Team Canada won bronze in the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in what was a stunning overtime win with the medal-winning goal made by Macklin Celebrini, edging out Slovakia for the medal 4-3. Yesterday, Team Canada secured a notable victory against Sweden with a final score of 6-3, with two goals credited to Gavin McKenna, a player to watch closely as the tournament unfolds.
Canada’s team roster for the tournament includes talented 2024 NHL draft prospects like Liam Greentree, Ryder Ritchie, Henry Mews, Charlie Elick, Maxim Massé, and Cole Beaudoin. With such talent, the team will be a formidable presence on the ice throughout the tournament. Gardiner MacDougall is the head coach for Team Canada.
Starting Goaltenders:
TEAM CANADA – Carter George
TEAM SLOVAKIA – Jakub Milota
Period 1
Just five seconds into the first period, Canada’s Michael Spence would get on the scoreboard against Czechia, bringing the team up 1-0.
Unfortunately, moments later, he would be sent to the penalty box for hooking, and Team Czechia would get their first chance at the powerplay. While on the PK, it would be Team Canada that would strike hot of the stick sending one into the net at the hands of forward Tij Iginla. Charlie Elick would get the assist on the tally. At 7:18 into the game., Iginla would find the net once more and was assisted this time by Porter Martone and Gavin McKenna, bringing the score to 3-0.
Carson Wetsch would get goal number four for Team Canada and was assisted by Cole Beadoin and Kashawn Aitcheson on the goal that would bring Team Canada’s lead to 4-0. Czechia would then replace their goalie with Bretislav Vystrcil. After the mid-way point of the frame, we were heavy with penalties, starting with Matthew Schaefer being called for cross-checking for Team Canada, but they would successfully kill that penalty, and there would be no change in score. However, things would get heated later as Marek Danicek was sent off the ice for an Illegal Check to the head, which was served by Oskar Lisler. Danicek was also given a 20-minute penalty for game misconduct.
At 19:26 Jett Luchanko would get called for tripping, sending Canada back on the PK. It was less than a minute later that Harrison Brunicke (CAN) and Adam Jecho (CZE) got sent off to the penalty box for roughing while Petr Sikora would get 5 minutes for butt-ending a player and also a 20-minute game misconduct penalty.
Altogether, Canada accumulated 12 penalty minutes, while Czechia received a total of 56 penalty minutes. Specifically, Czechia incurred 40 minutes of penalties of that due to two game misconducts.
We would close out the period 4-0.
Shots On Goal:
CAN – 17
CZE – 9
Period 2
The second period was notably less eventful. Frankie Marrelli (CAN) would be called for roughing at 28:03 into the game. However, that penalty would successfully be killed by Team Canada. Later in the period, Tomas Poletin (CZE) would be sent to the box for boarding and would also net in no change in scoring for either team as each headed back to full strength.
Neither team managed to score, and the number of penalty minutes had decreased significantly for each team compared to the first frame. As a result, the score would remain 4-0 as we closed out the period.
Shots On Goal:
CAN – 9
CZE – 8
Period 3
Iginla had an opportunity for a hat trick on a breakaway early in the third period, but he couldn’t capitalize on the play. Spence later scored his second goal of the game in the third period by grabbing his own rebound and striking the net past the reach of Vystrcil. Assisting on the tally were Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone. Team Canada now led Team Czechia by a score of 5-0.
Canada’s Wetsch would receive a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for a check from behind with less than 13 minutes remaining in the third period.
In the final minute of play, Gavin McKenna netted his third goal of the tournament, wrapping up the scoring for the game and bringing Canada’s score to 6-0. Martone and Spence would both be credited with an assist. The score at the end of the period was 6-0, Canada.
Shots On Goal:
CAN – 7
CZE – 9
Team Canada defeated Team Czechia in regulation with a final score of 6-0. They will face off against Switzerland on Sunday, April 28th.
