Bob Corkum’s USA Team Loses 4-0

Former UMaine player and coach Bob Corkum and his USA Under-18 Select Hockey team lost to Canada 4-0 in the gold medal game at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. USA defeated the Czech Republic 5-3 in the semi-final Friday afternoon. Canada defeated Russia 3-1 in the other semi-final.

In the title game, Canada scored one goal in each of the first two periods, then added two more in the third.

This tournament features many of the best young players in the world, age 18 and under. The Czech Republic and Slovakia have been host sites. Hlinka was one of the first Czech players to play in the NHL and died in a car accident when he was 53. This tournament used to be called the U18 Junior World Cup.

Corkum is coaching the USA team and will then go to work for the NY Islanders of the NHL. He was UMaine's interim hockey coach when Tim Whitehead was released of his duties and was a finalist for the job before UM hired Red Gendron as head coach.