Gavin McKenna has won another gold medal with Team Canada. 

McKenna and his teammates captured gold in the Under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a 2-1 victory over Czechia Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. 

It was a three-peat for Canada and the 25th gold for the team since 1991. 

Liam Kilfoil opened the scoring for Canada 6:29 into the game. 

McKenna was stopped on a partial breakaway by Czechia goalie Ondrej Stebetak with about 12 minutes left in the period. 

He missed the net on another great chance on another partial breakaway later in the period. 

Caleb Desnoyers added another goal with only 52 seconds left in the period on a beautiful tip-in off a pass from Cameron Schmidt to put Canada up 2-0. 

It was too little, too late for Czechia, as they added a power play goal with only nine seconds left in the game. It was the first power play goal Canada allowed all tournament and one of only four goals they allowed through the entire tournament. 

During the medal ceremony after the game, McKenna received a big cheer from the crowd when he was presented with his gold medal. 

He also skated over to the Yukon cheering section with the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. 

“This is every kid’s dream,” said McKenna. “We are all so proud to wear this maple leaf… we battled hard all week long, and to win this with this group is something we will remember forever.”

Canada outshot Czechia 26-19. 

Jack Ivankovic was outstanding again in the Canada net, earning player of the game honours. 

Canada had clinched a spot in the final with a 5-1 victory over the United States in one of the semifinal games on Friday. 

Cameron Schmidt opened the scoring on the power play with just over five minutes left in the first period.

Canadian defenceman Alex Huang scored the game winner with a top-of-the-net snipe that sent the goalie’s water bottle flying after coming out of the penalty box three minutes into the second period. 

Sam Spehar scored the U.S.’s only goal 35 seconds later. 

One of Canada’s stars during the tournament, Cole Reschny, restored Canada’s two-goal lead at 15:19 of the second after McKenna lost control of the puck and Reschny picked it up and fired it in from the slot. 

With about 12 minutes left in the period and Canada leading 2-1, McKenna got a partial breakaway and was stopped by U.S. goalie Ryan Cameron. 

In a rare outburst of emotion, McKenna showed his frustration with failing to score despite numerous chances by breaking his stick over his knee as he arrived at the Team Canada bench, a feat Bo Jackson would have been proud of (for those who don’t know Bo, he was a superstar two-sport athlete in football and baseball in the 80s and 90s who famously broke a bat in two like it was a twig while playing for the Kansas City Royals). 

McKenna got stopped on a breakaway late in the period, but drew a slashing penalty that was nullified by a Canadian slashing penalty on the same play. 

McKenna relieved his frustration with a power play goal with only 14 seconds left in the game after he drew a penalty, skating out from behind the net and putting a backhand past the U.S. goalie to cap off the win. 

Canada went 2-for-2 on the power play and outshot the U.S. 35-29. 

Goaltender Jack Ivankovic was again solid for Canada, stopping 28 shots, and was the difference in the game. 

Team Canada’s captain, Matthew Schaefer, was named Player of the Game for Canada. 

McKenna’s parents, Krystal and Willy, were interviewed during the second intermission by TSN Hlinka Gretzky Cup host Laura Diakun, who pointed out that Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Patrick Kane have also won the CHL Rookie of the Year award. 

They agreed with Diakun that all the success and attention their son is getting is “completely surreal. 

“He’s doing what he loves, he’s so excited, he has so much fun. To have him compared to some of those big names is wild,” said Krystal.  

They also talked about how humble McKenna has been despite his success at a young age. 

“Gavin is a very kind-hearted kid. He’s a very humble kid naturally,” said Willy. 

The proud parents also became favourites of the TSN cameras during the final games of the tournament. 

After clinching the gold, McKenna spoke to TSN about his parents.

“Whether you had a good night or a bad night, they’re always there for you, so it’s unbelievable to do it for them and all the families there that came to watch. It’s been unbelievable, the support we’ve had.” 

McKenna had about 40 family members and friends in the stands cheering him on to the gold medal victory. 

– With files from Hockey Canada.