The last line of defense for the USA at the recently completed 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup was goaltender Brady Knowling, who played four of the team’s five games, compliling a goals-against average of 2.35 and a save percentage of .866.
The pressure was most on him in the third period, overtime and shootout of the semifinal against Canada, and then throughout the final against Sweden, which he spoke about in the video below:
The final didn’t get off to the best start for Knowling when a wrist shot from Swedish sniper Elton Hermansson found the top corner just 10 seconds into the game, but he shook that off and stopped 26 of 28 shots the rest of the way.
“You just shake it off,” Knowling said after the early goal. “It’s just the start of the game and you don’t want to think about it too much – you just shake it off and move on to the next shot.”
USA Ends 20-Year Hlinka Drought
Both
teams had only won this tournament once in their history, but,
despite never sending what is considered their best U-18 team –
something the players get tired of hearing about – the USA won the
August tournament for the first time since 2003.
As a member of the United States National Team Development Program based out of Plymouth, Mich., Knowling will play for the U.S. national U-18 this upcoming season, which will culminate back in Slovakia at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship in April.
“Yeah, that’ll be fun and it’s a good stepping stone for that tournament – to win this one,” he said. “So I’m excited.”