Edmonton, Alta.- 2027 NHL Draft-eligible Brock England (Seattle Thunderbirds / Red Deer, Alta.) and 16-year-old Regina Pats Star Liam Pue (Langley, B.C.) scored twice as Canada routed Switzerland 7-3 to open the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Portland Winterhawks forward Alessandro Domenichelli (Lugano, Sui.) logged a pair of assists in the loss, while the WHL contingent accounted for 10 points.
England, a 5-foot-11 forward who logged 21 goals in his rookie season with the T-Birds in 2025-26, was named Canada’s Player of the Game.
The goals poured in fast and furious as the teams combined for six goals in the first nine minutes of the match.
Canada got off to a dream start as 2027 NHL Draft-eligible defenceman Boston Tait (Wenatchee Wild / Estevan, Sask.) broke the puck out of the Canadian zone for an extended offensive zone shift.
As the squad piled pucks on the Swiss net, England banked a puck off Switzerland’s netminder from behind the net to open the scoring 1:18 into the opening frame.
Switzerland stormed back with two goals coming 40 seconds apart to take an early lead, with Domenichelli providing the primary assist on his team’s opening goal.
Upcoming Regina Pats stars Maddox Schultz (Regina, Sask.) and Liam Pue flexed their chemistry by combining for two goals and two assists, despite being the youngest players on the Canadian roster.
The duo tied the game as Schultz peeled up the wall and dished a backhand centering pass for Pue for a point-blank shot from the slot, with Tait earning a secondary assist.
While the pair wouldn’t pick up any assists on Canada’s next goal, they helped maintain the pressure before linemate Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion / OHL) restored the home side’s lead.
Niagara Wolves star Ryerson Egdar (Niagara Wolves / OHL) lit the lamp 20 seconds later to make it 4-2 for Canada and chase Ayden Huet from the Swiss crease.
After Canada Captain and 2025 WHL Champion Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / Calgary, Alta.) hustled down the ice to force an icing and faceoff in Switzerland’s end, Pue attacked with a sharp wrister off a Schultz faceoff win for his second goal of the evening.
In the middle frame, Edmonton Oil Kings forward Kayden Stroeder (Saskatoon, Sask.) took advantage of the familiar ice by wiring a pass to Benjamin Veitch (Newfound Growlers / QMJHL) for a redirection at the edge of Switzerland’s net to make it 6-2.
England kept the train rolling with a tremendous shorthanded effort in the final period, gaining the puck off a faceoff in his own end, streaking up the ice, chipping the puck to himself off the wall, mustering a shot on net and burying his own rebound to close out the scoring.
Canada (1-0-0-0) is back in action against Slovakia (0-0-0-0) on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. MT.
NOTES
Spokane Chiefs forward Gavin Burcar scored a hat trick for the United States as the defending gold medalists opened with a 6-4 win over Czechia… Incoming Brandon Wheat King Colin Grubb also scored, with Penticton Vees defender Brooks DeMars picking up an assist… Kamloops Blazers goaltender Kaedon Tate made 24 stops for an .857 save percentage in the win… Newly-signed Edmonton Oil Kings forward Lukas Kachlir scored twice for Czechia in the loss.
