PHOTO COURTESY CAYDEN LINDSTROM
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom celebrates a goal while playing for Team Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Cayden Lindstrom returned from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a heavier suitcase and a highlight for his young hockey career.
The Medicine Hat Tigers forward was part of Team Canada’s U18 team who captured gold at the annual international tournament, beating host team Czechia 3-2 in overtime on Aug. 5.
“It was probably the best experience I’ve had in my life,” Lindstrom said. “It was a great honour to put on the jersey and to win gold with some good teammates from across Canada. Getting to play with all those guys, throughout the two weeks, it was amazing. They treated us well, fed us well, everything like that. It was just a lot of fun.”
Lindstrom totalled two goals and three points in five tournament games, scoring Canada’s first goal in their gold medal win to tie the game up at 1-1. He was happy to contribute in the most important game of the tournament.
“I had a bit of a slow start but I got better as the tournament went on,” Lindstrom said. “I just flipped the switch in the gold medal game, it felt great.”
Canada stumbled out of the gate in the two-week tournament, blowing an early lead before falling 9-6 against Finland. Lindstrom says that opening loss was an eye opener for himself and the team but says they banded together because of it.
“After the game, we weren’t worried at all, we knew what kind of group we had and we knew how good how good we were,” Lindstrom said. “We just kind of stuck with what we knew and played how we could. We played all of our roles and just stuck through it and kept winning.”
The Hlinka Gretzky marked the second time the 17-year-old Chetwynd, B.C. product has represented Canada, as he donned the red and white at the U17 Challenge in 2022 during his rookie season in the WHL. Lindstrom says it’s always an honour to wear the maple leaf and took a lot of pride knowing the games were being broadcast on TSN.
“My family and friends were all watching from home, it’s a pretty good feeling to have,” Lindstrom said. “Watching that tournament as a kid, and now playing in it, it was a really great feeling.”
The Hlinka Gretzky was hosted in Trencin, Slovakia and Breclav, Czechia, and provided Lindstrom his first taste of Europe, having never travelled there before. He enjoyed how warm it was there and getting to take in the culture and history between games.
“Everything seemed older, it was a pretty cool experience to go across seas like that into Europe and see all the cool places there,” Lindstrom said. “We went to the castle in Trencin and explored that for a bit, which was cool because it’s over 2,000 years old.”
Team Canada was led offensively in the tournament by Spokane Chiefs forward Berkly Catton, who had eight goals and 10 points in five games. Their third leading scorer, Michael Misa, was the lone 2007 born player on the team. Lindstrom played on a separate line from Misa, who received exceptional status to play for the Saginaw Spirit in the 2022-23 season, but admired his talent.
“He’s an unreal player, obviously really young, but he fit in well with us and he’s a good teammate,” Lindstrom said.
He doesn’t have one singular favourite moment from the tournament but says he was able to enjoy every day because of the teammates he had.
“Just being around with the guys in the hotel rooms, in the dressing room, on the ice,” Lindstrom said. “It was just good vibes all around, it was all good to me.”
The Hlinka Gretzky tournament serves as the kickoff for scouts to get an up-close look on talents for the next NHL draft. Lindstrom, as well as the rest of the players in the tournament, is regarded as a top prospect heading into the 2024 NHL draft (Misa isn’t eligible until 2025).
Lindstrom says he gained confidence from the tournament but it hasn’t changed his approach heading into what is an important season individually, and team wise for the Tigers.
“Either way, I would be coming into the season trying to get better every day, after every practice and every game,” Lindstrom said. “I was coming into the season with same mindset I would always have.”
With training camp on the horizon and the WHL regular season about to kick off in less than a month, Lindstrom is ready to don the orange and black once again.
“I’m looking forward to the training camp and seeing all the guys again,” Lindstrom said. “Just getting together with all the guys, seeing all the old teammates and getting the games going, I miss it.”
