The two semifinal games of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup ran concurrently and both featured big momentum shifts.
In Brno, the USA led 3-1 after two periods but Canada came back to tie it. After a scoreless overtime period, the Americans won in a shootout. In Trenčín, the Swedes led 2-1 but Finland stormed back to lead 5-2 with 12 minutes remaining. Undaunted, the Swedes came back to tie it and won in overtime.
As a result, Saturday’s medal games will see a pair of group-stage rematches. The USA and Sweden will meet in the final in Trenčín, while Canada and Finland will battle for bronze in Brno. Both games will begin at 17:00 local time, 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
Canada 3 – USA 4 (Shootout: 0-1, 1-2, 2-0, 0-0, 0-1)
Blake Zielinski assisted on Noah Davidson’s power-play goal to give the USA a 1-0 lead in the first period, scored a power-play goal of his own in the last minute of the second to go up 3-1, and then scored again in the shootout on what he called “a T.J. Oshie move” as the USA beat Canada 4-3.
“Obviously, it’s a special feeling any time you can knock off Canada but we’ve got one more, so we’ve just gotta be ready to take it to whoever we play tomorrow and get the job done.”
Just before Zielinski, Nikita Klepov scored on the slowest shootout attempt you’ll ever see.
“Yeah, it’s easier when I go slow,” Klepov smiled. “I can see where the goalie’s pad is so it’s easier for me. I’ve had like four shootouts this season and I was always trying that move, so yeah, it works.”
The USA scored on all three shootout attempts on Canadian goalie Gavin Betts, while Brady Knowling stopped three of four Canadian attempts. In the 70-minute hockey game, Canada outshot the USA 37-32, including 20-3 in the third period.
Luke Puchner also scored to give the USA a 2-1 second-period lead. Canada’s goals were scored by Tynan Lawrence, Ethan Becheltz and Mathis Preston, who netted the equalizer with 5:05 to play and was also the only Canadian to score in the shootout.
This will be the USA’s first appearance in the final since 2016 and the Americans have only once previously won the tournament, back in 2005.
As for the Canadians, who won 25 of the first 33 editions of this tournament, this is the first time they failed to make the final since 2016 and their first semifinal loss since 2007.
“If you want to look at one part of our game, it was the third,” said Canadian captain Keaton Verhoeff. “But you can’t go out in the first two and play the way we did and expect to win. We put ourselves in a hole at the start and we weren’t able to finish the job.”
Sweden 6 – Finland 5 (Overtime: 1-0, 1-1, 3-4, 1-0)
With 12 minutes to play, Finland led 5-2 but the Swedes stormed back to win. Marcus Nordmark scored his second of the game with 2:27 to play and then completed his hat trick on a brilliant effort 2:27 into overtime.
The three points keep Nordmark in the tournament scoring lead with 12 points.
Axel Elofsson had four points for Sweden, while Elton Hermansson and Oscar Holmertz had two each. Oscar Hemming and Olli Wahlroos had two each for Finland.
In a wildly offensive contest, Finland outshot Sweden 44-35.
Game for 5th & 6th places: Czechia 5 – Slovakia 2 (2-0, 1-1, 2-1)
Game for 7th & 8th places: Switzerland 5 – Germany 2 (2-0, 1-2, 2-0)
5. Czechia
6. Slovakia
7. Switzerland
8. Germany
Venues, Schedule For 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
The Czech Ice Hockey Association and Hockey Slovakia jointly
announced this week the <a href="https://hlinkagretzkycup.cz/eng/zapasy.asp">schedule for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup</a> –
an annual summer tournament for players entering their final U18
season.