KITCHENER, Ont. \u2013 It wasn\u2019t a high-scoring affair, but Wednesday night\u2019s battle between Canada and Sweden gave fans in Kitchener a potential glimpse into what the gold-medal game could look like.<\/p>\n
In the end, Canada won the game 2-1, with Brady Martin scoring both goals off of passes from top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna. Fellow 2026 prospect, Viggo Bj\u00f6rck, had the lone goal for Sweden, converting on a two-man advantage in the second period.<\/p>\n
The two teams will meet again on Saturday in London, Ontario, before both flying to Minnesota shortly after.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the top performers from both teams on Wednesday night:<\/p>\n
Canada<\/p>\n
#30 Carter George, G (Los Angeles Kings<\/a>): George didn\u2019t face a heavy workload, but he had some high-quality saves throughout. He didn\u2019t give many poor rebounds and he seemed very confident with his blocker. His speed has always been a standout trait about his game, and he\u2019s as flexible as you\u2019ll find. <\/p>\n #5 Carson Carels, D (2026 NHL Draft): Carels feels like a lock right now. He played all situations for Canada, and nearly scored a goal on a great individual play in the third period. Carels usually plays close to 30 minutes a night, so today had to have felt like a cakewalk for him. His poise, hockey sense, and pure athleticism were impressive tonight.<\/p>\n #10 Cameron Reid, D (Nashville Predators): While Jackson Smith struggled with the puck, his primary D partner, Reid, did not. Outside of one ugly giveaway in the first, Reid was one of the better disk distributors. He also often won puck battles due to his footwork and ability to adjust his paths on the fly.<\/p>\n #13 Ethan MacKenzie, D (Undrafted): MacKenzie was one of the bubble players heading into the tournament, but he looked really solid tonight. While some others were getting a bit loosey-goosey with the puck, MacKenzie rarely made a mistake with the puck on his stick. He did a good job of slowing things down and controlling the pace of play in his zone.<\/p>\n #9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Not many players can compete with McKenna\u2019s skill. His hands are so quick, allowing him to break through the middle of the ice. I think we were actually the least impactful forward on his line, but I liked how he continuously got the puck where it needed to be. Overall, you can\u2019t complain about a two-assist effort \u2013 this felt like a better performance than anything we saw a year ago.<\/p>\n #28 Brady Martin, RW (Nashville Predators<\/a>): Martin was buzzing in the first period, making himself impossible to contain. He then found open ice and fired home the 1-0 goal, blasting a hard shot to get his team moving. I like how competitive he gets \u2013 he was so lethal at the U-18 World Championship because nobody could contain him. I don\u2019t expect Martin to live on the first line, but he proved he can handle the opportunity.<\/p>\n #29 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens<\/a>): What a workhorse. Hage was not only one of the most noticeable players with the puck, but he was one of Canada\u2019s top physical players away from it, too. He worked his tail off at both ends of the ice and was involved along the boards as often as anyone. Michael Misa will be Canada\u2019s No. 1 center, but Hage is the perfect option as the No. 2.<\/p>\n Sweden<\/p>\n #1 Herman Liv, G (Undrafted): Liv had to deal with plenty of quality chances from Canada, and he delivered. The 1-0 Canadian goal was a quality chance, but then he battled hard the rest of the night. I thought he did a good job of staying square to the shooter and tracking pucks through traffic. Liv will likely battle Love Harenstam for the starter\u2019s gig, but efforts like this \u2013 the ones where he rarely bobbled a shot \u2013 will go far.<\/p>\n