The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup wrapped up on Aug. 10, with the medal spherical video games going down. America took on Sweden within the bronze medal recreation, with Sweden shutting down the American’s offense and profitable 6-3. Within the gold medal recreation, Canada and Czechia confronted off for the second yr in a row, with Czechia trying to avenge their additional time loss to the Canadians final yr. However, Czechia bumped into the most well liked goaltender within the match, Jack Ivankovic, and couldn’t crack him as Canada pulled off a 2-1 victory to take residence gold.

Nilson Comes Up Large For Sweden

Heading into their closing recreation of the match, Eric Nilson had but to search out himself on the scoresheet. Even with not doing so, he had nonetheless been a powerful pressure on the ice and couldn’t money in.

That every one modified of their bronze medal-clinching win. Not solely did Nilson assist get the scoring began with a pleasant move to Melvin Novotny to tie the sport up early on within the first, however he additionally led the best way within the scoring division, tallying a hat trick within the win. All through the sport, Nilson was one of the crucial noticeable gamers for Sweden and earned himself participant of the sport honors for his group.

United States Miscues Price Them

After a powerful begin from the Individuals, they discovered themselves on the incorrect facet of the momentum shift within the final 10-Quarter-hour of the primary interval. Sweden took over the interval after a powerplay alternative and ran with the momentum, carrying it for many of the recreation. The Individuals usually price themselves with miscues and turnovers that the Swedes exploited. This appeared to hold over from their loss to Canada within the semi-finals, the place they struggled once more with puck clears and turnovers within the impartial zone.

Hustle and puck battles additionally ended up being a giant a part of Sweden profitable the sport. They outworked and hustled the Individuals to pucks and alongside the boards and corners to earn possession of the puck a number of instances, serving to make them scoring probabilities and, finally, objectives. The place the Individuals struggled, although, was with their powerplay as soon as once more. By the tip of the sport, the powerplay would end 3/23 within the match. Whereas they’d 5 alternatives, america couldn’t money in on any of them (exterior of a last-minute purpose) though they confirmed sturdy play on the person benefit. The struggles for the powerplay ended up proving to be detrimental to america all the match.

The largest constructive for america was the play of Matthew Lansing and captain Blake Fiddler. Lansing, a Quinnipiac commit, led the best way for the American offense and was everywhere in the ice making an attempt to get his group again into the sport. This included a powerful one-man effort on the sport’s second purpose for his group. Fiddler, the son of former NHLer Vernon Fiddler, continued to guide by instance because the group’s captain and didn’t let his group go down and not using a combat. He had one of many higher general tournaments for america.

Ivankovic Slams the Door On Czechia

The highest goaltender in all the match, Ivankovic stored a Czechia offense with loads of firepower at bay in Canada’s 2-1 gold medal-clinching victory. Whereas he was not challenged as a lot as Czechia goalie Ondrej Stebetak, Ivankovic was as much as the problem when known as upon. His sturdy play between the pipes helped to offer the protection in entrance of him even additional confidence and power.

Associated: 2025 NHL Draft: Jack Ivankovic Making Case for Finest Goaltender

The Brampton Steelhead Ivankovic’s play will certainly make his Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) groups followers excited to see what the 2024-25 season has in retailer for them.

Canadian Penalty Kill Retains Benák in Examine

Coming into the gold medal recreation, Adam Benák was one of many hottest gamers within the match and had confirmed deadly on the person benefit. With the Canadians being shorthanded six instances, they needed to discover a technique to hold him off the board. Whereas he bought loads of time on the ice, general, the Canadian protection stored him in examine and off the scoresheet within the recreation. They had been bailed out by a few pictures hitting the publish and benefited from a couple of missed probabilities from Benák and the Czech powerplay, however as an entire, they performed sturdy defensively. Preserving the match’s all-time main level scorer off the board was one of the crucial necessary issues Canada may do of their victory.

Canada Continues Domination of Event

With the victory towards Czechia, the Canadians have now received three straight tournaments relationship again to the 2022 match. They’ve seen gamers like Brayden Yager (2022), Jackson Unger (2022), Cayden Lindström (2023), and Zayne Parekh (2023) assist make them this three-peat, in addition to present gamers like 2026 Draft-eligible Gavin McKenna, Cole Reschny, and Ivankovic. The win additionally marked the twenty fifth time the Canadians have received the match, 21 extra instances than anybody else.

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