Denton Mateychuk and the rest of Team Canada earned bronze medals at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games earlier this month in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"The experience was awesome," said the 15-year-old Dominion City product shortly after the Eastman Selects held on for a 5-4 victory over the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League leading Winnipeg Wild Saturday night at the Sun Gro Centre in Beausejour. "I was super honoured to be able to represent my country like that. To bring home bronze was pretty cool."

Mateychuk found out he would be wearing a Team Canada hockey jersey back in the middle of December when Hockey Canada announced our countries 17-player roster.

"It was just surreal. Something you always dreamed of as a little kid. To be able to do it was just awesome."

The Selects defenseman, who has played six games with the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors this season, scored a goal in Team Canada's 6-2 loss to Russia in their preliminary round opener.

Mateychuk said giving up four goals in the first period to the eventual gold medal winners was the difference.

"I think we got the nerves out after the first and to score, that was really awesome. That was crazy."

Canada blanked Denmark 6-0 to close out the preliminary round and then fell 2-1 to the United States in the semifinals.

The Canadian squad scored three first period goals en route to a 4-2 victory over Finland in the Bronze Medal game.

"When it’s a close game like that you’re obviously getting a little nervous," said Mateychuk. "To come out with that win was really awesome."

It wasn't all hockey all the time for Team Canada at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"We had quite a bit of downtime," noted Mateychuk. "We toured the Olympic Museum and watched speed skating. That was really cool."

Canadian athletes won eight medals in Switzerland including one gold, two silver and five bronze.


Team Canada captured bronze at the Winter Youth Olympic Games