World Class Hockey Up The Highway

Last night in both Sarnia and Forest, two Lambton County, Ontario communities, the world’s best young hockey prospects made their presence felt.

It was day two of the World U17 Hockey Challenge, and several marquee games took place, including a Canada Black versus Canada White clash, which saw Canada White take the win in overtime by a 5-4 decision. Hulking defender Nicolas Hague fired a shot top shelf midway through the extra frame to lift Canada White to the win in Sarnia. Josh Anderson of Canada White was named player of the game, as the WHL defender controlled the pace of the game and stood out for his physical edge and first passes.

In Forest, at the new Lambton Shores Complex, Canada Red, Canada’s third National Team entry, defeated Team Sweden 4-2, while other games on the day included a 7-2 USA win over Slovakia and a 5-4 Finland win over Russia in front of a large crowd of area elementary school students.

Only 45 minutes down the road from Wallaceburg, and an hour from Chatham, the World U17 Hockey Challenge is a unique event featuring dozens of future NHL stars. Last year’s tournament welcomed over twenty NHL first round draft picks.

Preliminary games continue Tuesday, including match ups between Canada White against Russia, and Canada Red against the USA.

Quarter final games take place Thursday, with the semi-finals and medal games taking place this weekend.