Canada comes out on top at 2024 IIHF Under-18 Hockey Championship

Thirteen OHL players who won gold with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team:

Goaltenders: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack), Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads), Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)

Defencemen: Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts), Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa 67’s), Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s), Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters)

Forwards: Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts), Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires), Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm), Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads), Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters), Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs)

 

Sunday, May 5:

Canada claimed its fifth U18 World Championships gold medal after a 6-4 win over the USA.

Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) had a hat-trick while Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders), Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts) and Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets) also scored. Iginla’s goal with 5:41 to play stood as the game-winner.

Canada trailed 3-1 in the second before they scored four unanswered goals, three of which came during a five-minute man advantage in the third period.

Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) made 31 saves while Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) had three assists.

Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) finished third in tournament scoring with five goals, 12 assists and 17 points over seven games. His 23 career points at the U18 Worlds are a new record by a Canadian player while his 12 assists in this year’s tournament are also a new benchmark.

25 CHL players have won 🥇 with 🇨🇦 at the 2024 #U18MensWorlds! 🏆

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 5, 2024

Saturday, May 4:

Canada advanced to the gold medal after a 5-4 victory over Sweden in Saturday’s semi-final.

Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) broke the single-tournament Canadian scoring record when he scored to register his 16th point of the competition. However, by game’s end, Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) is equal with McKenna after a two-assist performance.

Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets), Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders) and Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) also scored while Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) made 31 saves.

Canada will face the USA Sunday at 11am ET on TSN 1 and 4.

A four-goal first period vaults Canada 🇨🇦 ahead of Sweden 🇸🇪 and on to a 5-4 win, clinching a spot in Sunday’s #U18MensWorlds gold medal game against the United States 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/CNm5DfUFjZ

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 4, 2024

Thursday, May 2:

Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) stopped all 23 shots he faced as Canada beat Latvia 3-0 to advance to Saturday’s semi finals where they’ll face Sweden.

The shutout is George’s second of the tournament. Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens), Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) and Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm) scored the goals for Canada.

With his assist on Massé’s game winning goal, Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) ties Canada’s single-tournament scoring record at 15 points in just five games.

Elsewhere Ondrej Maruna (Charlottetown Islanders) scored a pair of goals for Slovakia as they upset Czechia in one of the other quarter final games.

Canada improves to 5-0 at the #U18MensWorlds, advancing to Semifinal action in Finland on Saturday 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/bBsrqapR76

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 2, 2024

Tuesday, April 30:

Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) had six points (2G, 4A) as Canada beat Kazakhstan 11-3 in its final round-robin game.

Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets), Maxime Masse (Chicoutimi Saguenéens), Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts), Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s), Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats), Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads), Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa 67’s) and Harrison Brunicke (Kamloops Blazers) also had goals for Canada. Martone also had four points to register a five-point game while Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) stopped 13 shots.

The victory secured Canada a perfect 4-0-0 round-robin where they outscored opponents 31-7. In four games, McKenna has tallied 14 points to sit second in tournament scoring and is one shy of the Canadian record at the competition.

Canada wraps up a perfect preliminary round at the #U18MensWorlds in Finland, getting offensive contributions from #OHL talent up and down the scoresheet 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/vhbnWA6TNM

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 30, 2024

Monday, April 29:

Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings) scored his second goal of the tournament, assisted by Adam Titlbach (Vancouver Giants) during Czechia’s 4-3 overtime loss to Kazakhstan. Czechia currently sit in second place in Group B and went 2-1-1 during the round-robin.

Sunday, April 28:

Canada used a seven-goal second period to power past Switzerland 8-1 in their third game of the 2024 U18 World Championships.

Captain Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) had a hat-trick while Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts), Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers), Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs), Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders) and Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets) also found the back of the net. Furthermore, McKenna had a pair of assists, as did Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm).

In his first start of the tournament, Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads) made 26 saves for Canada. Kimi Korbler (Ottawa 67’s) had Switzerland’s lone goal as they took a 1-0 lead at 2:47 of the second.

The victory secured Canada as Group B winners.

Earlier in the day, Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings) scored as Czechia beat Sweden 3-2 in a shootout. Adam Titlbach (Vancouver Giants) and Maxmilian Curran (Tri-City Americans) each had an assist in the victory.

Another big offensive output from Canada at the #U18MensWorlds as a hat-trick from @OHLSteelheads' Porter Martone paces an 8-1 win on Sunday 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/77aCzoUzSs

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 28, 2024

Friday, April 26:

Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets) and Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters) each scored twice while Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) made 26 saves as Canada moved to 2-0-0 after a 6-0 win over Czechia.

Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) had three points (1G, 2A) while Carson Wetsch (Calgary Hitmen) also scored for Canada. Captain Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) registered three assists.

In Switzerland’s 5-2 win against Kazakhstan, Kimi Korbler (Ottawa 67’s) and Jordan Forget (Shawinigan Cataractes) found the back of the net.

Canada moves to 2-0 at the #U18MensWorlds with a shutout performance from @AttackOHL's Carter George and three points from @ErieOtters' Malcolm Spence and @OHLSteelheads' Porter Martone 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/J8bnHRZ2Bg

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 26, 2024

Thursday, April 25:

Canada started its quest for gold with a 6-3 win over Sweden in its opening game of the tournament.

Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) scored twice for Canada and was named player of the game. Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm), Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters), Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters) and Carson Wetsch (Calgary Hitmen) also found the back of the net while captain Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads) had a pair of assists. Carter George (Owen Sound Attack) made 26 saves.

Furthermore, Maxmilian Curran (Tri-City Americans) had a goal and an assist for Czechia while Samuel Drancak (Red Deer Rebels) had a pair of helpers in a 3-0 win over Switzerland.

Strong start for Canada at the #U18MensWorlds in Finland! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/rcSsQDQUTH

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 25, 2024