Team Canada’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup team is coming home with gold, thanks in part to an all-important goal from Chetwynd prospect Cayden Lindstrom.
Canada played Czechia in the annual Under-18 tournament this morning, starting at 9:00 am Pacific time.
Despite beating Czechia 5-0 earlier in the tournament, it would take Canada all but seven seconds of an entire overtime period to claim the title, eventually winning the game 3-2.
The Canadians found themselves down early, allowing the game’s first goal 8:09 into the first period, which would be the only goal of the first.
Under a minute into the second period, Lindstrom, a 6’4 forward, showed off his offensive touch, taking a pass from Porter Martone hard to the net and roofing it to tie the game at one.
It was his second goal and third point of the tournament.
Former @DeltaWildHockey student-athlete, Cayden Lindstrom, puts Canada on the scoresheet at the #HlinkaGretzkyCup final. pic.twitter.com/L7pIWbv2o0
— CSSHL (@CSSHL) August 5, 2023
The 17-year-old played 61 games with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers last season, scoring 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points.
He is eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.
Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs prospect and Canada’s star of the five game tournament, then scored his eighth to put Canada up by one after two.
Czechia scored with under five minutes to go in the third period, to send the game to an intense 3-on-3 sudden death overtime for 19 minutes, 53 seconds, until Canada’s Malcolm Spence found the game winner.