Canada U-18 Wins Last Exhibition Game…5-2 over Slovakia

From www.hockeycanada.ca…

Canada 5 – Slovakia 2 (Final)

STRONG SECOND PACES CANADA TO 5-2 WIN OVER SLOVAKIA MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – It may not have been the start it wanted, but the finish was pretty good for Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team. For the second time in as many games, the Canadians claimed victory in a pre-tournament game ahead of the 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, using three second-period goals to erase an early 2-0 deficit en route to a 5-2 win over Slovakia on Tuesday night. Canada found itself in a 2-0 hole with the game just 93 seconds old thanks to an early strike and a power play marker by the Slovakians, but those would be the only pucks to beat Bryce O’Hagan (Burlington, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), who made 18 saves to record the win. Outshooting the Slovakians 12-9 through 20 minutes, Canada finally hit the scoreboard just past the 13-minute mark of the middle frame as Dylan Olsen blasted a point shot past Slovakian netminder Juraj Holly with his team enjoying a two-man advantage. It pulled even just 44 seconds later on the same power play, with John McFarland (Richmond Hill, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) getting the equalizer, and Zack Kassian (LaSalle, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) rounded out a big second period for the Canadians by giving them their first lead of the game late in the frame. Byron Froese (Winkler, Man./Everett, WHL) and Landon Ferraro (Vancouver, B.C./Red Deer, WHL) rounded out the scoring with insurance goals in the third period as Canada finished its pre-tournament schedule with a 2-0 record. Canada, which outshot Slovakia 40-20, opens defence of its 2008 world championship on Thursday, when it takes on Germany in Fargo, N.D.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Minneapolis, MN, USA
Date	Tue. Apr. 7, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Ridder Arena
Time/Heure	19:00 Local	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Exhibition	Game #/No. match	02

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	Final
CAN	0	3	2	5
SVK	2	0	0	2

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts : 00:25 SVK Juraj Majdan (Andrej Stastny) 01:33 SVK Filip Janosik (Peter Hrasko) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 00:47 CAN Landon Ferraro (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 06:09 SVK Dominik Kadura (High-sticking/Baton élevé) 12:24 CAN Zack Kassian (Hooking/Accrocher)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts : 12:31 CAN Dylan Olsen (Calvin de Haan, Ryan O’Reilly) PP/AN 13:15 CAN John McFarland (Erik Gudbranson) PP/AN 17:28 CAN Zack Kassian (Ryan O’Reilly) Penalties/Pénalités : 00:45 SVK Andrej Stastny (Holding/Retenir) 02:54 CAN Byron Froese (Hooking/Accrocher) 07:49 CAN Brett Connolly (Delay of Game/Arrêter le match) 10:43 SVK Michael Vandas (Holding/Retenir) 11:54 SVK Martin Marincin (Holding/Retenir) 15:15 SVK Tomas Stano (Holding/Retenir)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts : 06:21 CAN Byron Froese (Stefan Elliott) 11:36 CAN Landon Ferraro (Joey Hishon) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 00:30 SVK Martin Marincin (Interference/Obstruction) 09:22 CAN Zack Kassian (Charging/Assaut) 09:22 CAN Zack Kassian (Misconduct/Inconduite) 10:52 SVK Dalibor Bortnak (Holding/Retenir) 13:40 SVK Miroslav Bobocky (Tripping/Faire trébucher) 16:02 CAN Curtis Hamilton (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 17:18 SVK Kristian Grman (Cross-checking/Double-échec)

Goaltenders	CAN	Bryan O’Hagan
Gardiens de but	SVK	Juraj Holly
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CAN	12	14	14	40
Tirs au but	SVK	9	7	4	20

Johnston/Canada Wins First U-18 Exhibition Game In OT…

From www.hockeycanada.ca:

Canada 6 – Finland 5 (Overtime Final)

OLSEN SENDS CANADA TO OVERTIME VICTORY OVER FINLAND MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Dylan Olsen (Calgary, Alta./Camrose, AJHL) was the overtime hero, scoring 1:58 into the extra period as Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team opened pre-tournament play ahead of the 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with a wild 6-5 win over Finland on Sunday. Canada struck first just shy of the four-minute mark of the first period as John McFarland (Richmond Hill, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) snapped a puck through the five-hole of Finnish goaltender Joni Ortio for a 1-0 lead. But the lead would last just four minutes, as the Finns pulled even and sent the game to the first intermission even 1-1. The offensive floodgates opened in the second period, as the two teams combined for four goals before the period was 10 minutes old. After Finland took a 2-1 lead just 55 seconds into the frame, Curtis Hamilton (Kelowna, B.C./Saskatoon, WHL) pulled Canada even, and struck again five minutes later after the Finns had again taken the lead. Canada regained its one-goal lead late in the period when Brett Connolly (Prince George, B.C./Prince George, WHL) counted to give the Canadians a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes. But once again the Finns would claw back, tying the game early in the third period, and, after Simon Déspres (Laval, Que./Saint John, QMJHL) had restored Canada’s lead at the 12:32 mark, drawing even again on a power play marker with 4:27 to go, forcing overtime. The Canadians took advantage of an early penalty against the Finns in the extra period and Olsen blasted a point shot past Erno Suomalainen, who had replaced Ortio following Connolly’s second-period goal. Michael Zador (Toronto, Ont./Oshawa, OHL) went the distance in the Canadian goal, making 23 saves. Canada finished 3-for-10 on the power play, and killed eight of the ten Finnish man advantages. After an off day on Monday, Canada returns to the ice at Ridder Arena Tuesday night when it faces Slovakia at 7 p.m. CT in its second and final pre-tournament game. It opens defence of its world title on Thursday, April 9 against Germany in Fargo, N.D.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement	2009 World U-18 Champ.	Location/Emplacement	Minneapolis, MN, USA
Date	Sun. Apr. 5, 2009	Arena/Aréna	Ridder Arena
Time/Heure	15:30 Local	Attendance/Assistance	-,—
Round/Ronde	Exhibition	Game #/No. match	01

Box Score/Compte	1	2	3	OT	Final
CAN	1	3	1	1	6
FIN	1	2	2	0	5

Goals/Penalties

First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts : 03:45 CAN John McFarland (Joey Hishon) PP/AN 07:22 FIN Jesse Mankinen (Janne Kumpulainen) Penalties/Pénalités : 00:21 CAN Cody Eakin (Holding the Stick/Retenir de baton) 02:54 FIN Joonas Donskoi (Slashing/Coup de baton) 04:10 FIN Tommi Kivisto (Interference/Obstruction) 10:15 CAN Calvin de Haan (Tripping/Trebucher) 10:51 FIN Mikael Aaltonen (Hooking/Accrocher) 11:14 CAN Simon Déspres (Interference/Obstruction)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts : 00:55 FIN Teemu Pulkkinen (Mikael Granlund) 05:09 CAN Curtis Hamilton (Calvin de Haan, Byron Froese) 08:40 FIN Teemu Pulkkinen (Sami Vatanen) PP/AN 10:29 CAN Curtis Hamilton (Byron Froese) PP/AN 14:57 CAN Brett Connolly Penalties/Pénalités : 02:31 CAN Taylor Doherty (Slashing/Coup de baton) 07:05 FIN Rasmus Rissanen (Cross-checking/Double-échec) 07:24 CAN Curtis Hamilton (Cross-checking/Double-échec) 07:59 CAN Ethan Werek (Hooking/Accrocher) 09:04 FIN Ville Hyvarinen (Interference/Obstruction) 18:53 CAN Mikael Granlund (Holding/Retenir)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts : 02:22 FIN Janne Kumpulainen (Jesse Mankinen) 12:32 CAN Simon Déspres (Zack Kassian) 15:33 FIN Sami Vatanen (Teemu Pulkkinen, Toni Rajala) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 04:37 FIN Mikael Granlund (Tripping/Trebucher) 06:36 FIN Tommi Kivisto (Tripping/Trebucher) 08:09 CAN Erik Gudbranson (Interference/Obstruction) 12:55 CAN Kyle Clifford (Check from Behind) 12:55 CAN Kyle Clifford (Game Misconduct/Inconduite de match) 14:32 FIN Mikael Granlund (Interference/Obstruction) 15:10 CAN Calvin de Haan (Slashing/Coup de baton) 15:29 CAN Brett Connolly (Hooking/Accrocher)

Overtime/Prolongation

Goals/Buts : 01:58 Dylan Olsen (John McFarland) PP/AN Penalties/Pénalités : 01:09 FIN Rasmus Rissanen (Roughing/Rudesse)

Goaltenders	CAN	Michael Zador
Gardiens de but	FIN	Joni Ortio
Shots on Goal	Team	1 p	2 p	3 p	OT	Ttl
Shots on Goal	CAN	6	12	9	2	29
Tirs au but	FIN	8	10	10	0	28

Mucha Signs With Idaho of ECHL…

19 year old goaltender Kurtis Mucha has signed to play for the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL as they get ready to do battle in the playoffs.

The story can be found here:

http://www.idahosteelheads.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=1026

Mucha, who is still draft eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, took part in the rookie camp of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes in September of 2008.

He holds the Winter Hawks team records for games played, minutes played, shots faced and saves made in his tenure as a Hawk.

I guess it is only fitting that Mucha, an avid fishermen, would play for a team named the Steelheads…here is hoping that this will be only his first cast into a pro hockey career.

Best of luck to Muchs…

He’s A Lumberjack, And He’s OK…

Former Winter Hawk Defenseman Scott Gabriel has signed his first pro contract, with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL.

Gabriel finished the year with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, appearing in 28 games scoring 5-5-10 with 204 PIM’s.  In the postseason, Gabriel added 2-2-4 with 62 PIM’s in 10 games.

The Lumberjacks are led offensively by former Winter Hawk forward Todd Robinson, who is closing in on his second IHL scoring title.  He has posted 23-88-111 in 65 games.

The transaction of Gabriel signing can be found at:

http://www.ihl-hockey.com/index.php/game-center/transactions

It is worth noting that the Lumberjacks have also signed former Winter Hawk list player and Prince George Cougar graduate, goaltender Kevin Armstrong, as well.

Best of luck to Gabes as he starts his pro career…