McKenna chasing history as Canada goes perfect in U18 World Championship preliminary round
Vantaa, Fin.- Gavin McKenna is closing in on a Canadian record after a six-point outing against Kazakhstan at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Canada, which had already secured the top position in Group B, cruised to an 11-3 victory to remain perfect in the preliminary round.
McKenna, a 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward, earned Player of the Game honours for a second time in four games with a two-goal, four-assist performance.
With 14 points (6G, 8A), McKenna is one point shy of tying the record for most points by a Canadian at the tournament.
Tyson Jost (6G, 9A) and Macklin Celebrini (6G, 9A) are currently tied for the record after netting 15 points in seven games in 2016 and 2023, respectively.
Five other WHL skaters found the scoresheet in the win.
Red Deer’s Ollie Josephson (NHL CSS: 40) teed up Liam Greentree for the game-opening goal five minutes into the first period.
With the match tied at one midway through the opening frame, Kelowna Rockets standout Tij Iginla (NHL CSS: 9) received a pass from Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie (NHL CSS: 19) and wired his fourth goal of the tournament home to restore Canada’s lead.
That's four goals in four games for Tij Iginla! 🇨🇦#U18MensWorlds | @Kelowna_Rockets pic.twitter.com/0GbH6UVNhW
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 30, 2024
McKenna, who is nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year, earned his first point on a crisp cross-ice feed to Maxim Masse for a powerplay snipe.
He’d add back-to-back assists in quick succession in the second period after setting up Henry Mews and Caleb Desnoyers for goals coming three minutes apart.
The Medicine Hat Tigers star got on the other side of the scoresheet shortly afterward with a wicked backhand effort for his fifth goal of the tournament.
Gavin McKenna continues to shine for 🇨🇦🤩#U18MensWorlds | @tigershockey pic.twitter.com/qTIl4cMuef
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 30, 2024
McKenna would dish out one more apple to cap off a four-point second period with a smart dish from behind the Kazakhstan net for Captain Porter Martone.
Canada led 8-1 with 20 minutes to play.
McKenna, a Whitehorse, Yukon product, had one more stunner in his bag of tricks, dancing around the defence and writing a shot high blocker side for his second goal of the game and 14th point of the preliminary round.
Another example ⬇️ #U18MensWorlds https://t.co/2XutYccAUK pic.twitter.com/ya3rO1QIJ0
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 30, 2024
Kamloops Blazers defenceman Harrison Brunicke (NHL CSS: 52) closed out the game with a precision one-timer from below the hash marks to seal an 11-3 win and 4-0-0-0 preliminary round record for Canada.
.@blazerhockey d-man Harrison Brunicke concludes the scoring as 🇨🇦 beats 🇰🇿 11-3 and goes 4-0-0 in the round-robin at the #U18MensWorlds! pic.twitter.com/LXvIvlkUtN
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 30, 2024
Canada will now face Latvia (1-0-0-3) in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, May 2.
Since 2002, Canada has captured four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), as well as a silver medal (2005) and four bronze (2012, 2014, 2015, 2023).