Canada's Gavin McKenna celebrates one of his two goals during a 6-3 win over Sweden.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Chris Tanouye
Consider this the coming out party for Canada’s Gavin McKenna.
There has been a lot of hype around the underager heading into the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and, for many fans, this is their first time having a live look at the next potential generational player from Canada.
McKenna didn’t disappoint hockey fans in Finland, scoring two goals in less than two minutes in the first period to help Canada beat Sweden 6-3 in the tournament opener for both teams.
"It’s something you dream of growing up. I had the honour to wear the Canadian jersey at (the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge) and now to get another opportunity, it’s so surreal," said McKenna. "I had so many jerseys growing up that I wore, watching World Juniors and U18s, and now to be playing in it is super cool."
McKenna is coming off a tremendous season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, where he posted 97 points, including 34 goals, as a 16-year-old playing in a league usually dominated by 19 and 20-year-olds.
The Swedes came out firing and got the first five shots on goal but it was Canada that opened the scoring. A pair of Ontario Hockey League players connected for the goal as Henry Mews fed the puck to Jett Luchanko, who streaked into the offensive zone and snapped a shot just inside the faceoff circle that beat Swedish goaltender Love Harenstam just 3:40 into the opening frame.
Following a successful penalty kill, Canada took a 2-0 lead on an unassisted goal by Malcolm Spence. As the final seconds on a Roger McQueen slashing penalty ticked away, Sweden turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Spence, who scored on a quick wrist shot from a similar spot on the ice as Luchanko.
The Swedes cut into the lead just past the midway mark of the first. On a delayed penalty call against Canada, Swedish puck carrier Alexander Zetterberg drew the attention of two Canadian players and made a fantastic cross-ice pass to Melvin Fernstrom, who wired a one-timer past Canadian goaltender Carter George. Fernstrom showed fans why he was able to score 31 goals this past season with Örebro HK J20.
Canada made it 3-1 at 15:24 of the first with McKenna’s first of the game, a powerplay goal where he ripped a one-timer off a nice feed from Porter Martone. At 17:09, McKenna struck again on a toe drag release that would make McKenna's cousin Connor Bedard proud and Canada led 4-1 after 20 minutes.
Zetterberg scored a pair of goals in the second period, an even-strength marker 48 seconds into the period and then a powerplay goal at 14:58, in which Linus Eriksson executed a perfect stick lift and stripped the puck off a Canadian defender, then drove the net and made a cross-crease pass to Zetterberg to temporarily make it 4-3.
Less than a minute later, Canada restored its two-goal lead on Matthew Schaefer’s first of the tournament and it was 5-3 after 40. The lone goal of the third was an empty-netter by Canada's Carson Wetsch.
Canada faces Czechia (1-0) on April 26 and the Swedes will have an off day before returning to action on April 27 versus Kazakhstan.
There has been a lot of hype around the underager heading into the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and, for many fans, this is their first time having a live look at the next potential generational player from Canada.
McKenna didn’t disappoint hockey fans in Finland, scoring two goals in less than two minutes in the first period to help Canada beat Sweden 6-3 in the tournament opener for both teams.
"It’s something you dream of growing up. I had the honour to wear the Canadian jersey at (the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge) and now to get another opportunity, it’s so surreal," said McKenna. "I had so many jerseys growing up that I wore, watching World Juniors and U18s, and now to be playing in it is super cool."
McKenna is coming off a tremendous season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, where he posted 97 points, including 34 goals, as a 16-year-old playing in a league usually dominated by 19 and 20-year-olds.
The Swedes came out firing and got the first five shots on goal but it was Canada that opened the scoring. A pair of Ontario Hockey League players connected for the goal as Henry Mews fed the puck to Jett Luchanko, who streaked into the offensive zone and snapped a shot just inside the faceoff circle that beat Swedish goaltender Love Harenstam just 3:40 into the opening frame.
Following a successful penalty kill, Canada took a 2-0 lead on an unassisted goal by Malcolm Spence. As the final seconds on a Roger McQueen slashing penalty ticked away, Sweden turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Spence, who scored on a quick wrist shot from a similar spot on the ice as Luchanko.
The Swedes cut into the lead just past the midway mark of the first. On a delayed penalty call against Canada, Swedish puck carrier Alexander Zetterberg drew the attention of two Canadian players and made a fantastic cross-ice pass to Melvin Fernstrom, who wired a one-timer past Canadian goaltender Carter George. Fernstrom showed fans why he was able to score 31 goals this past season with Örebro HK J20.
Canada made it 3-1 at 15:24 of the first with McKenna’s first of the game, a powerplay goal where he ripped a one-timer off a nice feed from Porter Martone. At 17:09, McKenna struck again on a toe drag release that would make McKenna's cousin Connor Bedard proud and Canada led 4-1 after 20 minutes.
Zetterberg scored a pair of goals in the second period, an even-strength marker 48 seconds into the period and then a powerplay goal at 14:58, in which Linus Eriksson executed a perfect stick lift and stripped the puck off a Canadian defender, then drove the net and made a cross-crease pass to Zetterberg to temporarily make it 4-3.
Less than a minute later, Canada restored its two-goal lead on Matthew Schaefer’s first of the tournament and it was 5-3 after 40. The lone goal of the third was an empty-netter by Canada's Carson Wetsch.
Canada faces Czechia (1-0) on April 26 and the Swedes will have an off day before returning to action on April 27 versus Kazakhstan.