The unofficial start of the scouting season, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a chance for scouts to see some top U18 talent for the 2023 and 2023 NHL drafts. Get caught up to speed from the preliminary round games, as well as previews for Friday’s semifinal games.
Semifinal Matchups
Canada vs Finland
Friday 8.5 - 8:30 PM
After defeating 2nd in group A Sweden in their final preliminary game 3-0, Canada will face Finland in the semifinals Friday, who finished 2nd in group B. Canada rolled through group A, outscoring opponents 26-1 in 3 games.
The Canadians have a roster full of players with a mixed tool bag. CHL Rookie of the year Brayden Yager leads Team Canada with 4 goals 4 assists in the opening 3 games, as well as all skaters in the tournament. Yager had 34 goals and 25 assists last season with Moose Jaw in 63 WHL games.
Scott Ratzlaff, who plays for Seattle in the WHL, posted 2 shutouts in games 1 and 3 of the preliminary round, making the big saves when needed and should be Canada’s go-to guy for the gold medal run.
For the Fins, bouncing back against the US after opening the preliminary round with an 4-3 SO loss to Czechia was crucial. A younger team, Finland has the size and compete to keep up with Canada, but the edge should go to Canada in this one.
Finish defenseman #9 Aron Kiviharju has been impressive thus far, and should be a great watch for scouts to see how he handles arguably the toughest group of forwards in the tournament. Kiviharju is one of the youngest players at the tournament, eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.
Canada Roster Breakdown
WHL - 12
OHL - 6
QMJHL - 4
BCHL - 1
Czechia vs Sweden
Friday 8.5 - 5:00 PM
Czechia showed who they really are Wednesday vs the US : a tough, constantly physical team that will get under your skin and wear you down. The top team in Group A, Czechia looks like a team that could handle Canada’s skill and versatility, but the Swedes were equally impressive in their preliminary round games. More importantly, the score vs Canada does not represent the game very well, as Sweden played Canada close for the majority of the game.
This game will come down to goaltender and special teams, an easy answer. Czechia’s Michael Hrabal, who is committed to UMass and eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft, will most likely be the starter, after 2 impressive wins in his starts vs Finland and the US.
Recaps
United States
After a dominant performance over Germany in their opener, the US Struggled with unnecessary penalties in their final 2 games of the round robin, failing the make the semifinal round. William Whitelaw (Shattuck St Marys) and Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves) were the most dominant forwards, constantly creating throughout their 3 games. Andrew Strathmann (Tri City Storm) finished with 3 points, leading all US defenseman.
The majority of the US roster played the 2021-2022 season in the USHL, with other players from Prep and midget hockey drafted into the league for next season. Shattuck St Mary’s led all programs producing 3 players, including leading scorer William Whitelaw and Calvin Vachon, who started the first 2 games, posting 33 saves on 38 total shots (2.58 GAA, .868 Save %)
Roster Breakdown
USHL - 7
USHS Prep - 5
USHS MN - 4
U16 - 3
U18 / OHL - 2
BCHL - 1
Slovakia
Slovakia was a tough out vs Sweden but struggled vs Canada in Game 2, falling 9-1. Adam Cedzo was the hero in game 3 vs Switzerland with 2 goals, including the game winner in OT. Peter Cisar, who played 2021-2022 with Shattuck St Mary’s U16 team, finished the tournament with 1G 1A in 3 games.
Germany
After lopsided losses against the United States and Czechia, the Germans fought hard in a losing effort in Game 3, falling 4-1 to Finland. Linus Brandl (DNL U20) led the Germans with 2 goals and 2 assists.
Switzerland
The tournament got off to a rough start for the Swiss facing Canada right out of the gate, and went down 8-0 after 1 period, giving up multiple shorthanded goals. Game 2 went down a similar path, falling to Sweden 9-3 but game 3 was the Swiss’ best. In a valiant effort, full of blocked shots and desperate play, the Swiss fell to Slovakia 4-2 in overtime to end their tournament.
Ewan Huet, son of NHL goaltender Cristobal Huet, was impressive in Switzerland’s final game, and posted 62 saves on 74 shots.
Results
7.31.22
Czechia (4) vs Finland (3) SO
United States (8) vs Germany (1)
Canada (14) vs Switzerland (0)
8.1.22
Sweden (4) vs Slovakia (1)
Finland (4) vs United States (1)
Czechia (7) vs Germany (2)
8.2.22
Sweden (9) vs Switzerland (3)
Finland (4) vs Germany (1)
Canada (9) vs Slovakia (1)
8.3.22
Czechia (3) vs United States (1)
Slovakia (3) vs Switzerland (2) OT
Canada (3 ) vs Sweden (0)
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