Brno, Cze.- The Western Hockey League contingent came in clutch as Canada edged Czechia in a 5-0 win to close out round-robin action at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
2025 WHL Champion and 2026 NHL Draft-eligible Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers / Osoyoos, B.C.) led the way with a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in a match that felt much closer than the final score would indicate.
Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jan Trefny was named Czechia’s Player of the Game in the loss.
The dynamic Okanagan offensive trio of the Ruck twins, Liam and Markus, and Mathis Preston (Spokane Chiefs / Penticton, B.C.) carried their success from Tuesday’s rout of Switzerland into today’s contest, opening the scoring just past the halfway mark of the first period.
After Preston had the puck paddled away from him by the Czech defenders, Markus seized the puck in the high slot and dished a backhand pass to Liam for a patient wrist shot that would stand as the difference-maker.
The Medicine Hat Tigers standout also led all WHL rookies in goals in 2024-25 with 25 tallies.
But goals were hard to come by in the early goings of this matchup, and Canada’s defenders came through with several critical penalty kills, including a five-minute major in the second period.
The Canadian penalty kill remains perfect at 16-for-16 in the tournament.
The Ruck trio was denied another goal late in the period as Markus and Preston barreled down on the ice on a two-on-one, with highly-touted netminder Frantisek Poletin kicking out the two to deny Preston.
Czechia needed a regulation win to stave off elimination and hung in tight until late in the third period, when Canada pulled away with a flurry of goals.
Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting / OHL) gave the Canucks some much-needed breathing room before 2023 WHL first-overall pick Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / Lacombe, Alta.) entered the chat with a powerful precision shot with five minutes remaining.
Ruck iced the match with his second of the night, a five-hole show from a low angle, off a neat pass from exceptional status defenceman Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / Calgary, Alta.), while Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL) closed out the scoring for a 5-0 final.
Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL) made 23 stops to secure the shutout and Player of the Game honours for Canada.
Canada (3-0) has finished atop Pool A to advance directly to the semifinals.
They’ll take on the United States on Friday, August 15, at 11:00 a.m. MST.
Notes
Kelowna Rockets forward Kalder Varga lit the lamp and Medicine Hat Tigers forward Noah Davidson snagged a pair of assists as the United States downed Germany 8-1 to conclude their round-robin schedule… Brandon Wheat Kings rearguard Samu Alalauri had a pair of assists for Finland, though the Finns fell to Switzerland in a 4-3 overtime showdown.
