The Hlinka Gretzky Cup semifinals are set for today, with the United States taking on Slovakia at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, and Canada facing Finland at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (Switzerland and Czechia play in the 5th place game at 9:00 PM Eastern Time). With the preliminary round in the books, I wanted to review how each team’s top 2027 draft prospect fared in those games. Apologies to Team Canada forwards Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, as the WHL Regina teammates arguably have been the most effective players in the tournament. However, because they are not draft-eligible until 2028, they will not be discussed in this piece.
Canada D Landon DuPont – The projected #1 overall pick has played his usual style of keeping his opponents on their heels by constantly being on the attack, leaving the ice occasionally just for a quick breather. He is averaging a point-per-game in his three tournament games (1G 2A).
Czechia F Maxmilian Mares – The top-ranked Czech player in the draft is pivot Petr Tomek, who is not eligible for this tournament as a 2008 birth-year player. Mares is making the case that perhaps he should garner top consideration, as he averaged two points per game (3G 3A) in the preliminary round. The 6’6″ 225 pound forward is unusually mobile for a player his size at his age, and is the prototypical NHL power forward.
Finland F Luca Santala – Santala has not disappointed in this tournament, with 3 points (1G 2A) in 3 games in helping guide the Fins to a semi-final berth. Lauded for his two-way play and attention to detail at such a young age, the 6’2″ OHL London commit excels at both the pivot and wing positions.
Germany F Max Calce – The projected first-rounder managed two goals for the Germans in three games, and was recognized for his play-driving ability and overall pace of play. He leaves this tournament to join his team in the DEL, Germany’s top pro league.
Slovakia F Oliver Ozogany – Ozogany has had a very quiet tournament thus far, registering just one goal. He has been upstaged by forward Tomas Selic, the 9th-ranked Slovak for the 2027 draft. Selic leads the tournament in points (8) and goals (5).
Sweden F Milan Sundstrom – Sundstrom had a very nice tournament for the Swedes, registering 5 points (3G 2A) in 3 games. He will return to Sweden’s U20 circuit this fall, where he averaged nearly 2 points per game as a 16-year-old last season.
Switzerland F Jonah Neuenschwander – The potential top-5 pick is an absolute beast, possessing a rare combination of size (6’3″) and elite skill. He has garnered 4 points (2G 2A) in 3 tournament games thus far, and he’ll look to add to these points totals tonight when the Swiss take on Czechia in the HGC’s 5th-place game.
United States F Gunnar Conboy – The United States’ top-ranked 2027 draft prospect, C Carter Meyer, is not participating in this event. The next-highest prospect is 6’4″ forward Gunnar Conboy, who has just one assist thus far. However, he has still managed to turn heads at this tournament, routinely drawing stylistic comparisons to Washington Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson.
