USA ends 22-year wait with gold at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

The 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup had everything you’d expect from one of junior hockey’s most exciting showcases: blowout wins, nail-biting shootouts, and a gold-medal final that will be remembered for years. Held in Brno, Czechia, and Trenčín, Slovakia, this year’s edition featured the usual eight powerhouses — Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, and Switzerland — all packed with NHL draft hopefuls eager to impress scouts.

Canada and Sweden Set the Early Tone

From the opening puck drop, two teams looked unstoppable. Canada cruised through its group in Brno, hammering Switzerland 9–1 and shutting out the host Czechia 5–0. Mathis Preston stood out early with a hat trick against the Swiss, while goalie Gavin Betts looked rock solid between the pipes.

Meanwhile in Trenčín, Sweden looked just as dominant. They routed Germany 10–0, blanked Slovakia 7–0, and even handed the Americans their only preliminary-round loss, a 5–3 decision where Swedish forwards Marcus Nordmark and Elton Hermansson stole the spotlight.

The stage was set: Canada and Sweden looked destined for gold. But hockey rarely follows the script.

USA Finds Its Spark

Team USA’s group stage was a mix of highs and lows. They opened with a strong win over Slovakia, stumbled against Sweden, and then rediscovered their rhythm against Germany. The turning point came in the semifinals.

Facing powerhouse Canada, the Americans refused to blink. The game went the distance, through regulation and overtime, and then to a shootout. There, Blake Zielinski delivered under pressure, scoring the decisive goal that knocked Canada out of gold-medal contention. For the Americans, it wasn’t just a victory — it was a statement that they were no longer content to settle for bronze or silver.

Sweden vs Finland: Another Thriller

The other semifinal was just as tense. Finland pushed Sweden to the limit, forcing overtime, but the Swedes found a way through, booking their spot in the final. For Sweden, it meant another chance to end a long gold-medal drought of their own — they hadn’t won the Hlinka since 2007.

Bronze for Canada, History for the USA

Canada bounced back quickly, shutting down Finland 3–0 to secure yet another medal in their storied Hlinka history. It wasn’t gold, but Canada has now reached the podium in nearly every edition of the tournament — a testament to their unrivaled depth of junior talent.

Then came the main event. In front of a packed crowd in Trenčín, USA and Sweden traded blows in a fast-paced, physical gold-medal game. Sweden’s attack, led once again by Nordmark, looked sharp, but the Americans matched them stride for stride. With the game hanging in the balance, forward Nick Bogas scored late in the third period, sealing a 5–3 victory for Team USA.

For the first time since 2003, the Americans stood atop the Hlinka Gretzky Cup podium.

Stars of the Tournament

• Marcus Nordmark (Sweden) was the tournament’s top scorer, piling up nine points in just three games.

• Blake Zielinski (USA) became the clutch hero, from shootout dramatics against Canada to key plays in the final.

• Milo Tjärnlund (Sweden) turned heads in goal, posting two shutouts and not allowing a single goal in his first 120 minutes of action.

• Canada’s Mathis Preston and Finland’s Oscar Hemming also boosted their draft stock with strong all-around performances.

Every edition of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup acts as a preview of the NHL’s future, but this year carried extra weight. For the United States, winning gold for the first time in more than two decades signaled the continued rise of American hockey. For Sweden, another silver confirmed their consistency, even if gold still remains elusive. And for Canada, the bronze showed that while they may not win every year, they’re never far from the top.

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