The Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been quite entertaining so far, and it’s about to amp up.
Friday’s semifinals feature two matchups between bitter rivals as Canada will take on Team USA at 1:00 p.m. ET in Brno, Czechia, while Sweden faces off against their Finnish foes at 1:00 p.m. ET in Trencin, Slovakia.
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Canada is undefeated, taking a small lead before going off in the third period of each game to really pull away and take home the win. The Americans have been very good with some standout performances, and they may have fallen after a late rally against Sweden, but they look strong enough to win any game.
Sweden has been perfect in their group as well, leading the tournament in goals-for and goals against, which should make them a tough out heading into the semifinals. Finland made it into the semifinals on the back of a single win and an overtime loss.
Let’s look at each team more in depth, their top players, and how they got to the semifinals and a chance at winning a medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Canada
The Canadians came into this tournament as the favorite after winning the three most recent Hlinka Gretzky Cups and having a strong roster once again.
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There are some truly high-end players on this roster, with Landon DuPont and Keaton Verhoeff leading the blueline, and Mathis Preston and Ethan Belchetz are putting up points up front. The strength of Canada is always its depth, though.
Tynan Lawrence has arguably been the team’s best forward despite having just two assists. His value in all situations has been notable, and his ability to create chances offensively leads you to believe he could pop off in the final two games of the tournament.
On the back end, the unsung hero has been Ryan Lin, who sits tied for second in team scoring while playing such a well-rounded two-way game.
If Canada can maintain steady defensive hockey and continue to improve as the game progresses, they will be a tough out. Playing against the Americans will be a thrilling matchup as the U.S. squad pushes the pace and sets the tone with its effort all over the ice.
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Canada will have the true talent advantage, but the game should be the tightest Canada has played this far.
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USA
As is the case every year, this is essentially the American U-18 B-squad as the USA Hockey National Team Development Program doesn’t attend this tournament. The Hlinka team is made up of the top American talent from the rest of the United States League and the CHL.
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This team has been quite good at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup with quite a few standout players.
Jack Hextall has been a stud for Team USA. His anticipatory play is impressive, and he blends it with some nice skill and passing ability.
Blake Zielinski leads the team in scoring with three goals and six points, showcasing his strong shooting ability and slick playmaking.
One of the most noticeable Americans is Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, who is always playing at his top speed and consistently putting pressure on opponents with and without the puck.
This American group is stronger than some of its past Hlinka Gretzky Cup entries, but it still lacks the top-end skill to match up with Canada and Sweden in particular.
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The Americans will have to rely on their hard-working mentality and the timely scoring they’ve had so far. They were the only team to score on Sweden, and they held a lead for quite some time in that game before losing 5-3. They have shown that they can compete with anyone; they just need to keep their foot on the gas if they get the lead.
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Sweden
Arguably the best team at the Hlinka so far, the Swedes have been impressive in many ways.
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They have had some standout performances at every position. Shutting out Germany and Slovakia was in part due to their dominance from their forwards and defenders, and partly due to some very solid work by Milo Tjarnlund in net. Even in the game against the Americans, Douglass Nilsson had 41 saves on 44 shots, and his performance in the latter half of the game was impressive.
The Swedes also have the tournament’s two leading scorers, Marcus Nordmark and Elton Hermansson, with nine and seven points, respectively. Oscar Holmertz has also been fantastic playing on the top line, bringing plenty of speed and skill to the game.
They even have the two leading scorers among defensemen. Axel Olofsson leads the way with six points, while defensive stud Malte Gustafsson has contributed five while playing some of the best defensive hockey in the tournament.
It’s never an easy game when the Swedes and Finns play head-to-head, but this is the bigger talent gap of the two semifinals.
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Sweden has been consistently in control of their games throughout this tournament. Even when the Americans gave them a scare, Sweden counterattacked until they broke through. Sweden should be the favorite to get the final, but they have to take down their archrival on the way.
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Finland
A win over Czechia and an overtime loss against the Swiss were enough to get the Finns into the semifinal. It wasn’t pretty, and there were certainly moments where they looked less than stellar, but all of that can be left in the round-robin. The Finns look ahead to their rival waiting in the semifinal.
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Oliver Suvanto has done an excellent job throughout this tournament as the team’s top-line center. He plays a smart, detailed game, which has worked perfectly with how the Finns want to play.
Oscar Hemming is their leading scorer, with three goals and four points, taking advantage of his wicked shot. They have played the typical Finnish defense and relied on playing a heavier version of hockey that works well in the summer.
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recording a goal and an assist in the team’s 5-3 loss.
Finland must find something deep inside of them to push the Swedes around and mitigate the difference in skill level between the two teams. If Finland can get the first goal, they can use their physicality and team defense to shut things down and slow the game from a pace perspective. The Finns are in tough, but they aren’t a sure out.
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