Canada’s World Juniors hopefuls win Game 1 against U SPORTS all-stars

Photo credit: Hockey Canada

Halifax Mooseheads captain Jake Furlong scored twice as Canada’s 2024 World Juniors hopefuls beat the U SPORTS all-stars in Game 1 of their two-game series Tuesday in Oakville, ON.

Denver Barkey (LDN) and Regina Pats draftee Matthew Wood also scored for Canada while Mathis Rousseau (HAL) stopped 11 shots. Scott Ratzlaff (SEA) made 13 saves in relief.

Former CHLers Simon Lafrance and Riley Stotts found the back of the net for U SPORTS while Dom DiVincentiis (NB) made 12 saves before Samuel St-Hilaire (SHE) stopped 11 shots in the second half of the game.

“I really liked our effort out there,” Canada head coach Alan Letang said. “I thought the game was fast, intense. Give [U SPORTS] a ton of credit for pushing our guys; that’s exactly what we wanted to see. I loved our enthusiasm on the bench, I loved our compete.

“I thought there were moments in the game we got to the pace we want to play at; we look like a fast team. A lot, a lot of good.”

Lafrance, who suited up for Val-d’Or and Victoriaville during his CHL career, gave U SPORTS a 1-0 lead at 9:49 of the first period on a wraparound. Canada levelled the scores at 14:21 as Ty Nelson’s (NB) shot was blocked but fell into the lap of Wood who beat DiVincentiis with a quick release.

🎥 | Matthew Wood and Jake Furlong scored two goals apiece to help 🇨🇦 double up @USPORTSca 4-2 in the selection camp opener.

🎥 | Matthew Wood et Jake Furlong ont marqué deux buts, et le 🇨🇦 a battu U SPORTS 4-2 au premier duel du camp.#WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior pic.twitter.com/yYsxv6iuFk

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 13, 2023

Barkey restored Canada’s lead at 11:51 of the second as Wood’s shot hit the Knights forward in the knee before Furlong made it 3-1 at 18:10 with a well-placed wrister past Ratzlaff’s glove.

Former Broncos and Hitmen forward Stotts cut the deficit to 3-2 at 10:07 of third before Furlong scored into the empty-net with 22.7 seconds to play.

“I got pretty lucky,” Furlong, who had scored once in 29 games with Halifax this season, said with a chuckle. “The first one [Macklin] Celebrini made a great pass and the second one I saw a lane and threw it at the net and thankfully it went in.”

After regulation, the two clubs played a full five-minute three-on-three overtime where Vancouver and Medicine Hat alumnus Dylan Plouffe had the lone goal. In a shootout that followed, Wood buried the winner in the fifth round after Brayden Yager (MJ) and Stotts had scored earlier.