The Hlinka Gretzky Cup has certainly delivered on the entertainment value and has been a solid enough first showcase for the 2026 NHL Draft class to make their marks. Canada and Sweden have gone through the tournament unblemished after a week of round-robin play and each will be a top seed Friday’s semifinals.

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Those two nations will be joined by the United States and Finland in the semifinals, with Canada taking on their North American rivals and Sweden locking horns with Finland in another classic rivalry showdown. 

Those games will be played simultaneously in Slovakia and Czechia, with the schedules and where to watch listed below. 

Here’s a look at where the tournament stands heading into Friday’s semis, along with some thoughts on standout performers in the early goings of the tournament.

Hlinka Gretzky Cup Scores – Preliminary Round

• Sweden 10, Germany 0
• Canada 5, Finland 3
• USA 6, Slovakia 3
• Czechia 6, Switzerland 2
• Canada 9, Switzerland 1
• Sweden 5, USA 3
• Finland 4, Czechia 1
• Slovakia 1, Germany 0
• USA 8, Germany 1
• Switzerland 4, Finland 3 (OT)
• Canada 5, Czechia 0
• Sweden 7, Slovakia 0

Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2025 Semifinals Schedule

Friday, Aug. 15

• USA vs. Canada, 1 p.m. ET in Brno, Czechia
• Sweden vs. Finland, 1 p.m. ET in Trenčín, Slovakia

How To Watch The Hlinka Gretzky Cup Semifinals

TSN is broadcasting all Canada and USA games in Canada. The games are also streaming on TSN+. In the United States, fans can watch the game on NHL Network.

Standout Players At Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2025 Through Prelims

Blake Zielinski, USA (Des Moines Buccaneers)

The U.S. has been led by the returning Des Moines Buccaneers star, who quietly put together a sensational second half in the USHL last season. Zielinski leads Team USA with six points, including three goals. He’s displayed high-end playmaking ability and a strong release on his shot. He’s making his presence known to scouts.

🚨 USA Goal: Blake Zielinski wires a one-timer into the cage from the left-wing circle. A lengthy review upheld the goal on the ice. Beautiful puck movement by Team 🇺🇸 on the power play to set up the blast.#HlinkaGretzkyCup @bucshockey @FriarsHockey

pic.twitter.com/1CRcCTstgk

— Ryan Sikes (@rms_hockey) August 12, 2025

Marcus Nordmark, Sweden (Djurgårdens U20)

It seems that no matter the event, no matter the stage, Nordmark is going to lead Sweden in scoring. He currently leads all players with nine points through three games and is currently three points shy of the highest-scoring Hlinka Gretzky Cup for any Swede and four points from the tournament’s single-tournament record of 13 points. 

Elton Hermansson, Sweden (MoDo U20)

I think there’s a case that Hermansson has been the most impactful Swedish player even though he’s two points off his teammate’s lead. Hermansson has four goals and seven points in the tournament, while also leading all players with 17 shots on goal. As a 6-foot-1, right-shot winger with scoring pop, he’s going to stay on the NHL scout radars long after this tournament passes.

Ethan Belchetz, Canada (Windsor Spitfires)

As expected, Belchetz’s physical prowess has been a bit too much for his age peers. The nearly 6-foot-5 power forward has shown deft touch on top of his power game, producing six points through three games for the Canadians. 

The @SpitsHockey call him cheese 🧀@TSNHockey's Craig Button has high praise for Ethan Belchetz at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup!@HockeyCanada | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/e3Luk5BAwv

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) August 12, 2025

Ryan Lin, Canada (Vancouver Giants)

The smoothness and maturity of Ryan Lin is always on display when he has the puck on his stick. He’s made an impact in all facets of the game and is among the top scoring defensemen in the tournament with five points including a pair of goals. He hasn’t necessarily shown anything that people watching him the last year hadn’t already known as he’ll remain a top defenseman to watch for this season.

Oliver Ozogány, Slovakia (Tri-City Storm)

A hat trick in a losing effort against the USA made Ozogány a notable name early on the tournament. More notable, however, is that he’s an underager for the tournament as a 2009-born forward. He’ll be headed to the USHL this year and you better believe the Tri-City Storm are even more excited after seeing what he brought to the table.

Levi Harper, USA (Saginaw Spirit)

A late 2008-born player, Harper is not draft-eligible until 2027, but he’s made some eye-popping plays early on in the tournament. He spent last season playing 16U hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and will play this season in the OHL with Saginaw. It’s a big jump, but he’s showing that he can stand out among the top players in his age group. He has three goals from the blue line in the tournament.

Axel Elofsson, Sweden (Örebro U20)

Leading all defensemen in points and all players with six assists, he’s also been playing big minutes for Sweden, averaging over 20 minutes per game. He’s feasted on the power play with four of his assists coming on the man advantage, as Sweden has largely rolled through the tournament.

Oscar Hemming, Finland (Kiekko-Espoo U20)

The younger brother of Dallas Stars first-rounder Emil Hemming has made a strong impression in a relatively uneven tournament for Finland. He checks in at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds and celebrated his 17th birthday at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He has three goals and four points through three games and will be required to play a big role if Finland has any hopes of upsetting rival Sweden in the semis.

Make it goals in all 3 games at the #HlinkaGretzkyCup for Oscar Hemming 👀

Finland dropped their final round robin game today so they’ll finish either 2nd or 3rd in Group A.#OHLRangers #2026NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/TRX5LyV8gY

— East Ave Blue (@KRangersReport) August 13, 2025

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