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CANADA WINS GOLD AT 2008 IIHF WORLD UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 8-0 ROMP OVER RUSSIA
KAZAN, Russia – Canada has won been crowned world champions at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship
after an 8-0 rout of Russia in Wednesday’s gold medal game.
Jordan Eberle (Calgary, AB/Regina, WHL) scored twice and added an assist to lead the way offensively for
the Canadians, while goaltender Jake Allen (Fredericton, NB/St. John’s, QMJHL) made 29 saves for his second
shutout of the tournament.
Allen, who played every minute of every game for Canada, was named Top Goaltender by the IIHF Directorate
after leading the championship in goals against average (1.43) and save percentage (.945). He also earned a
spot on the media all-star team.
Up against an undefeated Russian team and in front of a pro-Russian crowd of more than 10,000 at Tatneft
Arena, it was Canada who got the early jump when Nicolas Deschamps (Delson, QC/Chicoutimi, QMJHL) scored with
the Canadians shorthanded just 4:32 in.
Corey Trivino (Toronto, ON/Stouffville, OPJHL) pushed the lead to 2-0 near the midway mark of the period,
and goals from Eberle and Brayden Schenn (Saskatoon, SK/Brandon, WHL) 49 seconds apart spelled the end of the
night for Russian netminder Alexander Pechurskiy, who allowed four goals on nine shots.
Unfortunately for the Russians, back-up Danila Alistratov fared no better, allowing Eberle’s second of the
period on the only shot he faced before the intermission.
Down 5-0 after just 20 minutes, the Russians became undisciplined in the second period and lost blueliner
Maxim Chudinov to a match penalty early in the frame. Tyler Cuma (Bowmanville, ON/Ottawa, OHL) capitalized on
the five-minute powerplay, making it 6-0.
Brandon McMillan (Delta, BC/Kelowna, WHL) scored Canada’s seventh goal of the game late in the second
period and Taylor Hall (Kingston, ON/Windsor, OHL) rounded out the scoring in the third as Canada claimed its
first gold medal at the U18 level since taking home the 2003 world title from Yaroslavl, Russia.
Canadian captain Cody Hodgson (Markham, ON/Brampton, OHL) picked up three assists in the gold medal
victory, and finished with 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists), good for the tournament scoring lead.
Allen, Eberle and Hodgson were named Canada’s Top Three Players of the tournament.
The Canadians finished with the world championship with the tournament’s best powerplay (13-for-41, 31.7%)
and best penalty kill (42-of-45, 93.3%).
The gold medal completes a 19-day journey that began in Toronto on May 5th with the first team meeting and
included a stop in Minsk, Belarus for a pre-tournament camp and a pair of exhibition games.
In honour of former Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League president Ed Chynoweth, who passed
away Tuesday in Calgary, Canadian players wore ‘ED’ stickers on their helmets and posted his name on the
Canadian bench.
Chynoweth was one of the founders of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, of which the National Men’s
Under-18 Team is a part of.
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