“It was a big game for us and the country,” 16-year-old U.S. forward Noah Davidson said after his team’s 4-3 shootout victory over Canada in the semifinals of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. “The U.S. historically hasn’t done very good against Canada here but we knew coming in they were going to be a good team but we’re a good team as well.”
In the first period, Davidson scored a power-play goal to give the U.S. the lead. Then the team’s penalty-killers shone, killing off a Canadian 5-on-3 for 56 seconds, thanks to some timely blocks.
Originally from Southern California, Davidson spent the last two seasons in Minnesota in the famous Shattuck St. Mary’s program, where teammates included Luke Puchner and defenseman Levi Harper, who are also on this U.S. team. This upcoming season, he’s joining the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. In Friday’s semifinal, where his future teammates could include USA teammates Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll and the Canadian twins Liam and Markus Ruck.
“I made eye contact with them a couple times but never really said anything to them,” Davidson said about the Ruck brothers.
“It’s kinda hard to comprehend,” he said about the team’s situation following the semifinal win. “It doesn’t happen often but we just have to stay level-headed. We didn’t come here to beat Canada, we came here for gold.”
The Swedes are the only team to beat the Americans so far this tournament, and they feel they let that one get away, leading 3-1 before ultimately losing 5-3. The USA outshot Sweden 44-33 that game but Sweden went 3-for-8 on the power play with Malte Gustafsson, Elton Hermansson and Marcus Nordmark recording three points each.
“We had a two-goal lead against them but we took some very undisciplined penalties and it bit us,” said Davidson. “We know they’re a good team but we’re a very good team as well, so we kinda just have to go out there and get revenge on them.”