The final day of round-robin action at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup brought no shortage of drama, with placement spots and semi-final berths still on the line. From decisive wins to nail-biting finishes, teams left it all on the ice in their last chance to shape the tournament bracket. Here’s a look at all the results from Day 3:
Semi Final Schedule:
Friday, August 15th
- Canada (A1) vs. United States (B2) (1:00 PM EST)
- Sweden (B1) vs. Finland (A2) (1:00 PM EST)
Canada vs. Czechia
Final: 5 (CAN) – 0 (CZE)
Canada closed out the round robin in style, blanking Czechia 5-0 to lock up first place in Group A ahead of Friday’s semi-finals.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead through two periods, Canada once again saved its best for last, erupting for four unanswered goals in the third. The dynamic Sarnia Sting duo of Beckham Edwards and Alessandro Di Iorio both hit the scoresheet, while Adam Valentini (Kitchener Rangers) and Jean-Christoph Lemieux (Windsor Spitfires) chipped in with assists. Between the pipes, Gavin Betts turned aside all 23 shots for his first shutout of the tournament, earning Player of the Game honours.
With the semi-final matchups locked in, the two host nations, Czechia (A3) and Slovakia (B3), will face off Friday morning for fifth place in their final game of the tournament.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Canada
- Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting) – 1G, 2A
- Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting) – 1G, 0A
- Adam Valentini (Kitchener Rangers) – 0G, 1A
- Jean-Christoph Lemieux (Windsor Spitfires) – 0G, 1A
- Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs) – 23 SV
United States vs. Germany
Final: 8 (USA) – 1 (GER)
In a commanding performance to keep their semi-final hopes alive, the Americans rolled past Germany with a 9-1 win, outshooting them 48-19. A three-goal burst in just 2:39 set the tone early, and the United States never looked back.
Blake Zielinski (Ottawa 67’s), Caden Harvey (Windsor Spitfires), Jack Hextall (Kitchener Rangers), and Joseph Salandra (Barrie Colts) all recorded multi-point outings. Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit) found the back of the net, while Jaxon Williams (Ottawa 67’s), Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals), and Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit) contributed with assists.
Jack Peterka scored with 7:45 left in the third, netting Germany’s first goal of the tournament and spoiling what would have been a shared shutout among all three American goaltenders. Hextall earned U.S. Player of the Game honours.
Germany (B4) will meet Switzerland (A4) on Friday morning in their final game of the tournament, battling for seventh place.
OHL Player Game Stats:
United States
- Blake Zielinski (Ottawa 67’s) – 1G, 2A
- Caden Harvey (Windsor Spitfires) – 2G, 0A
- Jack Hextall (Kitchener Rangers) – 1G, 1A
- Joseph Salandra (Barrie Colts) – 0G, 2A
- Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit) – 1G, 0A
- Jaxon Williams (Ottawa 67’s) – 0G, 1A
- Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals) – 0G, 1A
- Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit) – 0G, 1A
Switzerland vs. Finland
Final: 4 (SUI) – 3 (FIN) (Overtime)
With both teams desperate for points to stay in the hunt, Switzerland edged Finland 4-3 in overtime to claim its first win of the tournament. Yanis Lutz (Peterborough Petes) opened the scoring just 28 seconds in, but Finland answered quickly on the power play to even things up.
Oscar Hemming (Kitchener Rangers) notched his third goal of the tournament in the final frame, but a flurry of late goals saw the game head to overtime tied at three. The Swiss needed just two minutes in the extra frame to seal the victory.
However, the win came with a caveat – Switzerland needed a regulation victory to remain in the semi-final race. They’ll close out their tournament on Friday against Germany.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Switzerland
- Yanis Lutz – 1G, 1A
Finland
- Oscar Hemming (Kitchener Rangers) – 1G, 0A
Sweden vs. Slovakia
Final: 7 (SWE) – 0 (SVK)
With another commanding win, Sweden capped off round-robin play with a perfect 3-0 record to finish atop Group B. Marcus Nordmark (London Knights) continued his strong tournament with a power-play goal and an assist, while goaltender Nilsson Douglas turned aside every shot he faced to record his first shutout of the tournament.
With the semi-final matchups locked in, the two host nations, Slovakia and Czechia, will face off Friday morning for fifth place in their final game of the tournament.
OHL Player Game Stats:
Sweden
- Marcus Nordmark (London Knights) – 1G, 1A
For the full tournament schedule, including stats and standings, click here.
