Canada is certainly no stranger to taking home the gold medal, just as they did for the 25th time at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup after beating Czechia 2-1 at Rogers Place in Edmonton Saturday night.
The win is Canada’s third straight victory at the tournament and the first team to hit the quarter-century mark, with no active team winning more than one. However, Russia–who has not participated since winning gold back in 2021–holds the second most medals at five, with Czechia holding five since 2014.
As the game entered the first period, the Canadians didn’t need much time to find the back of the net, with Liam Kilfoil scoring at 6:29. Caleb Desnoyers would close the first period with another goal for Canada after taking a feed from Cameron Schmidt with under a minute to go.
Although the score remained 2-0 for Canada during the second period, the Canadian players swiftly controlled the pace of play, outshooting the Czechs 7-4.
As the third period came into play, both teams had their chances, with the outcome favouring the Canadians with more impactful opportunities. However, with less than a minute to go, the Czechs put one past Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic but fell 2-1 to Canada for the victory.
Earlier in the day, Sweden would double the United States’s three goals for a 6-3 victory to win bronze.
Here’s a look at Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis’ top performing players from each team in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal game:
CZECHIA
#8 Vit Zahejsky, RW: Although the Czech’s offence fell short in comparison to the Canadians, Zahejsky was most likely the most influential forward for the Czechs, especially in light of Adam Benak having a quiet game. Zahejsky worked tirelessly to get his team opportunities, including a good chance in the first period; his penalty kill is also worth mentioning.
“From an overall standpoint, I think Zahejsky had a good tournament, and I’m excited to see him in the WHL because his work ethic will allow him to thrive,” said Ellis.
#1 Ondrej Stebetak, G: Despite two goals finding their way to the back of the net during the gold medal match, Stebetak was head-to-head with Canadian Ivankovic the entirety of the game, especially during a high-pressure second period from the Canadians. With 24 saves and a .923 save percentage, it’s safe to say Stebetak played an excellent game for the Czechs.
“Stebetak had to be busy,” said Ellis. “There’s only so much you can do when your high-flying offense dries up.”
CANADA
#3 Jackson Smith, D: Despite a minor penalty in the second period, Smith maintained the same level of physical play he displayed throughout the week. With his performance over the week and in the gold medal game, Smith will make a solid NHL defender in the future.
“I think [Smith] continued to elevate his performance with every single game,” said Ellis. “But today, his physical play took the Czech attackers off guard.”
#19 Cameron Reid, D: Arguably, Reid had the best game of the entire tournament during the gold medal match. Although he was quieter during the preliminary round, his aggression and speed really shone over the past two games.
“Smith’s D-partner [Reid] had probably his best game of the tournament,” said Ellis. “While Smith was more about providing the boom, Reid kept his defensive game simple and smart.”
#23 Cameron Schmidt, RW: Schmidt made an excellent pass to Caleb Desnoyers for Canada’s second goal of the game, then continued to poke around with just about everyone.
“He’s a stink disturber – nobody scares him,” said Ellis. “Despite being just 5-foot-8. When you’re small and have an edge, scouts notice – and like it.”
#16 Brady Martin, RW: Martin is unbelievably creative with the puck and plays with a significant level of confidence. Thanks to a great shift from Martin in the first period, Canada secured its first goal of the game.
“Mark my words, he’s going to rise up everyone’s rankings this year,” said Ellis.
Former Ottawa Senator Kyle Turris juggling two new jobs including a position with Hockey Canada
Former Ottawa Senator Kyle Turris represents his country with his heart on his sleeve after playing for Team Canada in three world championships and six other national teams at various junior age levels.
However, at some point, every hockey player will tie up the laces one last time before hanging them up for good, just as Turris did when he decided to retire from the NHL two years ago.
For Turris, just because he hung up the skates doesn’t mean the sport is no longer a part of his life. Instead, he has returned to the national program, joining their senior management team at the U17 level.
“Yeah, I’ve been working with Hockey Canada. And just a couple of weeks ago, I was at the U17 camp in Oakville,” Turris told The Hockey News’ Steve Warne. “I’m working with Byron Bonora (U17 head scout) and a couple of other people there to work through the process with the U17s, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Along with his new Hockey Canada position, Turris is also the new director at the North Shore Winter Club, a family athletic club with its own minor hockey program in the Greater Vancouver area.
“It’s 10 minutes from our house,” Turris told Warne. “I work with great people, TC Carling (Club COO and GM) being one of them. It gives me an opportunity to work with families and kids and help educate them, help develop, and also kind of guide a hockey program. So I’ve really been enjoying that too.”
Despite stepping away from the ice, Turris has been keeping himself busy during retirement and embarking on a new journey of learning the inner workings of the NHL with an internship with the Vancouver Canucks.
“I stepped away from that at the end of the season, and it was a great experience,” Turris told Warne.
“I can’t thank the Canucks enough for giving me that opportunity. I was on the business side, learning how a franchise is run and how it operates. It was such a neat experience and an invaluable learning experience.
However, that is only part of what Turris has been up to. After beginning University classes during his last three or four years in the NHL, Turris took on full course loads after retiring and officially graduated this spring with a business degree from the University of Wisconsin. During his academic career, he wasn’t alone, graduating alongside Cody Goloubef–who played five games with the Senators and a handful of games with the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, and two games with the Detroit Red Wings–and Ryan McDonaugh, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Despite the move to Vancouver, which is close to family and where Turris grew up, he and his wife Julie both miss the camaraderie of everyone back in Ottawa.
“Yeah, Julie is constantly saying how much we miss being back in the hood in Westboro and all of our friends there,” Turris said. “Just the community, the people, the Sens, and everything about it. It’s so near and dear to our hearts.”
