When USA defeated Sweden 5-3 in the gold-medal game of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on the weekend, it marked the second time less than three months that the Americans have won a tournament that they traditionally almost never win. Not long after taking the World Championship on the men's side to go along with the women's worlds win, USA came in with essentially a 'B' team and won the Hlinka Gretzky [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hlinka-gretzky-cup-three-stars-hextall-hermansson-and-betts-shine-as-usa-wins-gold-canada-takes-bronze], which is the pre-season showcase tournament for under-18 players who will be available in the next year's NHL draft. Ken Campbell's video column discusses Team USA's win at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and their recent international hockey success. In the 30-plus years the tournament has been staged, Team USA have won it only once [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/usa-ends-20-year-hlinka-drought], back in 2003. Canada, which won the bronze medal, have traditionally owned this tournament, winning the gold medal in 16 of the past 20 events. Call it a fluke if you want, but if you're a Canadian hockey fan, you should be a little nervous. The Americans are beating Canada at their own game at almost every level. Almost. The U.S. have not won an Olympic Games with NHL players, and Canada bettered their rival in the recent 4 Nations Face-Off. But the Americans have top two odds of winning the gold medal [https://betmgmsporton.onelink.me/otUl/4rkbpwij] at the 2026 Games, according to sportsbook BetMGM [https://sports.betmgm.ca/en/blog/league/nhl/?utm_source=thehockeynews&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nhl_blog_page]. And if the Americans win, people are going to have to admit they've become the dominant world hockey power. Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
