A Greater Victoria teen has his first win on the international stage as Canada has gone back-to-back as Hlinka Gretzky Cup champs.

Ollie Josephson made his debut wearing the maple leaf as some of the best U18 menB次元官网网址檚 hockey players in the world gathered in Czechia and Slovakia between July 31 and Aug. 5.

Canada beat co-host Czechia in the championship game to claim its 24th gold medal at the tournament. ItB次元官网网址檚 the first gold for Josephson, who grew up in View Royal and Langford while playing for the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies and other Greater Victoria clubs.

The 17-year-old Red Deer Rebels forward said prior to the tournament he was ready to embrace whatever role the national team needed him to take on if it meant he could help CanadaB次元官网网址檚 quest for gold.

JosephsonB次元官网网址檚 tournament point total landed him in the top-third of all skaters as he posted three assists in five games.

After dropping its first game, Canada bounced back to finish first in its group, with lofty wins over Slovakia and Switzerland. The Canadians then earned their spot in the gold medal game by beating the United States 7-2 in the semifinals.

The championship game would be the closest contest of the tournament for Canada as the Czechs forced overtime with a power play goal late in the third period. But the defending champs would prevail as CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Malcolm Spence stole the puck from a Czech defender before scoring the golden goal with under 50 seconds remaining in the first extra frame.

As Josephson prepares for his sophomore campaign in the Western Hockey League, his return to Red Deer will be backdropped by his eligibility for the 2024 NHL Draft.

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