After a disappointing bronze medal at last year’s tournament, Canada looks for a 26th Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal as they will face the reigning champion United States in the title game Saturday night on TSN.
Watch Canada vs. United States in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold-medal game LIVE on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN4 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
In the semifinal against Finland, Canada struggled to grab a hold of the game, trading goals through the first two periods.
Deadlocked at 2-2, Canada broke through in the third period as the line of Jaakko Wycisk, Benjamin Veitch and Kayden Stroeder led the way with a dominant outing.
Wycisk and Veitch both finished the game with four points with Wycisk netting the game-winning goal in the 6-3 victory, Veitch scoring twice, including an empty-netter, and Stroeder recorded a goal and an assist.
Goaltender Leif Oaten was named player of the game for Canada with 24 saves on the night.
Friday’s outing vaulted Stroeder and Wycisk into the team lead in points with eight apiece as they move into third and fourth in tournament scoring.
Despite not picking up any points on Friday night, the forward duo of Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, who both play with the WHL’s Regina Pats, have turned in impressive showings for Canada.
The two are the only players on the Canadian roster not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2028 and are among the tournament leaders in scoring.
Schultz has one goal and seven points in four games while Pue has scored four goals with two assists.
The Americans beat Slovakia 5-2 in the first semifinal on Friday afternoon, led by Gavin Burcar’s four-point effort and Nash Roed’s hat trick.
With five goals and eight points, Burcar is second in tournament scoring with teammates Ethan Sung and Gerry DiCunzolo not far behind with six points apiece.
The United States have won 15 medals at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, including two gold, nine silver and four bronze.
Canada and the U.S. faced off in last year’s semifinal as the Americans edged out Canada 4-3 in a shootout en route to their second-ever title.
