Macklin, Saskatchewan’s Cole Reschny scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in leading Canada to a 3-2 overtime win over Czechia on Wednesday in the quarterfinal of the under-18 men’s world hockey championship. Reschny scored 2:41 into overtime for the winner.
David Rozsival opened up the scoring for the Czechs at 6:06 of the first period with the assist on the goal going to Seattle Thunderbird 6’6 Radim Mrtka and Matous Kucharcik who is central scoutings 15th ranked European Skater.– Mrtka, the tallest player at the tournament and the projected top WHL prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, set up David Rozsival’s game-opening tally just over six minutes into the opening frame, forcing Canada to trail for the first time at the event.
Jackson Smith the second overall pick behind Gavin McKenna in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft ( Reschny went 3rd that year) opened up the scoring for the Canadians to tie the game up with just 20 seconds remaining in the first period. The goal was unassisted.– Jackson Smith, a defenseman for the Tri-City Americans, guaranteed that the Canadian team would not be shut out in the period by firing a long-range wrist shot that found the back of the net with under 20 seconds remaining. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 190 pounds, the blueliner holds the 13th spot among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final 2025 rankings and has now tallied three goals in the tournament.
Shots on goal in the first period were 12-11 for the Czechs
Czechia makes it 2-1 when Youngstown Phantom’s Adam Benak scores at 15:07 of the second frame with the assist on the goal going to Adam Novotny. Novotny played last season in the Czech but was drafted in the CHL Import draft by the Peterborough Petes in 2024.–Czechia took the lead less than five minutes left in the second. Ivankovic saved the initial shot from Adam Benak but the puck sat on top of the goalie’s pad and Benak swatted it in.
Cole Reschny ties the game up at 15:52 of the second period with the assists on the goal going to Brady Martin and Alex Huang- Victoria Royals alternate captain Cole Reschny (Ranked 25th for North American Skaters by Central Scouting) found the equalizer with a seeing-eye shot from the slot.
Shots on goal in the second period were 12-5 for Canada
Shots on goal in the scoreless third period were 12-6 for Canada
Cole Reschny scores in ot to win the game for Canada 2:41 into the extra frame. The assist on the goal went to his Victoria Royals teammate Keaton Verhoeff.
Shots in overtime were 5-1 for Canada with Canada outshooting the Czechs 40-24 in the game.
For Canada Jack Ivankovic made 22 saves on the 24 shots that he faced for the win. For the Czechs goalie Frantisek Poletin who is only 16 and plays U20 in Finland for the Pelicans made 37 saves on the 40 shots that he faced.
Stars of the game for Canada was Cole Reschny for obvious reasons and for the Czechs it was Frantisek Poletin, the goaltender, who made 37 saves and kept his team competitive despite being outshot 40-24.
Attendance in Frisco, Texas was a massive 482 (probably all scouts). If they host this in the states maybe they should try somewhere where people will care like Minnesota, Alaska, hell even Wyoming.
Canada’s next game is Friday May 2nd in the Semi Final against Slovakia.
