Canada advances to Hlinka Gretzky Cup  gold-medal game vs. United States

There will be another Canada-United States showdown for gold on the international stage.

Canada defeated Finland 6-3 in the semifinals of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Friday to advance to Saturday’s final.

The U.S. beat Slovakia 5-2 in the other semifinal, setting up another chapter in the hockey rivalry between the North American neighbours.

Jaakko Wycisk had a huge night with a goal and three assists to help the Canadians get by the Finns.

Wycisk, 17, plays for the OHL’s Guelph Storm.

Benjamin Veitch had a goal and two assists while captain Landon DuPont opened the scoring for Canada with his second of the tournament.

Saturday’s final will be a chance at revenge for the Canadians, as it was the Americans who knocked them out in last year’s semifinals to snap a three-year gold medal streak.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an annual under-18 tournament hosted by Hockey Canada, the Czech Ice Hockey Association, and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation. While it is not a formal IIHF event, it is one of the first opportunities for the next generation of hockey stars to represent Canada in an international competition.