of the second period to cut the deficit to two before adding another early in the third. Canada answered with two more goals to secure the victory and finish round-robin play undefeated.
OHL commit Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) entered the game in relief during the first period and finished with 36 saves. The netminder appeared in all three games for Sweden. Benjamin Nystrom, selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the 2026 CHL Import Draft, scored twice in the loss.
Canada will face Finland in the second semi-final on Friday at 5:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) – 1G
- Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) – 2A
- Cooper McAslan (London Knights) – 1A
- Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds) – 1A
Sweden
- Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) – .923 SV%
United States vs. Germany
Final: 8 (USA) – 1 (GER)
The United States cruised to an 8-1 victory over Germany to finish the preliminary round undefeated, scoring eight unanswered goals after surrendering the game’s opening marker.
Germany struck first early in the opening period, but the Americans responded with three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) recorded a goal and an assist in the second period, while Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs) scored his first goal of the tournament. Both players added another assist in the third period as the Americans pulled away.
The defending gold medallists will face Slovakia in the first semi-final on Friday at 12:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
United States
- Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) – 1G, 2A
- Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs) – 1G, 1A
Finland vs. Czechia
Final: 5 (FIN) – 4 (CZE)
Finland secured a spot in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year with a hard-fought 5-4 victory over Czechia.
OHL commit Luca Santala (London Knights) recorded a goal and an assist in the win. For Czechia, OHL commit Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) scored his second goal of the tournament and was named his country’s Player of the Game.
Finland will meet host Canada in the second semi-final on Friday at 5:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Finland
- Luca Santala (London Knights) – 1G, 1A
Czechia
- Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) – 1G
Slovakia vs. Switzerland
Final: 6 (SVK) – 2 (SUI)
Slovakia kept its medal hopes alive with a convincing 6-2 victory over Switzerland to secure the final semi-final berth.
Tomas Selic, selected by the Flint Firebirds in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, led the way with a four-goal, six-point performance as Slovakia punched its ticket to the final four.
Slovakia will face the United States in the first semi-final on Friday at 12:00 p.m. MST.
Day 2 Recaps
Current and future OHL players continued to make their mark on Day 2 of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, with Canada and the United States remaining unbeaten while several OHL standouts added to their tournament totals. Here’s a look at all of Tuesday’s action:
Canada vs. Slovakia
Final: 6 (CAN) – 1 (SVK)
Canada improved to 2-0 with a convincing 6-1 victory over Slovakia, outshooting them 48-13.
With the game tied 1-1 just minutes into the opening period, Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) scored his second goal of the tournament to restore Canada’s lead, sparking a run of five unanswered goals. Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) recorded an assist on a second-period power-play marker before scoring himself just over a minute into the third. Warren and Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) each added assists as Canada cruised to victory.
The Canadians will look to remain perfect when they face Sweden (1-1) on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) – 1G, 1A
- Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) – 1G, 1A
- Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) – 1A
United States vs. Finland
The United States also improved to 2-0 with a 4-1 victory over Finland.
The Americans opened the scoring on the power play, with Michael Tang (Niagara IceDogs) recording his first point of the tournament with an assist. Finland responded with the equalizer in the second period, but the United States regained the lead early in the third, with Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) collecting his third assist of the tournament. The Americans added another goal shortly after before sealing the win with an empty-net marker.
Making his tournament debut, Flint Firebirds goaltender Mason Courville stopped 26 in the victory.
The United States will look for its third straight victory when they face Germany (0-2) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
United States
- Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) – 1A
- Michael Tang (Niagara IceDogs) – 1A
- Mason Courville (Flint Firebirds) – .963 SV%
Czechia vs. Germany
Final: 8 (CZE) – 3 (GER)
Czechia earned their first win of the tournament with a commanding 8-3 victory over Germany.
OHL commits Adam Nemec (Brantford Bulldogs) and Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) both found the scoresheet for the second consecutive game. Nemec scored his second goal of the tournament, while Gombar added an assist.
Czechia returns to action on Wednesday against Finland (1-1) at 3:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Czechia
- Adam Nemec (Brantford Bulldogs) – 1G
- Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) – 1A
Switzerland vs. Sweden
Final: 7 (SUI) – 6 (SWE)
Switzerland earned their first victory of the tournament in dramatic fashion, defeating Sweden 7-6 on a goal with just two seconds remaining in regulation.
Making his second consecutive start, OHL commit Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) turned aside 42 shots in the loss.
Switzerland returns to the ice on Wednesday against Slovakia (0-2) at 1:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Sweden
- Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) – .857 SV%
Day 1 Recaps
The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup got underway on Monday with an exciting opening day of round-robin action, featuring comeback victories, high-scoring affairs and strong performances from several current and future OHL players. Here’s a look at all of the Day 1 action:
Canada vs. Switzerland
Final: 7 (CAN) – 3 (SUI)
Canada opened its 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup campaign with a convincing 7-3 victory over Switzerland on Monday in Edmonton, AB.
The opening period featured seven combined goals, with Canada striking just over a minute into the game. Switzerland responded with two quick goals to take its first – and only – lead of the contest before the Canadians answered with four straight goals to close out the frame. Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) and Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) each found the back of the net while Cooper McAslan (London Knights) recording an assist.
Canada added two more goals in the second period, with Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) and Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds) each picking up helpers. Switzerland scored its third and final goal later in the game as Canada secured the 7-3 victory to improve to 1-0.
The Canadians return to action on Tuesday against Slovakia (0-1) at 5:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs) – 1G, 1A
- Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion) – 1G
- Cooper McAslan (London Knights) – 1A
- Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm) – 1A
- Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds) – 1A
United States vs. Czechia
Final: 6 (USA) – 4 (CZE)
Defending gold medallists USA opened tournament play with a 6-4 victory over Czechia on Monday afternoon.
The Americans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening period, with Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs) recording an assist on the second goal. Czechia cut the deficit to one late in the frame with a five-on-three power-play marker.
Looking to capitalize on the carryover power play to begin the second period, Czechia instead watched the Americans score shorthanded. USA added another goal just minutes later, with Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) collecting his first assist of the game, before extending their lead to 5-1. OHL commit Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) responded to bring Czechia back within three, but the Americans restored their four-goal advantage before the intermission, with DiCunzolo picking up his second assist of the contest.
Czechia made things interesting midway through the third period with two quick goals, including one from OHL commit Adam Nemec (Brantford Bulldogs), but the Americans held on for the 6-4 win to improve to 1-0.
USA will face Finland (1-0) on Tuesday evening in its next round-robin matchup.
OHL Player Game Stats:
United States
- Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes) – 2A
- Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs) – 1A
Czechia
- Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers) – 1G
- Adam Nemec (Brantford Bulldogs) – 1G
Finland vs. Germany
Final: 5 (FIN) – 2 (GER)
Finland earned its first win of the tournament with a 5-2 comeback victory over Germany on Monday evening.
Trailing 2-0 after the opening period, the Finns responded with five unanswered goals to secure the victory. OHL commit Luca Santala (London Knights) recorded his first point of the tournament with an assist on Finland’s empty-net goal.
Finland returns to the ice on Tuesday against the United States (1-0) at 7:00 p.m. MST.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Finland
- Luca Santala (London Knights) – 1A
Sweden vs. Slovakia
Final: 4 (SWE) – 3 (SVK) – OT
In the final game of the opening day, Sweden defeated Slovakia 4-3 in overtime.
Slovakia opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal in the first period before Sweden tied the game late in the second. The teams traded two goals apiece in the third period before Sweden found the overtime winner just under three minutes into the extra frame.
OHL commit Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) made 35 saves in the win.
Sweden will face Switzerland (0-1) on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. MST in its next round-robin matchup.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Sweden
- Vilmer Salen Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs) – .921 SV%
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TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast select tournament games, including all Canada games.
For the full tournament schedule, including stats and standings, click here.
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