Rested Eagles return to action

The Canmore Eagles tried something different this season. The junior A squad’s schedule featured an almost two-week break after the opening two months of the season, hoping it would pay off over a long season.

Coming out of the 12-day break provided some mixed results when Canmore returned to Alberta Junior Hockey League action with three games in three days. The Eagles travelled to Bonnyville for a doubleheader, winning 4-2 on Friday (Nov. 1) and losing 3-2 in overtime on Saturday (Nov. 2). The weekend finished in Camrose on Sunday (Nov. 3), with the hometown Kodiaks cruising to a 5-0 win over the Eagles.

Even after a long layoff, Canmore continues to hold onto first place in the South Division with a record of 11 wins, three regulation-time losses and two overtime defeats for 24 points. Camrose (9-5-1-2) moved into second place in the South and are now three points back of the Eagles.

Canmore continued its dominance over Bonnyville with a third consecutive win this season – part of a five-game winning streak that included two wins over the Pontiacs in Canmore and two victories over the Oil Barons in Fort McMurray before the break.

Cole Wadsworth scored his first two goals as a member of the Eagles, giving Canmore a 2-0 lead by 14:02 of the first period. Myles Gauld (6th goal of the season) would get Bonnyville back within one just 10 seconds after Wadsworth’s power-play goal.

Liam Magnuson’s first goal of the season at 1:30 of the second period, wiring the puck home from just inside the blue line, would prove the game winner. Brady Austin (1) would reply for the Kodiaks in the period.

Nathan MacPherson-Ridgewell (2) would put the puck into the empty net with 32 seconds remaining to ensure the Eagles’ victory.

Canmore outshot Bonnyville 23-18 with Hudson Sedo in goal for the Eagles and 16-year-old Ryley Budd making his AJHL debut for the Pontiacs.

Canmore looked poised to tie the bow on a four-game season sweep over Bonnyville only to have it unravel in the third period and overtime.

The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals, and first goals of the season, by Tavynn Schlatt and Carter Coutu.

Canmore then took four penalties in the third period giving Bonnyville momentum to pull back on even terms. Porter Byrd-Leitner (2) scored on the power play.  Bronson Ross (3) scored just six seconds after the fourth penalty had ended.

The game would then need to go to extra time where Jordan Schanbacher (3) ensured the Pontiacs would avoid a season sweep scoring at 3:52 of the 3-on-3 session.

Bonnyville outshot Canmore 23-20 with Alex Scheiwiller in goal for the Eagles and Cody Butikis in goal for the Pontiacs.

Camrose has been scoring at least four goals per game over its last five outings and showcased that offence when Canmore came to town for a Sunday matinee.

Two goals by Bowen Grycan (6) paced the offence with singles coming from Liam Payne (5), Tyson Murray (3) and Garrett Thom (8). The Kodiaks blew the game open with three goals in a 2:10 span in the second period beginning with Payne’s goal at 12:03.

Camrose outshot Canmore 44-24 with Sedo in goal for the Eagles and Carter Capton earning his first shutout of the season for the Pontiacs

Zach Coutu’s points scoring streak ended at 10 games (5G-10A) when he was held off the scoresheet on Saturday. Coutu’s 19 points (7G-12A) is fifth overall in the AJHL.

Rhett Dekowny had his on eight-game points streak (5G-5A) also end on Saturday. Dekowny has 12 points (6G-6A) for the season.

Sedo ran his winning streak to seven games before having it snapped in Sunday’s loss. After giving up five goals to Camrose, the rookie goaltender now has an AJHL fourth-best 2.00 goals-against average and a third-best .930 save percentage.

Canmore’s power play was 2-for-10 over the weekend and 11-for-59 for an AJHL sixth-best 18.6 per cent overall this season. The 59 chances are the second least in the league to Camrose’s 58. The Eagles’ penalty kill was 11-for-12 over the three games and is 56-for-64 for a third-best 87.5 per cent.

Canmore lost two players during the weekend’s action for indeterminate time frames. Jaren Brinson missed the final two games of the roadtrip with an ankle injury suffered Friday, while Wadsworth was forced out of Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.

Canmore plays its first home game in 21 days when they host the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (6-10-0-1, third in the North) at the Canmore Recreation Centre on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The week also includes a home game versus the Whitecourt Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 8, concluding with a trip to Calgary’s Max Bell Centre on Sunday, Nov. 10 to take on the Canucks. Both home games are 7 p.m. starts with a 2 p.m. start in Calgary.

EAGLES NEST: Tickets for Canmore Eagles’ home games are available at canmoreeagles.ca/tickets. …. Canmore’s 12-game November schedule includes six home games, including Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Banff’s Fenland Arena (7 p.m.) versus the Calgary Canucks. … You can watch all Eagles’ games as well as the rest of the AJHL online, along with much more live and on demand sports, through a FloSports subscription available at flohockey.tv.