McKenna, Canada Red off to the Quarterfinals at 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
November 9, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
The World U17 Hockey Challenge ramps up Thursday as Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT) will help Team Canada Red push to the Medal Round as they take on Team Canada White at 4PM MDT. You can watch the game live here.
The winner will head to the semi-final and the opponent if Canada Red moves on will be TBD.
See more from the U17's below.
Day 5 - Nov. 7, 2023
Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL) potted his fifth goal of the tournament in overtime to help lift Canada Red (1-2-2-0) to a 4-3 win against the United States on Tuesday night. Nathan Lecompte (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) led all scorers with a pair of points (0G-2A), while Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds / OHL), Braeden Cootes (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL), and Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs / OHL) tallied the other markers for Canada Red.
After allowing two goals in the first period, netminder Isaac Gravelle (Oshawa Generals / OHL) turned aside 16-of-17 shots the rest of the way to help Canada Red to victory. McKenna's five goals during the tournament currently place him in a tie for second, trailing only Sweden's Ivar Stenberg (6 goals). McKenna and Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL), who recorded an assist on McKenna's GWG tonight, both continue to pace Canada Red with seven points.
Meanwhile, in Summerside, Canada White (0-2-2-1) tallied three third-period goals but ultimately fell 5-3 to Finland on Tuesday. Émile Guité (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL), Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL), andCaleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL) each registered a goal for Canada White, while Tyler Hopkins (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL), Cole Temple (Regina Pats / WHL) and Alex Huang (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) each tallied an assist.
Guité leads all Canada White scorers with six points (4G-2A) through five games at the U17 World Hockey Challenge.
With Canada Red placing third and Canada White in sixth following round-robin play, the pair of Canadian teams will face-off in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. AT for a spot in Friday's semifinals (STATS / SCHEDULE).
Day 4 - Nov. 6, 2023
Canada White celebrates following their 4-3 shootout victory over the United States (Photo Credit: Mike Bernard)
Émile Guité (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) registered a goal and a pair of assists, while his Saguenéens teammate Alex Huang (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) scored the shootout winner, as Canada White (0-2-1-1) rallied from behind to snap the United States (3-0-0-1) three-game winning streak with a 4-3 shootout victory.
Tyler Hopkins (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL) tallied two helpers. Blake Fiddler (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL) andCole Temple (Regina Pats / WHL) potted the other goals for Canada White against Team USA. Lethbridge 2022 third-round pick Koen Cleaver (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL) came on in relief, stopping all nine shots he faced and three more in the shootout for the victory. Canada White next faces Finland (1-0-2-1) on Tuesday (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m. AT.
Meanwhile, Canada Red (1-1-2-0) was bested 8-5 by Sweden (2-0-1-1) on Monday. Braeden Cootes (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL), Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL) and Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL) each recorded a goal and an assist for Canada Red. Owen Conrad (Charlottetown Islanders / QMJHL) and Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans / WHL) chipped in with two assists each.
McKenna (4G-2A) and Reschny (2G-4A) each have six points through four games, placing them both in a tie for fifth among all skaters at the tournament. McKenna's four goals also rank second in the tournament behind only Sweden's Ivar Stenberg (6 goals). Canada Red is back on the ice Tuesday (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m. AT for a matchup against the United States.
Day 3 - Nov. 4, 2023
Cameron Reid (KIT) scored the overtime winner as Canada White edged past Sweden 4-3.
Reid scored the winner at 3:55 while Caleb Desnoyers (MON), Emile Guite (CHI) and Cole Temple (REG) scored in regulation. Jack Ivankovic (MISS) made 12 saves in relief of Koen Cleaver (LET), who also stopped 12 shots.
In their third game of the tournament, Canada Red were shutout 4-0 by Czechia. Oshawa Generals draft pick Isaac Gravelle made 17 saves in defeat as Canada Red dropped to 2-1-0 in the tournament.
Day 2 - Nov. 3, 2023
Canada Red claimed bragging rights over Canada White as Luca Romano (KIT) scored the game-winner in a 4-3 victory.
Cole Reschny (VIC), Gavin McKenna (MH) and Ryan Brown (SAR) also scored for Canada Red while William Lacelle (RIM) stopped 21 shots.
Emile Guite (CHI) and Cameron Schmidt (VAN) had given Canada White a 2-0 lead inside the opening 4:26 before Canada Red rattled off three straight goals. Schmidt's second goal of the game tied things up at 7:10 of the third before Romano scored the decider at 12:23.
Canada Red defeated Canada White 4-3 on Day 2 of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (photo credit: Mike Bernard)
Day 1 - Nov. 2, 2023
Canada Red got their tournament off to a perfect start after a 3-2 shootout victory over Finland.
Gavin McKenna (MH) scored twice for Canada Red in regulation, as well as in the shootout, alongside Cole Reschny (VIC) and Braeden Cootes (SEA). William Lacelle, the 10th overall pick by Rimouski in the 2023 QMJHL Draft, made 24 saves as Canada won in the fifth round of the shootout.
In their tournament opener, Canada White fell 4-3 to Czechia in a shootout.
Jack Nesbitt (WSR) and Mateo Nobert (BLB) had goals for Canada White, who held a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. Czechia secured the win in the seventh round of the shootout while Jack Ivankovic (MISS) made 31 saves.
Earlier in the day, Matthew Schaefer (ER) was named captain of Canada While while Quinn Beauchesne (GUE) was given the honour for Team Red.
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