Lukas Bernasiewicz
With their 3-2 overtime win over Team Czechia, Team Canada has hoisted the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup for the second year in a row.
This win for Canada is a momentous moment for their next wave of young players which includes Oakville’s own Michael Misa.
The game itself was one for the ages, Czechia took a 1-0 lead in the first period and kept the lead until intermission.
Then Canada scored two goals in the second period and looked to win the game in regulation.
But Czechia took advantage of a late powerplay and scored with less than five minutes left of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the final moments of the extra frame, Canada’s Malcolm Spence forced a turnover and found himself on a breakaway and scored to earn Canada a gold medal.
But not lost in Team Canada’s victory was Misa’s importance to the team in their quest for gold.
Misa scored two goals and six assists for a total of eight points in five games.
His most productive game was against Slovakia, where he scored two goals and four assists in Canada’s dominant 14-4 win.
Misa also accomplished those stats as the youngest player on Canada’s roster, and will also be eligible to play for Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky next year.
Moving forward, Misa now continues his off-season training as he prepares for his sophomore season with the Saginaw Spirit.
Michael had an incredible rookie season in 2022-23 after being granted exceptional status in the Ontario Hockey League.
He recorded 22 goals and 34 assists, totalling 56 points in 45 games.
With these results, Misa was awarded the OHL’s Rookie of the Year award.
This next season will be very special for Michael and the Saginaw Spirit organization as the city of Saginaw will be hosting the Memorial Cup.
With the city hosting, the Spirit is given an automatic entrance into the four-team tournament.
Along with preparation for the 2024 Memorial Cup, Michael’s sophomore season will be key for his development as he looks to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
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