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Gameday: U.S. looking for second consecutive victory at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

By USA Hockey, 08/07/18, 11:15AM EDT

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U.S. meets Finland at 7 p.m. in Red Deer

The United States Under-18 Men's Select Team will look to win its second consecutive game at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup tonight at 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET) when it takes on Finland. HockeyTV will provide live streaming of the game from Servus Arena in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

Tonight’s Opponent: Finland
Team USA is 3-1 (W-L) in its last four meetings with Finland at the Hlinka Tournament. In 2017, the teams met in the fifth-place game with the U.S winning 4-3 in overtime on a goal from Ryder Donovan (Duluth, Minn.). In 2016, the game would again require extra time, this time in the preliminary round. Team USA skated to a 4-3 win with Ryan Poehling (Lakeville, Minn.) scoring the game-winner. In 2015, Finland earned a 5-1 win over the U.S. in the first game of pool play. In 2014, the U.S. defeated Finland 9-4 behind a hat trick from future U.S. Olympian Troy Terry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.).

Since the tournament was renamed the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2006, Finland has finished second on two occasions: 2007 and 2012. 

Game 1 Recap
Team USA competed in its opening Hlinka Gretzky Cup pool game Monday, a 6-0 victory over Czechia in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Dustin Wolf (Tustin, Calif.) recorded a 23-save shutout and added an assist while Grant Silianoff (Edina, Minn.) registered a goal and three assists to pace the offense. For a full recap of the victory over Czechia, click here.

Leading the Way
A forward out of Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, Silianoff paced all U.S. skaters and leads the tournament with four points (1G, 3A). The left winger led Shattuck's Midget Prep team with 67 points (35G, 32A) last season and skated in two games with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, recording one goal and one assist. The Notre Dame commit plans to skate full-time with Cedar Rapids next season.

Familiar Faces
Several members of the U.S. team have experience as teammates with numerous organizations across the country. Luke Toporowski (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Dylan Davies (Traverse City, Mich.) were teammates with the Chicago Mission organization while Mitchell Miller (Sylvania, Ohio), Josh Nodler (Oak Park, Mich.) and Michael Mancinelli (Northville, Mich.) skated together with HoneyBaked Hockey Club.

Sam Colangelo (Stoneham, Mass.) and Cade Webber (Meadville, Pa.) joined forces in Boston with the Little Bruins while John Farinacci (Chatham, N.J.) and Derek Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.) spent time together at Dexter School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Several skaters have also crossed paths at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota, including Farinacci, Robert Mastrosimone (East Islip, N.Y.), Mullahy, Silianoff and Jackson LaCombe (Chaska, Minn.).

LaCombe also spent time with Wolf with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings.

Deep Pool
The U.S. will play in a fiercely competitive Pool B this week with Czechia, Russia and Finland.

USA Hockey Player Development Camps
The 2018 U.S. Under-18 Men's Select Team was chosen from players skating at USA Hockey's 2018 Boys Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, New York. The USA Hockey National Player Development Camps for 15-year-olds, 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds provide the nation’s top young players with age-appropriate on- and off-ice training and coaching from elite-level instructors, as well as the opportunity to compete against their peers from throughout the country. Players earn invitations to the national camps through their performance at a series of state- and district-level camps held each season. The camps are designed so players return home afterward with the tools to further develop their skills over the course of the coming season and beyond. Since their launch in 1977, USA Hockey’s National Player Development Camps have been a springboard for countless future Olympians and professional players.

U.S. Roster

U.S. Homepage

Tournament Website


2018 U.S. Schedule

Date Opponent Round Time (Local/ET)/Result Location
Sat., Aug. 4 Slovakia Exhibition W, 10-4 Nexsource Arena
Sylvan Lake, Alta.
Mon., Aug. 6 Czech Republic Preliminary W, 6-0 Servus Arena
Red Deer, Alta.
Tues., Aug. 7 Finland Preliminary W, 6-2 Servus Arena
Red Deer, Alta.
Wed., Aug. 8 Russia Preliminary L, 3-8 Servus Arena
Red Deer, Alta.
Fri., Aug. 10 Canada Semifinals OTL, 5-6 Rogers Place
Edmonton, Alta.
Sat., Aug. 11 Russia Third-Place Game L, 4-5 Rogers Place
Edmonton, Alta.

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