The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is underway at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., with the Aug. 3-8 tournament showcasing many of the world’s best under-18 men’s hockey players as they represent their respective countries.

That said, before winning over Edmonton Oilers fans with his hard work and rugged style of play, forward Vasily Podkolzin built an impressive international résumé while representing Russia, suiting up for his country at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the World Under-18 Championship, and three World Junior Championships.

But some of his best hockey while representing his country came at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018, where he was selected as captain of Team Russia. The tournament was held in Edmonton and Red Deer that year, and Podkolzin put together one of the most dominant performances in its 35-year history. Let’s take a trip down memory lane as we look back at Podkolzin’s dominant run at the tournament.

How did Vasily Podkolzin dominate the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup preliminary round?

Team Russia steamrolled the competition through the preliminary rounds, led by their captain. They pounded Team Finland 7-2 in their first game, where Podkolzin tallied a goal and two assists. They then defeated Team Czech Republic 3-0, with the future Oiler scoring another goal, before Russia finished the preliminary round with an 8-3 thrashing of Team USA, where Podkolzin potted two more goals.

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Russia's Vasili Podkolzin leads the #HlinkaGretzkyCup in goals and is considered a top prospect for the #2019NHLDraft.

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9:10 PM · Aug 11, 2018

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Russia advanced to the semi-finals, where they faced Team Sweden, which featured former Oilers defenceman Philip Broberg manning the........

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