Alberta edges Manitoba, 4-3, at WHL Cup

CALGARY - Team Alberta jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second period, and then held off Team Manitoba for a 4-3 victory in the final round-robin game at the 2017 WHL Cup in Calgary.

With the victory, Team Alberta heads into Saturday’s semi-final action as the top seed with an unblemished record of three wins.

But there is not much rest either team, as Alberta and Manitoba square off in a rematch at 1 pm in the first semi-final at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Winsport.

Brayden Morrison scored what proved to be the game-winner at the 16:31 mark of the second period. Manitoba scored 35 seconds later, and added one more in the third period, but Alberta held on for the victory.

Jake Sanderson scored on the power play in the first period for Team Alberta, and Ronan Seeley and Noah Boyko scored in the second period for Alberta. Assists were tallied by Kaiden Guhle (2), Connor McClennon (2), Kyle Crnkovic (2), Boyko and Ozzie Wiesblatt.

Garin Bjorklund earned the win in net for Team Alberta. Alberta outshot Manitoba, 27-15.

Boxscore > | Game One Recap > | Game Two Recap > | Team Alberta Roster >

In the other game on Friday, B.C. blanked Saskatchewan, 6-0. Those teams will meet in the other semi-final at 4:30 p.m.

Semi-final winners meet in the gold medal final on Sunday at 1:30 pm. The bronze medal game is set for 9:30 am on Sunday.

For more stats, schedule and ticket information for the WHL Cup, click here.

CALGARY - Team Alberta narrowly missed out on another gold medal at the WHL Cup, falling 4-3 to Team BC in overtime on Sunday.

Alberta opened up the scoring once again, with Kaiden Guhle scoring his fifth goal of the tournament on the power-play halfway through the first, with Connor McLennon adding to the lead midway through the second.

BC answered back minutes later on the power-play, before scoring again late in the second period and early in the third to take a 3-2.

McClennon scored his sixth, and most important goal of the tournament on the power-play with just 1:44 left to tie the game, and force overtime.

It was the second straight year the WHL Cup would be decided in overtime between Alberta and BC, but this time it was BC who sealed the victory, as Ben King scored 2:37 into the extra frame.

In his second start of the tournament for Team Alberta, Sebastian Cossa saw 31 shots come his way, allowing four goals. His counterpart, Dylan Garand, stopped 24 of Alberta;s 27 shots in the victory.

Kyle Crnkovic added to his tournament-leading points total with two assists in the game, giving him a total of 12 in five games. Assists were also tallied by Jake Neighbours (2) and Guhle.

Boxscore > | Game One Recap > | Game Two Recap > | Game Three Recap > | Semi-Final Recap > | Team Alberta Roster >

McClennon was fittingly named Team Alberta’s player of the game for his efforts,, while King earned the honours for BC.

The gold medal is the second for Team BC in the tournament’s seven year history, last winning it in 2012.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, Team Manitoba took the bronze medal after defeating Team Saskatchewan 4-2.

2017 WHL Cup All-Stars

G - Bryan Thomson (Team Saskatchewan) - Moose Jaw, Sask - Lethbridge Hurricanes
D - Kaiden Guhle (Team Alberta) - Sherwood Park, Alta. - Prince Albert Raiders
D - Daemon Hunt (Team Manitoba) - Brandon, Man. - Moose Jaw Warriors
F - Justin Sourdif (Team British Columbia) - Surrey, B.C. - Vancouver Giants
F - Kyle Crnkovic (Team Alberta) - Chestermere, Alta. - Saskatoon Blades
F - Connor McClennon (Team Alberta) - Wainwright, Alta. - Kootenay ICE

Leading Scorers

1. Kyle Crnkovic (AB; Saskatoon Blades) - 3G-9A - 12pts
2. Connor McClennon (AB; Kootenay ICE) - 6G-4A - 10pts
3. Kaiden Guhle (AB; Prince Albert Raiders) - 5G-4A - 9pts
4. Jake Neighbours (AB; Edmonton Oil Kings) - 1G-6A - 7pts
5. Tyler Horstmann (BC; Edmonton Oil Kings) - 0G-5A - 5pts

RED DEER - Nine players from Team Alberta’s 2016 gold medal-winning U16 squad have been selected to play in the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Goaltender Taylor Gauthier (Calgary), defencemen Bowen Byram (Lethbridge), Jake Lee (Sherwood Park), Rhett Rhinehart (Lloydminster), and Matthew Robertson (Sherwood Park), and forwards Connor Bouchard (Cochrane), Kirby Dach (Fort Saskatchewan), Peyton Krebs (Okotoks), and Brayden Tracey (Calgary) are among the 66 players chosen to represent Canada.

The 66 players will be divided into three teams representing Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White when they compete against the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States in their quest for a gold medal.

In July, 111 players were invited to the week-long national under-17 development camp, marking the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.

The tournament opens Nov. 5 at the Encana Events Centre in an all-Canadian affair as last year’s silver-medallist, Team Canada Black, takes on Team Canada White at 2:30 p.m. The opening day concludes with Sweden facing Russia at North Peace Arena in Fort St. John.

Hockey Alberta is proud to unveil a new section at hockeyalberta.ca. Home Ice Feature stories will focus on interesting stories about the individuals and groups who make a difference within the hockey community in Alberta. If you have a suggestion for a Home Ice Feature story, email [email protected].

RED DEER - Alberta will be very well-represented during the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series, with 12 Albertans named to Team WHL’s roster.

On Tuesday, the Western Hockey League, in collaboration with the Canadian Hockey League, Moose Jaw Warriors, Swift Current Broncos and Hockey Canada, announced today the roster for Team WHL, which will compete against Team Russia in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

Forwards Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Calgary), Tyler Benson (Edmonton), Dillon Dube (Cochrane), Matthew Phillips (Calgary), Sam Steel (Sherwood Park), and Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake) will all suit up for Team WHL up front. On defence, Jake Bean (Calgary), Kale Clage (Lloydminster), Josh Mahura (St. Albert), and David Quenneville (Edmonton) will all be part of an Albertan-heavy blueline, in front of goaltenders Carter Hart (Sherwood Park) and Stuart Skinner (Edmonton).

Team WHL will face Team Russia in Game 1 of the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series in Moose Jaw on Monday, November 6, before continuing on to Swift Current for Game 2 on Tuesday, November 7. The Ontario Hockey League will host Games 3 and 4, while the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will welcome the festivities surrounding Games 5 and 6.

For more information on the Canada Russia Series, click here.

Hockey Alberta is proud to unveil a new section at hockeyalberta.ca. Home Ice Feature stories will focus on interesting stories about the individuals and groups who make a difference within the hockey community in Alberta. If you have a suggestion for a Home Ice Feature story, email [email protected].

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the Team Alberta roster for the 2017 U16 Male provincial team.

The U16 Male squad will compete in the 2017 WHL Cup, formerly known as the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.

Team Alberta U16 Male Roster >

The U16 Male squad won the 2016 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup. The team will seek to continue Alberta’s success at the event, Oct. 18-22 at the Markin MacPhail Centre (WinSport) in Calgary.

"We’re heading into the WHL Cup with a very talented group of players,” said Team Alberta Manager Mike Kraichy. “These 20 young men have earned the right to represent their province, and we’re confident in their ability to compete hard at the competition, and make Alberta proud."

The 2017 WHL Cup will feature the highest-rated players in the under-16 age category from the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The four-team round robin tournament is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for players.

The majority of players participating in the event were selected in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft or have since been listed by WHL Clubs. The WHL Cup is made possible through financial support provided by the WHL and Hockey Canada.