Team Canada West Wins Gold Medal at 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge

From Zack Rose’s dominant performances between the pipes to Dylan Holloway’s
worldwide impression as a 16-year-old and Jacob Bernard-Docker’s regular
confidence on the blue line, there are many memorable moments from the
final time the World Junior A Hockey Challenge got here to Truro, Nova Scotia, in
2017.

The trio performed key roles in main Canada West to the gold medal, and the
expertise on the East Coast has stayed with them as they’ve moved on in
their hockey journeys.

Rose – who earned MVP honours in 2017 – is in his fifth yr of NCAA
eligibility with Augustana University, having normal a 20-10-4 report in
the faculty video games; Holloway went 14th total to the Edmonton Oilers within the
2020 NHL Draft; and Bernard-Docker was the twenty sixth decide by the Ottawa Senators
in 2018.

But what ended up as a golden second for Canada West didn’t begin very effectively
in any respect; losses to

Czechia

and the

United States

left the westerners 0-2 in preliminary-round play and needing to seek out their
recreation with the playoff spherical looming.

“We had a rocky start, but we figured things out after the round robin,”
Bernard-Docker says. “Having that crucial step of shedding these first two
video games, the group got here collectively as a decent knit group and had enjoyable, actually
loved the house crowd and turned it round.”

The winless prelims arrange an all-Canadian matchup within the quarterfinals
in opposition to Canada East. West received off to a powerful begin, with Holloway discovering
captain Carter Turnbull within the slot to open the scoring six minutes into the
recreation earlier than Bernard-Docker joined the offence 67 seconds into the second
interval when his his centre-ice dump took a bounce off the top boards and
previous Canada East goaltender Jett Alexander.

Canada East wouldn’t again down, taking the lead within the third interval when
Nick Campoli and Jack McBain (a 2022 Olympian) gave it a 3-2 benefit, however
Ross Armour tied the sport with 6:31 left in regulation earlier than scoring the
extra time winner 42 seconds into the additional interval to second West on to the
semifinals.

The semifinal proved that Canada West was getting higher because the video games received
extra necessary, because it avenged its prelim loss by

defeating the Czechs 5-1

. The recreation was a goaltending battle early, with Rose and Milan Kloucek
combining to cease 36 of 37 photographs by way of 40 minutes.

Zdenek Sendek tied issues halfway by way of the third interval, however Angus
Crookshank restored the West benefit 41 seconds after that, and Holloway,
Brett Stapley and Brendan Budy helped the Canadians draw back late.

The semifinal success arrange a gold medal recreation showdown in opposition to the United
States, which had claimed 4 of the earlier 5 event titles.

“The rivalry between U.S and Canada, nothing compares to that rivalry, and
that’s one thing you dream of being in as a child,” Rose says. “To be an element
of that and dominate in opposition to them, it speaks to the expertise we had on that
roster and the management of the teaching workers. To come out on high, we
performed one recreation at a time and we didn’t look again as soon as we had the
alternative in entrance of us.”

Brendan Budy received the festivities began with a shorthanded marker halfway
by way of the primary interval, and Crookshank and Corey Andonovski pushed the
Canadian benefit to 3-0 by the 12:15 mark of the second. The Americans received
one again earlier than the intermission, however Armour and Holloway capped the scoring
and

end off a 5-1 victory

.

Rose saved his finest for the playoff spherical; he stopped 79 of 84 (a .940 save
share) in wins over East, the Czechs and Americans, capped by a
spectacular 35-save effort within the gold medal recreation, the place West was outshot
36-19.

“The expertise was electrical all through the time in Truro, and particularly
for the ultimate recreation in opposition to the U.S,” Holloway says. “It was my first time in
the Maritimes, the group was packed, everybody was cheering for us. To play
the way in which I did, it was an honour to play for Canada and put me on the radar
with all of the eyes that come to the event.”

Bernard-Docker provides, “At that time, I simply needed to enhance and get higher
after my first yr with Okotoks [in the AJHL] and put together myself the most effective I
might for faculty. That event put me on the map and helped me achieve
confidence, realizing I might play with the most effective gamers round.”

Rose is endlessly grateful for the chance to symbolize his nation.
Offering his recommendation for these taking part in within the event, he hopes gamers
take time to soak in the entire expertise.

“For most people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Rose says. “Take
in each second as a result of it’s so particular to play for Canada. Beyond that, I
was a participant who didn’t have a [college] dedication going into that
event, however taking part in a couple of good video games turned that round and I received
supplied a scholarship to go to Bowling Green and I gained the boldness and
the teachings from the teaching workers to play at that degree.”

The World Junior A Hockey Challenge continues to be a event that units a
basis for a fortunate few Junior A gamers throughout the nation. Not solely do
gamers achieve expertise, however they’ve reminiscences to cherish for a lifetime.

“Thinking of all of the historical past with that brand in your chest, nothing can beat
it,” Rose says. “Being in a position to symbolize tens of millions of Canadians on the world
stage, there isn’t a higher hockey nation than Canada, and to have the ability to be
one of many fortunate individuals to put on that jersey, there isn’t a higher feeling. It
provides me chills simply pondering again to it.”

The 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge will get underway Dec. 10 on the Rath
Eastlink Community Centre. Looking to be a part of the festivities in Truro?
Tickets are actually on sale at

HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets

.