U18: Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2024

[frontsfan67]

Schaefer is so poised. McKenna is so good that he's impactful even in his "bad" shifts

Only 3 points I believe but could’ve had easily double from setting guys up

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Gavin McJesus
Matt Schaefer is a beast
Cameron Schmidt can fly
Jack Ivankovic will likely move up draft boards this year.

 

[ORRFForever]

Good start, nice to close it out with a clean sheet.

I don't think this tournament will be close.

 

[jj cale]

I don't think this tournament will be close.

They will get tested at some point I think.

 

[ORRFForever]

They will get tested at some point I think.

I hope so. While it was nice to see the kids, it's fun when Canada is challenged.

 

[Hinterland]

If you have three goalies.. I have my third goalie on hand to take garbage time. Have your 1B guy undressed and ready to go the next day. I do not like seeing a kid get 9 hung on him in front of the Hockey Community. No need of it.

I think the 3rd goalie (most certainly Steinmann) was not dressed today.

If I guessed it correctly and Birchler is only the nr.2 (or 1B) then that Canada game was probably the only game he was gonna get anyway and if I'm right about Trachsel being the nr.1 or 1A (he started the lone exhibition Switzerland played with the tournament lineup) then he's the one expected to start the other two games.
If I saw correctly, it was Trachsel backing up today. You're not gonna bring your nr.1 into an already lost game cold. Not without a real need to do so. If that's the only game Birchler was gonna play then it wouldn't have made sense to take him out of the net either.

But yeah. Tough game. Not easy for Birchler. The best defenseman (Moret) didn't even travel to Canada, the 2nd best (Van der Kaaij) somehow wasn't dressed for the game. This meant Switzerland had no defenseman left with the ability to exit the zone cleanly on a regular basis. You need defensemen with an ability to hold onto pucks and make plays. Otherwise you're gonna struggle against teams like Canada. Filippo Schmidt was the lone defensemen with significant experience playing U20 elites but he doesn't have the same format as Moret or Van der Kaaij and the rest of the defense today was just extremely green and inexperienced.

 

[PanniniClaus]

I think the 3rd goalie (most certainly Steinmann) was not dressed today.

If I guessed it correctly and Birchler is only the nr.2 (or 1B) then that Canada game was probably the only game he was gonna get anyway and if I'm right about Trachsel being the nr.1 or 1A (he started the lone exhibition Switzerland played with the tournament lineup) then he's the one expected to start the other two games.
If I saw correctly, it was Trachsel backing up today. You're not gonna bring your nr.1 into an already lost game cold. Not without a real need to do so. If that's the only game Birchler was gonna play then it wouldn't have made sense to take him out of the net either.

Which is why I would have Steinmann to mop up today. I would agree that Trachsel is likely to feature the rest of the way.

Swiss were just completely overwhelmed and any other opponent will feel slower paced for them.

 

[Hinterland]

Which is why I would have Steinmann to mop up today. I would agree that Trachsel is likely to feature the rest of the way.

Swiss were just completely overwhelmed and any other opponent will feel slower paced for them.

I think Steinmann is the clear cut nr.3 so they probably didn't really look to give him ice time at all. Or they're battling some kind of a flu and Steinmann was just unavailable. Moret wouldn't normally get cut and Van der Kaaij wouldn't get scratched either. You don't play against Canada without your two best defensemen unless you have to.


Yeah. Not that the forwards of this team are particularly great but I think it was defense that let them down. If you have nobody able to do the heavy lifting, play the tough shifts, the big minutes...nobody able to skate pucks out of trouble or play accurate passes under pressure then you're in trouble. Certainly against Canada. Filippo Schmidt was clearly the experienced defenseman left and I think he proved that. He was mostly solid. Sauser was kinda okay as well. The rest of the defense was a mess.

 

[martygod12]

I turned it off after the first yesterday cause it was terrible and I had an early morning.

Nice to wake up and see we turned it around and won the game.

This team really is exceptionally strong for Czech standards. I can see like even 70% of those guys go top 100 in the next two drafts, and that's also with guys like Bartovic, Nestrasil, Katolicky or Novak not in the team right now.

 

[macbowes]

After thinking about it for a while, I think Reschny reminds me of Eberle, and I think he'll get drafted in a similar position.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Dustin Nielson sounds like if you combined Gord Miller and Dennis Beyak's voices together

That's actually spot on. Too bad he's not very good. Is he new to hockey? A lot of what he was saying sounded like someone who never watched the game before.

 

[czechcanadian]

There were maybe 10 people in the arena for the Czech vs US game... 2 of them were Benak's parents.lol

Sad! When will they have this tournament in Ottawa? I would rally more than that!

 

[czechcanadian]

Dominik Pavlik robbed of the man of the match award for Czechs. He saved Stebestak from another brutal goal against in the 3rd and was an absolute work horse the entire game.

Really liked Pavlik. Solid player all around.

Surprised no one has really mentioned Poletin. He was also very instrumental to this victory. Great 2 way player.

 

[Goodman68]

Dominik Pavlik robbed of the man of the match award for Czechs. He saved Stebestak from another brutal goal against in the 3rd and was an absolute work horse the entire game.

Agreement. Pavlík works hard every game and is not afraid to play with the puck. And here he saved the team from conceding a certain goal. The goalkeeper made two huge mistakes (otherwise, on the contrary, he caught perfectly), luckily Pavlík helped him, whose dedication is exemplary.

Really liked Pavlik. Solid player all around.

Surprised no one has really mentioned Poletin. He was also very instrumental to this victory. Great 2 way player.

Both belong to the pillars of the team, even though Pavlík "only" plays in the third line.

 

[SW2024]

I turned it off after the first yesterday cause it was terrible and I had an early morning.

Nice to wake up and see we turned it around and won the game.

This team really is exceptionally strong for Czech standards. I can see like even 70% of those guys go top 100 in the next two drafts, and that's also with guys like Bartovic, Nestrasil, Katolicky or Novak not in the team right now.

I would so much like to see how you came to this 70%, unless you see top qualities in players like #27 (praised by someone recently and I simply did not see why)

 

[1Gold Standard]

Did Hockey Canada not want to bring Misa back for a 2nd go round?

Misa was invited to the selection camp, but he was unable to attend.

 

[theslatcher]

Novotny joining Sweden, Skarby didn't play against Slovakia so might be related.

 

[SOLR]

Well Mckenna decided the game was over at 3-0 and started to distribute the contributions.

 

[HamburgerSK]

Novotny joining Sweden, Skarby didn't play against Slovakia so might be related.

It's a pity that Novotny didn't have a chance to play against Slovakia. It would have been a special match for him as his parents are Slovaks, his dad Boris Novotny winning a silver medal for Slovakia in judo Euro Championship 2005.

 

[Pazucha]

Canada - Slovakia

McKenna needs to crush Slovak dreams in the OT with an incredible goal if he wants to be drafted as a first overall

Lets keep the tradition.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

How much are walk up tickets to games Stub Hub wants to charge $10 plus per ticket more...like to see Canada vs Sweden on the Aug 7th

 

[martygod12]

I would so much like to see how you came to this 70%, unless you see top qualities in players like #27 (praised by someone recently and I simply did not see why)

Might be a slight overstatement, since I am Czech so of course I see the players higher then they might be sometimes (ehm Galvas).

But I would say Cerny, Mrtka, Poletin, Benak, Novotny, Dravecky, Zahejsky, Pekar, Mikel, Cihar, Pavlik that's 11 players + Bartovic, Nestrasil, Katolicky, Novak who are not in the team right now

So 15 in totals with potential for top 100 or first 4 rounds let's say for the next two drafts. That just a lot for Czech standards. Even if just half makes it, it will still be an amazing result for us.

 

[Preds666]

But I would say Cerny, Mrtka, Poletin, Benak, Novotny, Dravecky, Zahejsky, Pekar, Mikel, Cihar, Pavlik that's 11 players + Bartovic, Nestrasil, Katolicky, Novak who are not in the team right now

So 15 in totals with potential for top 100 or first 4 rounds let's say for the next two drafts. That just a lot for Czech standards. Even if just half makes it, it will still be an amazing result for us.

Checked some history. Seems 2002 (12 players top 100) is the only time Czechia was close to those numbers. Ironically only two players (Fleischmann, Hudler) became decent at NHL level.

Would the Czech 07-borns be considered one of the strongest age groups ever?

 

[martygod12]

Checked some history. Seems 2002 (12 players top 100) is the only time Czechia was close to those numbers. Ironically only two players (Fleischmann, Hudler) became decent at NHL level.

Would the Czech 07-borns be considered one of the strongest age groups ever?

Well this is 15 spread over 2 drafts, but I think 10 out of those 15 (some Czech posters correct me if I am wrong) are 07 for the 25 draft. So idk if one of the best ever, but would not be afraid to say that best in the last 20 years.

 

[Czechboy]

best in the last 20 years.

It's a low bar.lol

I think you named all the right guys... time will tell.

There is starting to be a gap between our real results (good) and how many guys get drafted (meh).

Just wait till Benak goes in Round 7.lol

At position 212 - a 7'2 player from Taipai who was spotted playing street hockey with his friends
At position 213 - Adam Benak