Showcase split
Third period rallies just might be the best thing about hockey. Emotions wax and wane with each goal for players and spectators alike.
The Canmore Eagles and their fans experienced both sides of that experience during the Alberta Junior Hockey League Showcase in Calgary this past week.
The AJHL Showcase brings all 12 junior A teams to a single location for a series of games – each team plays twice – allowing scouts from around the hockey spectrum a chance to congregate and take in 250-plus players over a three-day period. Each team played two games between Wednesday and Friday (Sept. 25-27).
Canmore played the Lloydminster Bobcats on Wednesday afternoon at the Max Bell Centre – the second meeting between the two teams in a five-day period – and rallied back from a 1-0 deficit for a 2-1 victory.
The contest was scoreless through two periods. Remy Spooner gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead, ending Canmore goaltender Hudson Sedo’s shutout string at 108:44. Sedo, making back-to-back starts, got his first appearance of the regular season on Saturday (Sept. 21) against the Bobcats, making 39 saves in a 1-0 victory.
The Eagles would rally for two goals in a 140-second span to overturn the deficit. Zach Coutu scored his third goal of the season at 11:16. That was followed by Josh Cleary’s game winner at 13:26.
Nolan Kazeil assisted on both goals for a squad topping four assists for the season. On the winning goal, the 20-year-old defenceman won a board battle in his own zone with his backhand pass finding Cleary streaking up the left wing. The Eagles forward gathered the puck near the Bobcats’ blue line, took two quick strides, toe-dragged the puck around a sprawling defender and wired a shot far side, top corner of the goal.
Canmore then held on for its fourth win in five games this season putting them top of the South Division for a day.
The Eagles outshot the Bobcats 37-17 with Kaiden Kirkwood in goal for Lloydminster.
On Friday, Canmore came up against the hottest team in the league in the Grande Prairie Storm at four wins and a shootout loss entering the game and having outscored opponents 23-4. By contrast, the Eagles entered the game 4-1-0-0, but just 11-11 in goals for and against and had yet to score a power-play goal.
Grande Prairie opened the scoring with Alec Hall scoring at 6:04 of the opening period. Canmore would tie the game seven minutes later when Carter Coutu scored his first of the season. It was the Eagles’ first power-play goal of the season, coming on their 18th chance.
Canmore took the lead in the second period on Cleary’s third goal of the season at 8:14.
Owen Jones assisted on both goals.
This day’s third-period joy though would go to the Storm. Max Leduc would tie the game at 8:25. Zach Bansley would score the game winner at 11:39.
Grande Prairie would outshot Canmore 28-26 after being outshot 13-4 in the opening period. Alexander Scheiwiller was back in goal for the Eagles, with Keagin Kelln in goal for the Storm.
With the win, Grande Prairie would stay atop the AJHL standings. The North Division leaders are 5-0-0-1 for 11 points. Canmore is tied for second in the South Division at 4-2-0-0, with the Drumheller Dragons tops at 5-1-0-0 for 10 points, while the recently surging Calgary Canucks are at 3-1-1-1 and tied with the Eagles on eight points.
All 12 teams had the weekend off. Canmore returns to action on Friday, Oct. 4 when they take on the Storm at noon in Grande Prairie. The first northern road trip also includes games on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Whitecourt Wolverines and Sunday at 4 p.m. against the Drayton Valley Thunder.
EAGLES NEST: Canmore’s power play was 1-for-9 in the two games and is 1-for-23 (4.3%) on the season, while killing off all seven shorthanded situations to improve to 20-for-24 (83.3%). … Canmore plays just two home games in October, both are against the Bonnyville Pontiacs, Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.. … October is a lean month for the Eagles as the team plays just seven games, finishing off the month’s schedule with a doubleheader in Fort McMurray, Oct. 19-20. … 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