Canada wins gold, Swiss finish 8th at Hlinka

Hockey Canada

Team Canada won gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Saturday night in Edmonton.

But first, let's discuss Florian Schenk and the Swiss.

Switzerland lost the seventh-place game on Friday, falling 5-2 to Finland. The loss means the Swiss went winless in the tournament, posting a 0-3-1 record to finish last in the eight-team event.

Schenk, who was selected seventh overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in this year's CHL Import Draft, had a goal and an assist in four games with Switzerland, placing him in a tie for second in team scoring. The Swiss scored just five goals in the tournament.

Canada, meanwhile, didn't have much trouble scoring, going 5-0 and outscoring opponents by a combined 24-4.

In Saturday's gold medal game, Quispamsis native Liam Kilfoil of the Halifax Mooseheads and Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats both scored in the 2-1 win over Czechia.

The team also featured QMJHL players Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau), Alex Huang (Chicoutimi) and Emile Guite (Chicoutimi). Guite finished in a tie for the team's scoring lead with three goals and four assists in five games.

It's the third straight year Canada won gold in the under-18 event.