McKenna has six points, Martone has five as Canada thumps Kazakhstan at U18 worlds
McKenna has six points, Martone has five as Canada thumps Kazakhstan at U18 worlds
VANTAA, Finland — Gavin McKenna had two goals and four assists, team captain Porter Martone had a goal and four assists and Canada ended group-stage play with an 11-3 rout of Kazakhstan on Tuesday at the world men’s under-18 hockey championship.
Canada finished as the top team in Group B, winning its four group-stage games by a combined score of 31-7.
The Canadians will play Latvia, the fourth-place team in Group A, in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Liam Greentree, Tij Iginla, Maxim Masse, Cole Beaudoin, Henry Mews, Caleb Desnoyers, Frankie Marrelli and Harrison Brunicke also scored for Canada.
Assanali Sarkenov had all three goals for Kazakhstan, which finished fifth in Group B and missed the playoffs with one point from an overtime loss over four games.
Carter George made 13 saves to earn the win for Canada, which outshot Kazakhstan 66-16.
Kazakhstan starter Tanirkhan Alpysbayev made 26 saves on 33 shots before being pulled midway through the second period.
Danil Lytkin stopped 29 of 33 shots in relief.
The 16-year-old McKenna, who won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2026, finished group-stage play second in scoring with 14 points (six goals, eight assists), two points behind leader James Hagens of the United States.
Martone was third with 13 points (four goals, nine assists).
The U.S. faces Switzerland, Finland meets Sweden and Czechia takes on Slovakia in the other quarterfinals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
The Canadian Press