U SPORTS Selects dominate shots but fall to Team Canada Junior Prospects – McGill University Athletics

OTTAWA, ONT – Matthew Wood, an NHL draft pick of the Nashville Predators, snapped a deadlock midway through the final period as the Hockey Canada Junior Prospects held on for a 2-1 victory over the U SPORTS Selects, Friday, at TD Place Arena in the nation’s capital.
 
The results improved Team Canada’s lifetime record against the university all-star squad to 11-7-1 since the national format was implemented in 2015. Prior to that date, the annual December series dates back to 1988 when the collegians were a group of regional selects, representing one of the three conferences (OUA, AUS, Canada West).
 
Despite the setback, the U SPORTS Selects held a 34-21 edge in shots against the junior squad, which iced a 22-man lineup that featured 20 NHL draft picks. Among those elite selections was goaltender Scott Ratzeleff, who started and turned aside all 15 shots faced. His understudy, Jack Ivankovic, was credited with the victory, stopping 18 of 19 shots over the second half of the contest.
 
Braden Yager, a Pittsburgh Penguins draft choice from the Lethbridge Broncos, had opened the scoring for Canada at 15:19 of the first period. UNB defenceman Kale McCallum tied the score  on a power-play at 5:30 of the final stanza. He was assisted by UQTR forward Conor Frenette and goaltender Carson Bjarnason.
 
As per plan, both goalies for the U SPORTS side were supplied by Hockey Canada. Bjarnason, who stopped 12 of 13 shots, played the final 29:07 and was charged with the loss. He replaced starter Carter George, who saved seven of eight shots fired during his stint.
 
The U SPORTS team was  1-for-5 on the power-play and killed of four of five shorthanded situations.
 
Since there were no penalties called the previous day in the opener of this two-game series, referees were under instructions to arbitrarily call bench penalties, and they made seven such calls during the game, with four of them against the collegians. This gave the junior prospects several opportunities to practice their power-play and penalty-killing units as they use this series to prepare for the upcoming IIHF world hockey championship in Ottawa, Dec. 26 – Jan. 5.

Both sides had McGill representation. The U SPORTS Selects featured a lineup with Redbirds forwards Mathieu Gagnon and William Rouleau, in addition to McGill head coach David Urquhart, who was serving in the capacity as an assistant coach in this game for the second consecutive year. The national junior support staff also included Lucas Madill, who skated for McGill from 2003 to 2007 en route to an undergraduate education degree, majoring in kinesiology. He subsequent completed a master’s in sport and exercise psychology at UNB and now serves as a mental performance consultant with Hockey Canada. Madill was part of the staff that won gold at the 2023 IIHF world junior championship.

“(This game) is about (solidifying) our structure, playing as a team,” Gagnon said, before the opening puck-drop, on the McGill Redbirds Instagram account. “We’re trying to groom together as a team because we have something to build, for the FISU (Games) in Italy. We have to continue to play our game, play fast, play hard and try to eliminate their chances because they are so talented, they can capitalize on (any opportunity).”

Hockey Canada is scheduled to announce its roster for the 2024 IIHF championship tournament on Friday evening. While, the U SPORTS regular hockey season will resume across its four conferences from Jan. 3-5 and the FISU Games are set for January 13-23, with the men’s hockey tourney running from January 12-22.

SCORING SUMMARY (GAME 2)

SCORING SUMMARY (GAME 1)

U SPORTS ROSTER
 
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
 
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca