Thunderbirds prospect England wins tournament MVP, Alberta claims WHL Cup gold

Red Deer, Alta.- The matchup was the same as last year, but history didn’t repeat itself at the 2024 WHL Cup.

Saskatoon Blades prospect Jagger John scored twice and added an assist as Alberta downed Manitoba 8-1 to claim gold.

It marks the second straight year Alberta and Manitoba have met in the final, with Manitoba cashing in for its first title at the event in 2023.

GAME SUMMARY
PLAYER STATS
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Alberta struck first just under five minutes into the game with Mirco Dufour’s (Everett Silvertips / Rocky View, Alta.) seemingly harmless wrister taking a fortuitous bounce into the Manitoba net.

Dufour’s marker would stand as the lone goal of the game until a high-octane second period for the host province.

Seattle Thunderbirds prospect Matthew Hilderman (Seattle Thunderbirds / Cochrane, Alta.) – who was coming off a four-goal performance against Saskatchewan- scored a minute and a half into the second frame by roofing a backhanded rebound past the Manitoba netminder.

Brock England (Seattle Thunderbirds / Airdrie, Alta.) made it 3-0 moments later by corraling a loose puck in tight to the net and putting another goal backhand top shelf.

Alberta added to its lead with some strong work to keep the puck in the offensive zone, where Joaquin Geras (Kamloops Blazers / Calgary, Alta.) put a shot from the point on net and Jensen Marsh (Edmonton Oil Kings / Cochrane, Alta.) tucked the rebound home.

Later in the period, Alberta disrupted the Manitoba rush for a partial break where Jagger John (Saskatoon Blades / Fort McMurray, Alta.) wired a cross-ice pass to Nathan Cole (Kelowna Rockets / Airdrie, Alta.) for the tap-in and a 5-0 lead.

The defending champions would get on the board late in the frame as Asher Gingras (Kamloops Blazers / Steinbach, Man.) got a stick on an attempted breakout pass, with the puck bouncing to a wide-open Knox Burton (Prince Albert Raiders / Brandon, Man.) for a point-blank shot from the slot.

In the final period, Kyle Obobaifo (Prince Albert Raider / Calgary, Alta.) made it a 6-1 score as he barreled down the wing to beat the defender and drive the net for his first goal of the tournament.

John erased any lingering doubt with a pair of goals late in the third period as Alberta secured gold in an 8-1 decision.

Leif Oaten (Lethbridge Hurricanes / Calgary, Alta.) made 16 stops on 17 shots, while Tate Barnaby (Winnipeg, Man.) and Urijah Moosetail (Brandon Wheat Kings / Brandon, Man.) combined for 32 saves on 40 shots.

John’s two-goal, one-assist performance and Knox Burton’s goal saw the pair pick up Player of the Game honours for their respective teams.

With three goals and five assists in five games, Seattle Thunderbirds prospect Brock England was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.