The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup semi-finals took place on Aug. 9 with two big-time matchups. The first semi-final game featured an undefeated Czechia team taking on Sweden, who was coming off their one-goal loss to Canada in their last preliminary game. On the other side, the long history of Canada and the United States had another chapter written as they squared off. After two intense games, Canada and Czechia are squaring off for the second straight year in the championship game.
Benák Continues to Lead the Way for Czechia
After becoming the all-time leader in points in the tournament’s history, Adam Benák led the attack for Czechia against Sweden. Whether he had the puck on his stick or not, he continued to be the most noticeable player on the ice. Although not the biggest player on the ice (5-foot-7, 157 pounds), Benák has shown he has no problem going to the areas of the ice that will lead to him getting mixed into the physical play. He was one of the Czech’s best all-around players, playing a ton of minutes on five-on-five and the special teams.
Benák’s strong play, as well as the momentum he and the Czechia team built at the end of the first period (thanks in large part to him being all over the ice trying to get his team back to a tie game), carried into the second period. They were finally able to break through on Swedish goalie Love Harenstam thanks to one of the best shots of the tournament off of Benáks stick. In the end, he would finish with a goal and an assist in the win but he easily could have had more on the stat sheet with how he could dominate and control the game when he was on the ice.
Czechia Defense Shuts Down Stars of Sweden
With Sweden having one of the top lines in the tournament, it would be difficult for Czechia to keep them in check. After giving up the game’s first goal to the top line of Viktor Klingsell, Ivar Stenberg, and Milton Gastrin, the Czechia defense seemed to figure out how to defend them. Between playing a strong, physical game defensively and keeping the Swedes out of the high-danger spots on the ice, the Czechia defense was strong once again. When challenged, goaltender Ondrej Stebetak looked rock solid. He remains one of the tournament’s top goalies and has rarely been out of position. The strong play from the Czechia goalie should excite Portland Winterhawks (Western Hockey League) fans, as he will be heading there to play for the 2024-25 season. Overall, Czechia seemed to control the play from the second half of the first period through the end of the game with their all-around solid game as a team. Viggo Bjorck was one of the Swedes’ most consistent and impactful players, albeit not getting involved in the scoring.
Top Line Leads Canada’s Offense
In a matchup that never seems to disappoint, Canada and the United States again played a game with high stakes. Historically, the Canadians have had more success in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and they did once again, pulling out a 5-1 win over the Americans. After both teams’ quick, back-and-forth start, Canada took advantage of their first powerplay, led again by Cameron Schmidt, cashing in on a backdoor goal off a shot that missed the net and bounced off the boards behind the United States net. Schmidt, once again, was one of Canada’s most noticeable players. Much like Benák has been for Czechia, Schmidt has been all over the ice, making plays with and without the puck in all three zones of the ice.
The two-headed monster of Schmidt and 2026 Draft-eligible Gavin McKenna was also on display in the victory. Once again, acting as Canada’s top line with Cole Reschny, they seemed always to be buzzing in the offensive zone and feeding off one another play. There were several times when plays were made by each of them that only players of their caliber could make, leaving the fans astonished. With the top line again leading the way for the Canadians, the offense looked strong for the gold-medal game-bound team. It was able to crack through the tough United States defense thanks to taking advantage of the Americans’ miscues in the neutral zone, leading to scoring chances for Canada.
Ivankovic Out Duels Cameron
Jack Ivankovic keeps pace with Stebetak as the top goalie in the tournament. In his team’s victory over the United States, he looked rock solid between the pipes and was able to outduel his counterpart, Ryan Cameron. Throughout the game, both goalies made big-time saves to help their teams, but in the end, Ivankovic stood tall again. He was unfazed by the pressure, making it look easy when challenged.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft: Jack Ivankovic Making Case for Best Goaltender
Ivankovic did benefit from strong defense in front of him as well. The Canadian defense kept the United States offense in check with the one goal they allowed and kept the American offense towards the outside of the offensive zone for most of the game. But when he was challenged, he was up to the task, ending up with 28 saves on 29 shots in the victory, while Cameron finished with 30 saves on 34 shots.
Medal Round Matchups Set
With the United States and Sweden both losing, they will match up against each other in the bronze medal game on Aug. 10, and it should make for an exciting game as both teams will be looking for a bit of redemption for their semi-final losses. In the championship game, Czechia will look to get their own redemption as they look to avenge their loss to Canada in last year’s championship after Berkly Catton and Carter George led Canada. A win for the Canadian team would mark the first time a nation has won back-to-back tournaments since the 2017 and 2018 tournaments, when Canada did so after being led by players like Alexis Lafrenière (2018) and Joe Veleno (2017). A win for Czechia would mark the first time they claimed the “champion” title since they did so in 2016 when they were led by Filip Zadina.
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