Eight WHL skaters help Canada complete golden three-peat at Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Edmonton, Alta.– For a third straight year, Canada is golden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt tallied a primary assist on the game-winning goal as the Canadians edged Czechia with a 2-1 victory in front of a roaring crowd at Rogers Place in Alberta’s capital city.
Eight WHL players contributed to the team’s march to gold- including 2024 IIHF World U18 Championship winners Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat) and Reese Hamilton (Calgary Hitmen).
Kelowna Rockets bench boss Kris Mallette steered the squad to victory in his first turn as a Head Coach at the tournament.
The tilt set the stage for a rematch of the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which saw the Canucks down the Czechs 3-2 in overtime.
In the opening period, Brady Martin (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) made a slick pass to Liam Kilfoil (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL), who batted the puck into a yawning cage to draw first blood.
Seattle Thunderbirds forward Braeden Cootes- who hails from nearby Sherwood Park- caused chaos in the crease to leave Kilfoil wide open.
Canada is on the board first in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal game!🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/sJTQDfT4ub
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 11, 2024
2025 NHL Draft-eligible forward Cameron Schmidt was buzzing in the opening frame, hopping out of the penalty box and wiring a pass to WHL Rookie of the Year Gavin McKenna for a glorious opportunity late in the period.
With less than a minute remaining in the frame, Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) deflected a precision centering pass from Vancouver Giants standout Cameron Schmidt to end the period with an exclamation point.
Oh we see you, Cameron Schmidt 👀@WHLGiants https://t.co/cA6vgEzCYv
— The WHL (@TheWHL) August 11, 2024
A back-and-forth second period saw Canada dominate in shots and show off its penalty kill prowess, but no players on either side would find twine.
Czech forward Tomas Poletin got his side on the board with a power play with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game, but Canadian netminder Jack Ivankovic made 18 saves and was named player of the match for Canada.
Victoria Royals standout Cole Reschny tied as Canada’s leading scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with three goals and four assists for seven points in five games
Gold-medal-winning WHLers Reschny, Schmidt, Cootes, Hamilton, Benjamin Kindel (Calgary Hitmen), Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans) and Peyton Kettles (Swift Current Broncos) are all eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, while Canadian alternate captain McKenna is projected as a top pick for the 2026 draft.
WHLe coaching and support staff for Canada’s squad at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup include Goaltending Consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops Blazers / Kamloops, B.C.), and Athletic Therapist Terence Robertson (Red Deer Rebels / Red Deer, Alta.).
Former Spokane Chiefs scout Byron Bonora reprised his role as Head Scout for Team Canada at the tournament.
2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Notes:
Kamloops Blazers forward Vit Zahejsky, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday, Calgary Hitmen forward Robin Svancara, Portland Winterhawks netminder and Moose Jaw’s 2024 CHL Import Draft pick Dominik Pavlik all won silver for Czechia.
Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Blake Fiddler registered a powerplay assist as the United States fell to Sweden 6-3 in the bronze medal match. The American Captain closed out the tournament with one goal and three assists in five games.
