Sensational Sedo
Another debut. Another shutout. Hudson Sedo continues to defy expectations.
The Canmore Eagles rookie goaltender got his first start of the 2024-25 Alberta Junior Hockey Season on Saturday (Sept. 21) and saved all 39 shots to come his way. The 18-year-old St. Albert native needed to be perfect in goal as he led his team to a 1-0 victory over the Grande Prairie Storm.
The result gives Sedo two shutouts in just three junior A games. A member of the St. Albert Raiders U18 squad last season, the then 17-year-old was called in as an emergency replacement for the Eagles. In his first start in the AJHL on Feb. 23, 2024 he would block all 14 shots as Canmore defeated the Olds Grizzlys 3-0.
Sedo would play one more game last season, four days later against the Calgary Canucks in a 6-1 defeat. He could hardly be faulted as the Canucks were starting an explosive run that would see that team win 15 of 18 games and claim its first AJHL title since 1999.
Sedo is expected to backup Alex Scheiwiller, signed out of the B.C. Hockey League, but who has two seasons of AJHL experience on his pads. Scheiwiller started each of the Eagles’ previous three games, winning twice over Calgary to begin the season but giving up five on Friday (Sept. 20) in a 5-2 loss to the Drayton Valley Thunder.
Recording two shutouts in three starts certainly has the Eagles head coach Andrew Milne smiling about his newest goaltending tandem. That might be offset though by an anemic offence.
Yes, the Eagles have a record of three wins and one loss and are tied for the league lead in victories, the same as South Division-leading Drayton Valley Thunder (3-0-0-1), Drumheller Dragons (3-1-0-0) and North Division leaders Grande Prairie Storm, but have shipped just 10 goals in those four games, far less than any of those aforementioned teams.
On Saturday, it was Cohen Daoust bailing out the Eagles with his second goal of the season at 14:49 of the third period – a shot that wormed its way through the pads of the Drayton Valley goaltender and inched its way over the goal line.
On Friday, the Eagles were unable to match the Thunder’s special teams, giving up three power play goals while going 0-for-5 on their chances, and are scoreless in 14 chances on the season. Only the Bobcats have a worse power play, having gone scoreless in 21 chances entering their Sunday (Sept. 22) matinee in Calgary.
Both games were played at the Canmore Recreation Centre.
Canmore’s goals against the Thunder came from Braeden Burke at 12:50 of the opening period to tie the game at 1-1 and a shorthanded effort by Josh Cleary at 14:17 of the second period. It was first goals of the season for Burke and Cleary, who were teammates, and 20-goal scorers, with Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League last season.
The Thunder would match Cleary’s shorthanded marker with their own man-down goal when Cooper Brown opened the scoring at 8:10 of the first period. Anton Yatshyshin scored two power-play goals, the first giving the visitors a 2-1 lead after one period, the second at 17:39 of the middle frame completed the scoring in this game. Also scoring for the Thunder were a pair of Bens – Buckley and Winkelmann – that would give their team a 4-1 lead midway through the contest.
Drayton Valley would finish 3-for-6 on the power play, which included a five-minute major to Brayden Schwartz for kneeing, for which he would subsequently be suspended for two games.
Canmore would outshot Drayton Valley 32-30 with Cameron Doucette in goal for the Thunder.
On Saturday, Lloydminster outshot Canmore 39-26 with Anders Miller in goal for the Bobcats.
On the power play, Lloydminster was 0-for-5 while Canmore was 0-for-2.
Canmore heads to Calgary for a pair of midweek games at the AJHL Showcase weekend: Wednesday, Sept. 25 the Eagles will have a rematch with the Bobcats; Friday, Sept. 27 the Eagles take on the Storm. Both games are 4:30 p.m. starts at the Max Bell Centre.
EAGLES NEST: While technically, Canmore’s game against the Storm is a home contest, the Eagles next games at the Canmore Recreation Centre are Oct. 12-13 against the Bonnyville Pontiacs. … Tickets for Canmore Eagles’ home games are available at canmoreeagles.ca/tickets. … You can also 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.
Russ Ullyot
