Team Canada U18’s Win Gold At Ivan Hlinka

The Team Canada National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has won the gold medal at the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, defeating the United States 4-0 in Saturday’s gold medal game in Piestany. Team Canada has won the summer under-18 tournament six consecutive years and nine of the last 10.  Check out the Hockey Canada website here  ☛ ☛   Hockey Canada

On Saturday, Michael Dal Colle (Vaughan, Ont./Oshawa, OHL), Jayce Hawryluk (Roblin, Man./Brandon, WHL), Aaron Ekblad (Belle River, Ont./Barrie, OHL) and Brendan Lemieux (Buckingham, Que./Barrie, OHL) scored goals as the Canadians earned their 18th summer under-18 gold medal since 1991.

Dal Colle got the scoring started four minutes in, wiring a wrist shot past American goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, and Hawryluk went five-hole to double the lead just past the midway point of the second period. Ekblad, on a power play, and Lemieux scored 1:48 apart in the third period to provide the final margin of victory.

Julio Billia (St-Léonard, Que./Chicoutimi, QMJHL) made 20 saves for the shutout in the Canadian goal, and Spencer Watson (London, Ont./Kingston, OHL) added three assists to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 points (four goals, six assists).

The Team Canada  roster is made up of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders, and features eight players from the Ontario Hockey League, seven from the Western Hockey League and seven from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The U.S. roster featured three members of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks including Dominic Turgeon, Paul Bittner and Keegan Iverson.

CHL players named to Team Canada:

Goaltenders:
Julio Billia (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Mason McDonald (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)

Defencemen:
Alexandre Carrier (Gatineau Olympiques)
Aaron Ekblad (Barrie Colts)
Haydn Fleury (Red Deer Rebels)
Joe Hicketts (Victoria Royals)
Roland McKeown (Kingston Frontenacs)
Carl Neill (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
Ryan Pilon (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Forwards:
Daniel Audette (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs)
Clark Bishop (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Rourke Chartier (Kelowna Rockets)
Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa Generals)
Robby Fabbri (Guelph Storm)
Jayce Hawryluk (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Brendan Lemieux (Barrie Colts)
Jared McCann (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Alexis Pépin (Charlottetown Islanders)
Brayden Point (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Jake Virtanen (Calgary Hitmen)
Spencer Watson (Kingston Frontenacs)