Three Western Hockey League players win gold at 2024 Five Nations Tournament
Piestany, Svk.- Three Western Hockey League players have clinched a first-place finish with Team USA at the 2024 Five Nations Tournament.
Brody Gillespie (Spokane Chiefs), Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll (Medicine Hat Tigers) and Kalder Varga (Kelowna Rockets) helped defeat host Slovakia in a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory on August 18.
Varga buried the game-tying goal with a clever shot from the top of the crease.
The event saw top U17 players from the United States, Czechia, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia go head-to-head from August 14-18 in a round-robin style tournament.
Varga, who hails from Geneva, Ill., led all American skaters with eight points (three goals, five assists) in four matches.
The 5-foot-11, 176-pound forward signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Kelowna Rockets in May after being selected seventh overall in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
He’s expected to make his WHL debut in 2024-25.
Kalder Varga (2026) with the shot block and takes it unassisted the other way. All tied up once again! 3-3. #FiveNations pic.twitter.com/bNigk0D4er
— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) August 17, 2024
Gordon-Carroll wore the ‘C’ for Team USA and averaged a point per game with a goal and three assists in four contests, highlighted by a one-goal, two-assist effort in a victory over Germany.
The Salt Lake City, Utah product also signed his WHL SDA this spring after Medicine Hat chose him with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
With the signing of Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll.
Here's what you Tigers Supporters and Fans can look forward to seeing!
Have a great weekend!#WHL #MedHat #CHL #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/bvXggj0MJs
— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) April 19, 2024
Gillespie also put forth a strong showing with a goal and two assists at the event, including a one-goal, one-assist showing against Switzerland on August 16.
A 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward, Gillespie is from Vancouver, Wash. but played the last season with RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna’s U18 squad, collecting 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points.
He was selected by the Chiefs first overall in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft and signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on May 16, 2023, making his WHL debut in a 5-4 overtime win against the Kamloops Blazers in September 2023.
Gillespie suited up for three WHL games last season but looks to become a regular fixture in Spokane’s forward group.
Wow. Brody Gillespie takes this one himself and gets the backhanded shot to go from a tough angle. 4-0 USA #FiveNations pic.twitter.com/B06lqv4VHI
— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) August 16, 2024
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