When Drumheller Dragon’s Coach and General Manager Brian Curran acquired goaltender Curtis Skip from the Grande Prairie Storm in mid-August, he probably had a strong inkling that the 19-year-old might be capable of stealing a few wins for his Dragon team during the 2013-14 Alberta Junior Hockey League season.
Curran didn’t have to wait long for his trade to pay off as the third-year AJHL veteran netminder was outstanding on Friday night stopping 36 of 37 Eagle shots and led his team to a 5-1 victory over the Canmore Eagles in the regular season opener for both clubs. The game was played before an enthusiastic crowd of 434 fans at the Canmore Recreation Centre.
Special team play also played a significant role in the game’s outcome as the Eagle powerplay went 0-9 and allowed two shorthanded goals. The Dragons also scored a powerplay goal.
“Tonight, we ran into a hot goalie and we couldn’t get a bounce to go our way,” said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne after the game. “I thought we generated plenty of chances, but we just couldn’t seem to get a handle on the puck when we had our opportunities. Overall, I was pleased with our effort and thought we played well systematically.”
The Eagles are right back in action on Saturday night (Sept. 7) as they will face the visiting Calgary Canucks at the Canmore Recreation Centre at 7 PM.
“I think a lot of our rookie players were a little nervous for our home opener and hopefully they will respond better on Saturday night, now that they’ve had a game under their belts,” said Milne.
NOTEBOOK: Austen Hebert had the lone Eagle goal in last night’s game . . . .The Eagles played last night's game without the services of three Canmore boys as Nils Moser (1-game suspension), John Stevens (injury) and Roman Melzer (sick) were all sidelined. . . .Prior the game, the Eagles announced that Nils Moser will serve as the club's Captain this year while Luke Simpson, Trey Phillips and John Stevens will be Assistants. . .The Calgary Canucks also came out on the losing end last night as they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Olds Grizzlys in Olds. . . Special thanks to Scott McLeod and his Shoppers Drug Mart team for providing a pre-game BBQ before last night’s home opener. His team collected $465 in donations for the KidsSport organization. . . Registration for this year's Golf Tournament at the Kananaskis Ranch Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 14 will close on Monday, Sept. 9. Please email marketing@canmoreeagles.com if you would like to play.
