Sawchyn Reflects on Gold Medal at World Under-18 Championships
Oil Kings forward Lukas Sawchyn has added a gold medal to his trophy case after being a part of Team Canada at the World Under-18 Hockey Championships in Frisco, Texas last week.
The Grande Prairie Alta. product wasn’t totally sure that he was going to be playing in the tournament, but a few days before the opening contest, Sawchyn was told he would be donning the maple leaf.
“I was super excited,” Sawchyn said. “I had to get back into shape quickly though. So yeah, it was fun.”
Battling it out for the red and white! 🔴⚪️
Oil Kings F Lukas Sawchyn has officially been named to Team Canada for the IIHF U18 Men's World Championship! 🍁
READ HERE: https://t.co/IXtBemrzAk https://t.co/2bxS2Z5CGH pic.twitter.com/IQJMLNbCON
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 24, 2025
Sawchyn played in three games at the tournament, earning one assist and gathering a +2 rating for the gold medal winning Canadians. He said being able to put on the Canadian jersey was special.
“It was super cool. It was something, you know, my older brother was never able to do,” Sawchyn joked about his brother Gracyn who didn’t play in the U18’s during his draft year. “So a little bit of bragging rights there, but yeah, obviously it was super cool to represent my country.”
While the skilled forward didn’t play in every game, Sawchyn says he still was able to learn a lot from his teammates and playing in the tournament. He added that being able to learn more aspects of the game from the defensive and offensive sides.
“Everybody’s got a role, right,” he said. “If you want to win a gold medal or a championship, everybody’s got to play a role regardless of what it is, you’ve got to put your head down and just just stick to the game plan.”
Sawchyn said being able to celebrate a gold medal was exciting, saying that it felt like he had been with the team for a full season and that it was a surreal moment.
Sawchyn (#15) celebrates a goal.
While the new WHL season is still more than four months away, Sawchyn said he’s going to come back with some confidence and a better understanding of the WHL and how to go about things in the league.
Dub guys 😍 #U18MensWorlds
📷 | Micheline Veluvolu pic.twitter.com/wEaVKHtsom
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 4, 2025
Next up for Sawchyn will be the NHL Entry Draft as he’s ranked 69th among North American Skaters in NHL Central Scouting. Sawchyn said that while he will be putting in a lot of work in the summer, he still wants to enjoy the ride.
“Training, making sure I’m putting my effort in all summer,” Sawchyn added. “But at the same time just enjoying it, this this only happens once in my life. So, I think enjoying every single part of it is the biggest thing.”
Sawchyn was third on the Oil Kings in scoring during the regular season with 55 points in 66 games. His 55 points and 40 assists are both second by an Oil Kings rookie in team history.
