Kash Kwajah scored twice and set up two more goals as Canada Red came from behind to beat the United States 6-4 on Monday, Nov. 2, at the U17 World Challenge. The international under-17 tournament runs through Saturday at Oakville's Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
The Americans led after the first period and the game was level after two before Canada Red pulled away with three goals in the third. Drew Bate also scored twice for the winners. Dean Stevens had two goals and an assist for the U.S.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Canada Red | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Special teams told the story: Canada Red scored on two of its three power plays, while the U.S. went 0-for-6 with the extra skater. Owen Loftus made 37 saves on 41 shots in Canada Red's net, and Mason Martin stopped 30 of 36 at the other end.
Canada Red kept rolling Tuesday with a 13-1 win over Finland, the same team that had beaten the Americans 5-1 on Sunday, Nov. 1.
This is the 34th U17 World Challenge, and the first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, the national body's system for picking and developing players for its international teams. Canada enters two teams, Red and White, against four international entries. The Canadian rosters were picked by an all-CHL staff, drawn from Canada's top junior leagues, after 80 CHL-drafted players attended a development camp in July. Dan DaSilva of the Saskatoon Blades and Dylan Smoskowitz of the Barrie Colts are the two Canadian head coaches.
Fans in the stands may be watching future NHL players: more than 2,000 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament since it began in 1986, including first-overall picks John Tavares, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid.
Every game is at the 1,500-seat Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, 3070 Neyagawa Blvd., with the final on Saturday, Nov. 7. The tournament's 50/50 draw raises money for the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club.
