Royals' Reschny Dazzles in 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Debut
WHL's Victoria Royals star collected five points in Monday's matchup against Switzerland.
Andy Devlin, Hockey Canada Images - Royals' Reschny Dazzles in 2024 Hlinka Gretzky DebutTeam Canada got off to a roaring start to the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday, dismantling Switzerland by a score of 10-0 to wrap up the day one schedule.
Leading the charge was Cole Reschny, who tallied two goals and three assists in the victory. Not far behind was 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna, as he put up three points of his own.
McKenna's lone goal came as the second of the game for Canada, a powerplay marker that quickly found its way to the TSN highlight reel. The Medicine Hat Tigers forward also assisted on the opening, along with Seattle Thunderbirds' Braeden Cootes setting up Quinn Beauschene to get Canada on the board.
Things quickly unraveled after that, as Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans) assisted an Emile Guite tally to put Canada up 3-0. Less than three minutes into the second, Peyton Kettles (Swift Current Broncos) got his first of the tournament from a shot off the left faceoff circle. Reschny then proceeded to involve himself in Canada's fifth and seventh goals, sending Canada to the intermission with a 7-0 lead.
In the final frame, Royals fans got an even bigger taste of what to expect from the forward entering his second full WHL season: Making a stellar pass to Guite who converted a solo attempt, as well as potting two goals of his own, the first of which being a snipe from a McKenna pass. The latter tally concluded the game for Canada, who skated away with the 10-goal decision.
“From the moment we woke up this morning, you could tell there was different vibe around this group. We were prepared and very business-like and that showed on the ice." said Head Coach Kris Mallette in a post-game interview. "The players showed a ton of leadership the last couple days and tonight, we’ve leaned on them and it’s a positive for us.”
Additionally, while not getting on the scoresheet, players like Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver Giants) and Ben Kindel (Calgary Hitmen) were all over the ice, creating chances and generally causing havoc for the Swiss defenders.
Team Canada will close out the day two schedule against Slovakia at Rogers Place, while Switzerland will take on Sweden in the Downtown Community Arena.
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