Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff didn’t just show up – they showed out.
The pair of Victoria Royals standouts made a clear impact on the world stage this weekend, helping Canada claim gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship in stunning fashion.
The golden moment for 🇨🇦’s 26 CHLers at the #U18MensWorlds! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/uDegbvKAWW
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 4, 2025
With a 7–0 rout of Sweden in Saturday’s final, Canada capped off an undefeated run and secured back-to-back U18 titles for the first time in program history.
The Canadians were relentless from puck drop to final buzzer, controlling play from start to finish and outshooting the Swedes 42–28. Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped every shot he faced, notching his second shutout of the tournament and anchoring a complete team effort that saw 14 skaters register at least one point.
It was a gold medal game that left no doubt.
Canada’s depth was on full display, with six different players finding the back of the net.
Xavier Villeneuve opened the scoring just over four minutes in, and the red and white never looked back. Their structure, speed, and precision overwhelmed a Swedish team that has medalled in seven straight tournaments but looked overmatched in every zone on this night.
Few players left a bigger mark than Reschny and Verhoeff.
Both joined Team Canada after the Royals were eliminated by Spokane in the second round of the WHL playoffs, and both wasted little time proving they belonged.
Their performances not only helped secure gold, but likely earned them serious consideration for spots at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St. Paul – the biggest stage in the world for under-20 players.
Reschny, 18, wore an ‘A’ on his sweater just as he does in Victoria and played a key leadership role.
Despite missing two games, he still racked up five goals and three assists in six appearances, finishing with a +8 rating and tying for 11th in tournament scoring. He was named one of Canada’s top three players, alongside Ivankovic and Seattle Thunderbirds forward Braeden Cootes.
🇨🇦's top three players - all of whom are 2025 #NHLDraft eligible - at the #U18MensWorlds:
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 3, 2025
Braeden Cootes (@SeattleTbirds)
Cole Reschny (@victoriaroyals)
Jack Ivankovic (@OHLSteelheads) pic.twitter.com/h4q5fSJYvO
"It was very special to win with a very special group. We knew what we had in mind when we came to this tournament, and to be able to do that is pretty special," Reschny said. "We executed our game plan, we dominated at 5-on-5. I think (Sweden) thought it was going to be a bit easier than it was. We took it to them, and didn't hold up at all."
Verhoeff, the youngest player on Canada’s roster at just 16, looked right at home. The smooth-skating blueliner finished with five points in five games – a goal and four assists – and a +6 rating while logging steady, dependable minutes on the back end.
Head coach Cory Stillman praised the group for their progression and composure, crediting their gold-medal performance as their best of the tournament.
“What a great feeling,” Stillman said. “It’s been a long season for these guys and you always want to finish the season with a championship with your club team. If that doesn’t pan out, you get to represent your country and that’s pretty special. We got better as the tournament went on. Tonight was the best game we played and we came out winners.”
Canada’s path to gold included wins over Slovakia, Latvia, Finland, and Norway in the preliminary round, where they outscored opponents 43-5. They edged Czechia 3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinals and blanked Slovakia 4-0 in the semis to reach the final.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2002, Canada has now claimed six U18 golds, along with one silver and four bronze medals. But few will shine quite like this one – not just because they won, but because of how they did it.
In the bronze medal game, the U.S.A. slid by Slovakia 4-3 as they claimed a medal in their fourth straight tournament.
