Canada cruises to 2nd straight U18 world men's hockey title, blanking Sweden

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 04, 2025 8:55 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Brady Martin scored twice, netminder Jack Ivankovic stopped 28 shots, and Canada whipped Sweden 7-0 successful the under-18 satellite men's hockey title gold-medal crippled connected Saturday astatine Comerica Center successful Frisco, Texas.

Xavier Villeneuve, Jackson Smith, Ethan Czata, Braeden Cootes and Jack Nesbitt besides scored for Canada, which led 2-0 aft the archetypal play and 5-0 heading into the third. Ben Kindel chipped successful with a brace of assists. Fourteen players registered astatine slightest 1 constituent for the champions.

The triumph gave Canada consecutive golden medals astatine the under-18 title for the archetypal time. And Ivankovic, who played this play for the Brampton Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League, went 144 minutes 53 seconds without allowing a extremity successful Texas. He finished with back-to-back shutouts.

Sweden, which was coming disconnected an affectional 4-3 semifinal triumph implicit the United States connected Friday, didn't look to person overmuch near successful the vessel for the assertive Canadians, who blanked Slovakia 4-0 successful Friday's different semifinal.

"What a large feeling," said Canadian caput manager Cory Stillman. "[It's been a] agelong play for these guys and you ever privation to decorativeness the play with a title with your nine team.

If that doesn't cookware out, you get to correspond your state and that's beauteous special.

"We got amended arsenic the tourney went on. Tonight, was the champion crippled we played, and we came retired winners."

Jackson Smith, who played for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League this past season, was thrilled to triumph the golden medal.

"This was 1 of the closest teams I've ever been on," said Smith. "We came unneurotic quick, didn't person a ton of clip to get to cognize each different but that didn't matter. It showed retired determination with however we played tonight, we are genuinely a team. This is an unthinkable feeling.

"There is thing amended than winning golden for Canada, and to bash it doubly [2024 Hlinka-Gretzky] is other special. Hopefully, this is conscionable the commencement for maine and these guys."

Ivankovic and Martin were named to the tourney all-star team, an grant voted connected by the IIHF and tourney directorate. Ivankovic was besides named champion goaltender of the tournament.

Ben Kevan OT leader for Americans

Ben Kevan's extremity astatine 5:37 of overtime lifted the United States to a 4-3 triumph implicit Slovakia successful Saturday's bronze-medal game.

Jan Chovan of Slovakia scored with 6:47 near successful the 3rd play to unit the other session.

Blake Fiddler, Jacob Kvasnicka and Cole McKinney besides scored for the Americans, who led 1-0 aft the archetypal play but trailed 2-1 heading into the third.

Michal Svrcek scored doubly for the Slovakians, who were outshot 33-26.