OHL rookies in action at 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
A total of 27 OHL players and a number of hockey operations staff are representing Canada at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta, BC as the tournament returns for the first time since 2019.
Here’s a look at action throughout the tournament as OHL rookies line up against their own age group in an international showcase.
Day 10 – Saturday, November 12th:
Gold Medal game: United States 11, Canada Red 3
Langley, B.C. – The United States charged out to a 3-0 lead with a trio in the latter half of the first period and never looked back, finishing the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a perfect 7-0 record to claim gold for the first time since 2017.
Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) was a bright spot in the loss, scoring a pair of goals while Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves) accounted for Canada Red’s third. Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor Spitfires), Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) and Ben Danford (Oshawa Generals) all collected assists.
Cole Eiserman led the way for the Americans with three goals and three assists while James Hagens finished with two goals and three helpers.
“We liked the way we started the game; we were playing well. Their goalie made some big saves when we had a power play early on,” said Canada Red head coach Greg Walters (Owen Sound Attack). “We thought we were playing a really good hockey game. We made one bad turnover and then the game kind of spiralled away from us.”
Canada Red’s silver medal gives one of the three Canadian clubs a medal for the first time since 2017 when Canada Red won silver in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, BC.
Martone led all OHL players in tournament scoring with seven goals, five assists and 12 points in seven contests. Eleven OHL players return home with silver medals as members of Canada Red.
Bronze Medal Game: Finland 7, Canada Black 1
Langley, B.C. – Lucas Karmiris (Mississauga Steelheads) scored Canada Black’s lone goal in a 7-1 defeat at the hands of Finland in Saturday’s Bronze Medal game at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Marek Vanacker (Hamilton Bulldogs) picked up an assist while Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads) made 25 saves in the loss.
Finland’s Konsta Helenlius had a goal and three helpers, helping his country claim its first medal since a silver back in 2018.
“We put ourselves in a tough spot,” said OHL graduate and Canada Black head coach Mark O’Leary (Moose Jaw Warriors). “Hockey is a game of emotion and with teenage kids there are ups and downs. Unfortunately for us the game started with a quick down, and it was difficult to recover from there. We did not quit, we kept playing, but it was a tough game from start to finish.”
Day 9 – Friday, November 11th:
Canada Red 6, Sweden 3
Delta, B.C. – Ethan Procyszyn (North Bay Battalion) scored the game winning goal and tacked on an assist while Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) scored twice as Canada Red booked its ticket to Saturday’s Gold Medal match, defeating Sweden 6-3.
Ben Cormier (Owen Sound Attack) and Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves) also scored goals in the win while Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor Spitfires) collected a pair of assists and David Bedkowski (Oshawa Generals) picked up one.
Martone’s 10 points (5-5–10) through six games tie him for third in tournament scoring through the end of preliminary play.
Canada Red’s 4-2 record secures them second place in the standings as they will meet the 6-0 United States on Saturday at 8:00pm ET for gold.
Canada Black 7, Czechia 5
Langley, B.C. – Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts) scored twice, netting the third period game winner as Canada Black closed out their preliminary round schedule with a 3-2-1 record for third place in the standings and a spot in Saturday’s Bronze Medal match.
Lucas Karmiris (Mississauga Steelheads) had a goal and an assist while Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit) picked up two helpers and Sam Dickinson (London Knights) logged one of his own.
Adam Titlbach (1-3–4) and Adam Benak (2-1–3) were standouts for the Czechs who close out their tournament with an 0-5-1 record.
Canada Black outshot Czechia 33-22, going 2-for-6 on the man advantage. Canada Black will meet Finland in the Bronze Medal game on Saturday at 3:00pm ET.
Canada White 8, Finland 2
Langley, B.C. – David Egorov (Hamilton Bulldogs) made 33 saves and blueliner Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) picked up a pair of assists as Canada White ended their World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on a high note, defeating Finland 8-2.
Jack Van Volsen (Peterborough Petes) found the back of the net while Luca Testa (London Knights) and Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa 67’s) chipped in with assists as Canada White won big despite being outshot 35-28.
Canada White’s power play went 5-for-9 as they rounded-out the tournament with a record of 2-3-1 for sixth place in the standings.
Day 8 – Thursday, November 10th:
United States 8, Canada White 2
Langley, B.C. – Shane Vansaghi had two goals and two assists to power the United States to an 8-2 win over Canada White, giving them a perfect 6-0 finish to their preliminary round.
Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) picked up an assist in the loss while David Egorov (Hamilton Bulldogs) made 36 saves.
Day 7 – Wednesday, November 9th:
Canada Red 8, Finland 5
Delta, B.C. – Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm) opened the scoring with the first of eight Canada Red goals as they outpowered Finland to improve to 3-2 at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) had himself a three-point outing with a goal and two assists while Ben Danford (Oshawa Generals) and Ethan Procyszyn (North Bay Battalion) also found the back of the net in the win. Braedyn Rogers (Owen Sound Attack) provided an assist for the winners as they outshot Finland 36-30.
“Our defence played their best game of the tournament so far; we played a simple, smart game,” said Canada Red head coach Greg Walters (Owen Sound Attack). “We played an extremely fast game on offence, kept getting pucks in behind their defence. They had their push in the third, but for the most part we played a great hockey game. We just played two really good games back-to-back. We will get some rest tomorrow, and if we play like this again we like our chances [on Friday].”
Canada Red takes on Sweden to round out their preliminary schedule Friday at 10:00pm ET in Delta.
Day 6 – Tuesday, November 8th:
Canada White 6, Czechia 5 – OT
Langley, B.C. – Canada White entered the win column in dramatic fashion on Tuesday as blueliner Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) put home the overtime winner 1:09 into the extra frame, giving his team a 6-5 win over Czechia.
Canada White let a lead slip away as the Czechs forced overtime on a third period goal by Adam Jecho. Jack Van Volsen (Peterborough Petes) opened the scoring for Canada White while Luca Testa (London Knights) gathered a pair of assists and Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals) had one of his own. Mews finished the night with a goal and an assist while David Egorov (Hamilton Bulldogs) stopped 12 of 13 in relief.
“It was a great penalty kill [in overtime], they made a few shot blocks, I have got to give credit to my team,” said Mews after the game winner. “I saw [the Czechia] player was a bit soft on the puck and decided to go all-out with my pressure and I got rewarded for it. Without the penalty kill, nothing would have happened. We could have been better; the whole team knows that. We got up a couple of goals and then we got to be individual halfway through the game. We stopped playing our game. We have got to play a full 60 minutes if you want to win games in regulation.”
After a day off on Wednesday, 1-2-1 Canada White meets the undefeated United States on Thursday in Langley at 10:00pm ET.
United States 6, Canada Black 1
Delta, B.C. – James Hagens scored a pair of goals as the United States improved to 5-0, soundly defeating Canada Black 6-1.
Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads) made 25 saves in the loss as Canada Black was outshot 31-23, falling to 2-2-1 in the tournament.
Canada Black is back in action on Thursday against Czechia. Puck drop is 5:00pm ET in Langley.
Day 5 – Monday, November 7th:
Sweden 4, Canada Black 3 – OT
Langley, B.C. – Lucas Karmiris (Mississauga Steelheads), Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts) and Bode Stewart (Saginaw Spirit) all scored first period goals but that’s all Canada Black could come up with on Monday as Sweden came back to take a 4-3 win in overtime.
Emil Stadin scored 2:17 into the extra frame, rebounding from an 8-3 loss to the United States on Saturday to get back into the win column.
Marek Vanacker (Hamilton Bulldogs) picked up an assist for Canada Black in the overtime loss as they were outshot 41-36.
Canada Black sits second in the standings with a 2-0-1-1 record. They return to action on Tuesday against the undefeated United States in Delta, BC on Tuesday at 10:00pm ET.
United States 5, Canada Red 2
Langley, B.C. – Canada Red fell behind 3-0 before battling back to within one against the United States, ultimately losing 5-2 on Monday.
Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) scored a second period power play goal while Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) and Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor Spitfires) picked up assists. James Hagens and Cole Eiserman paced the United States with two goals and an assist each.
The U.S. improves to 4-0 while Canada Red sits tied for fourth with a 1-1-2-0 record.
Canada Red is back in action on Wednesday in Delta, BC against Finland at 10:00pm ET.
Day 4 – Sunday, November 6th:
Canada Red 4, Canada White 3 – OT
Langley, B.C. – Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) scored 1:04 into overtime as Canada Red improved to 2-1 at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Canada Red staked out a 3-0 lead on Canada White before the paleshirts battled back to draw things even. Misa joined Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) with a goal and an assist while Ethan Procyszyn (North Bay Battalion) also lit the lamp and Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves) added a helper for Canada Red.
“Overall, it was a pretty good game, and I am glad we got a win,” said Misa. “I have had some success to start, but that is only because of my linemates [Berkly Catton and Porter Martone]. We clicked early in the game, and I am just happy that our team is having success.”
Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals) had a pair of assists for Canada White, while Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s) chipped in with one of his own as they lost despite outshooting their opponents 51-28, falling to 0-3. David Egorov (Hamilton Bulldogs) made 24 saves in defeat.
Canada Red is back in action against the 3-0 United States on Monday night in Langley at 10:00pm ET. Canada White is off until Tuesday when they face Czechia in Langley at 10:00pm ET.
Day 3 – Saturday, November 5th:
Canada Red 3, Czechia 0
Langley, B.C. – Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) opened the scoring on the power play 5:51 into the first period and Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves) would provide insurance late in the second frame as Canada Red went on to defeat Czechia 3-0 on Day 3 of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
“They were getting too many odd-man rushes. I do not think we were very good, to be honest,” said Canada Red head coach Greg Walters (Owen Sound Attack). Wutzke was amazing for us in net. He was calm all day, in a good mood. We felt comfortable going into the game seeing his demeanour. [Wutzke] came up with some huge saves to keep it 1-0 and the boys battled hard in the third to get the shutout for him.”
Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting) and Gabriel Frasca (Kingston Frontenacs) picked up assists as Canada Red improved to 1-1 following an opening day loss to Canada Black.
Canada Red returns to action on Sunday, taking on Canada White at 10:00pm ET.
Canada Black 5, Canada White 3
Langley, B.C. – Sam Dickinson (London Knights) scored the eventual game winner 4:10 into the second period as Canada Black improved to 2-0, edging Canada White by a score of 5-3.
Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit) added his third of the tournament midway through the third period as Canada Black won despite being outshot 41-35.
“The boys put in a full 60-minute effort,” said Canada Black assistant coach Rick Steadman (London Knights). We came out, made some good plays, pushed the pace, did the defensive things that let you win. The guys really stepped up when we only had 11 forwards, diving around blocking shots, doing all the little things. They completely earned the rest for tomorrow. Really proud of the boys.”
Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts), Lucas Karmiris (Mississauga Steelheads) and Marek Vanacker (Hamilton Bulldogs) all recorded assists in the win while Ottawa 67’s teammates Henry Mews and Frankie Marrelli found the scoresheet for Canada White. Mews scored while Marrelli picked up two assists.
Canada White looks for its first win on Sunday in a matchup against Canada Red at 10:00pm ET.
Day 2 – Friday, November 4th:
Finland 5, Canada Black 1
Langley, B.C. – Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads) made 33 saves but Canada Black fell to Finland by a score of 5-1.
Day 1 – Thursday, November 3rd:
Canada Black 4, Canada Red 3
Langley, B.C. – Canada Black defeated Canada Red by a score of 4-3 in the opening night of action as Saginaw Spirit rookie Zayne Parekh scored the power play winner.
Parekh headlined the night, scoring twice in the final seven minutes, including the winner with 40.6 seconds left to give Canada Black a comeback win. Also contributing to Canada Black’s scoresheet was Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters), Lucas Karmiris (Mississauga Steelheads), and Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts), who each recorded an assist.
“Wearing that jersey is an honour; it is awesome”, said Parekh. “Without my teammates, those pucks do not go in the net. I do not think we played a great game tonight, I think moving forward we will find our way and pick it up. We are having fun though.”
Canada Red led 3-2 heading into the final period with a goal from 2022 first overall OHL Priority Selection pick Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit), and assists from Porter Martone (Sarnia Sting), Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves), Braedyn Rogers (Owen Sound Attack), and Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm).
“We deserved better. We dominated the game for 40 minutes”, said head coach Greg Walters (Owen Sound Attack). “We got away from our game plan a little bit, not chipping pucks in with a one-goal lead. The structure, work ethic and commitment was there, but we need to bear down on our chances and learn how to win.”
Canada Black takes on Finland tonight in Delta, while Canada Red looks for its first win on Saturday afternoon against Czechia in Langley.
Hockey Canada announced prior to puck drop on Thursday that Sam Dickinson of the London Knights will serve as captain for Team Black. Anthony Cristoforo of the Windsor Spitfires and Porter Martone of the Sarnia Sting are both alternates for Team Red.
Sweden 3, Canada White 2
Delta, B.C. – Canada White fell short in the final minute of action, as Sweden took the win with a score of 3-2.
Hamilton Bulldogs prospect David Egorov turned aside 33 shots in the loss as Canada White was outshot 36-27.
Canada White returns to the ice on Saturday night, taking on Canada Black in Langley.
Hockey Canada announced prior to puckdrop on Thursday that Henry Mews of the Ottawa 67’s will serve as captain for Team White.
For full coverage of the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, visit hockeycanada.ca.
Loading ...