Canada Dominates Switzerland in Hlinka Gretzky Cup: Mathis Preston and Ruck Twins Shine
Mathis Preston and the Ruck twins, Liam and Markus, who were rivals in the 2025 WHL Championship, have now become teammates on the Canadian national squad. Preston scored a hat trick in the third period, with the Ruck twins contributing three assists each, leading Canada to a 9-1 victory over Switzerland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The trio's chemistry was evident as they combined for four goals and six assists in the game.
The game started slowly with a scoreless first period, but Canada quickly picked up the pace in the second period. Landon DuPont set the tone by assisting Dimian Zhilkin for the first goal of the game. The game remained close until the third period when Canada made some line adjustments, putting the Ruck twins and Preston together, resulting in a flurry of goals.
Preston's first goal opened the floodgates for Canada, with Zhilkin and Adam Valentini scoring three goals in under a minute. Liam Ruck assisted Preston for his second goal of the period, and Markus Ruck set up Preston for his hat trick goal. Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph also contributed with assists in the game.
Canada dominated the third period, scoring eight goals to secure the victory. Carter Esler had a strong performance in goal, stopping 14 of 15 shots. The team will face Czechia in their final preliminary-round game.
In other tournament action, Jiri Kamas scored Czechia's first goal, Kalder Varga scored for the U.S. team, and Noah Davidson netted the game-winner for the Americans. The competition continues to heat up as teams battle for supremacy in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.