BRNO, Czechia – Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has won the bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, shutting out Finland 3-0 in the bronze medal game Saturday at Winning Group Arena.
Cooper Williams (Calgary, AB/Saskatoon, WHL) opened the scoring with his first goal of the tournament 5:27 into the game, with Colin Fitzgerald (Peterborough, ON/Peterborough, OHL) and Daxon Rudolph (Lacombe, AB/Prince Albert, WHL) picking up assists. The goal would stand as the game-winner, helping Canada secure its second bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Ethan Belchetz (Oakville, ON/Windsor, OHL) gave Canada a 2-0 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the middle frame, burying his team-leading fourth goal, and Rudolph rounded out the scoring with 2:14 left into an empty net. Landon DuPont (Calgary, AB/Everett, WHL) and captain Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, AB/Victoria, WHL) assisted on Belchetz’s goal, and Mathis Preston (Penticton, BC/Spokane, WHL) picked up a helper on Rudolph’s tally.
“It was tough to lose in the semifinals because we came here to try to win gold, but sometimes things do not work out the way you want them to. We were a little down after yesterday’s game, but we wanted to leave here with a medal and bring something home to our families,” Belchetz said. “We have so many great players on this team, and it was such an honour to be a part of this group and I could not be more grateful for the opportunities I had at this tournament.”
“The message from the coaching staff was to forget about yesterday’s loss and play our best today, and our group did that. Every guy in our room was ready to go from the moment the puck dropped and we were all competing hard, so I am very proud of our effort,” Verhoeff said. “I am super proud to be able to wear the [captain’s] ‘C’ and represent my country with this team, and today we ended the tournament on the right note.”
Gavin Betts (Toronto, ON/Kingston, OHL) was stellar in the Canadian goal, making 22 saves to register his second shutout of the tournament and earn Player of the Game honours. A full game summary can be found here.
“This is such a great group of players. I worked with a lot of them at the under-17 level, and it was an honour to have the opportunity to work with them all again,” said head coach Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC). “We had great leaders and great players overall, and although [bronze] is not the colour medal that we wanted to win, I am very proud of how we finished the tournament with a win considering the tough circumstances.”
Canada finished the preliminary round in first place in Group A after wins over Finland (5-3), Switzerland (9-1) and Czechia (5-0) before falling to the United States 4-3 in a shootout in the semifinals.
The medal marks the 30th that Canada has won at the annual summer under-18 tournament, capturing 25 gold medals, three silver and two bronze.
Hlinka Gretzky Cup to return to Edmonton in 2026
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup will return to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, in August 2026, as announced by TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, during the bronze medal game today.
The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup marks the fifth time the international under-18 showcase will be played in Canada, with Alberta previously hosting three times (Edmonton – 2024; Red Deer – 2022; Edmonton and Red Deer – 2018). Canada won gold at all three of those tournaments, defeating Czechia 2-1 in the final in 2024.
“We are thrilled to bring the Hlinka Gretzky Cup back to Edmonton next year, and to kick off the 2026-27 hockey season with the top under-18 players from eight countries competing for a gold medal,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “This is a prestigious tournament with a deep history that is an important part of the international hockey calendar, and we look forward to hosting a world-class event for teams, players and fans next August.”
Tickets for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup are set to go on sale this fall. For exclusive access to tickets, and to receive updates about the event, sign up to become a Hockey Canada Insider at HockeyCanada.ca/Insider.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
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