Two Okotoks Junior A Oilers didn’t let a second shot at a medal at the World Junior A Challenge slip through their fingers.
Oilers forward Rhett Gardner and blueliner Josh Smith helped Canada West stave off Team Switzerland 5-3 in the bronze medal game of the World Junior A Challenge, Nov. 9 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, one-day after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Russia.
“I thought the guys did a real good job of re-grouping that night and coming back to play a hard 60 for a (bronze medal) game that’s tough to get up for,” Gardner said. “After we realized our main goal, the gold, wasn’t there our next goal was the bronze and we prepared for that.”
Canada West’s resilience was tested in the third-place game.
After allowing a semifinal with Russia to be taken away by giving up a 2-0 lead in a 5-2 loss, Team Canada almost had a case of déjŕ-vu in the bronze medal contest.
The Canucks jumped out to a 3-0 advantage midway through the middle frame on tallies from Nicholas Jones, Steen Cooper and Paul Stoykewech before the Swiss rebounded with three unanswered to tie the game late in the third period.
Canada West put the game to bed on a goal from Jeff Wight and an empty-net marker from Dylan Hollman to book the final spot on the podium.
“We thought we had them, we banged two in right away and we were really high and they popped one in, kind of an easy goal, and we got down on ourselves,” said Smith, an alternate captain and shutdown defenceman for Canada West. “We picked it back up at the end there and went home with that bronze.”
Canada West advanced through to the semifinal after posting a perfect 2-0 record in pool play. It defeated Switzerland 4-3 in the tournament opener on Nov. 4 and tripped up Czech Republic 4-1 on Nov. 5 to finish first in Pool A.
The round-robin and pre-tournament schedule gave the 17-year-old Gardner an opportunity to get acclimatized in his first international tourney.
“We had an exhibition game against the States and that was a good game for getting the nerves out,” said Gardner, who played a checking role in Nova Scotia. “My first couple shifts in the opening tournament game I was a little hesitant, but after that I thought I settled in.”
Of course, the maritime community had a lot to do with the comfort.
“I’ve never been on the coast before and being in a small community everyone treated you like you were the rock star in town,” Gardner said. “Growing up you dream off putting (the Canada sweater) on and to actually do it was a pretty surreal feeling.”
The World Junior A Challenge was Smith’s second opportunity to represent his country on-ice after earning a bronze medal with Team Pacific at the 2011 World Under-17 Challenge.
The silverware was only the start of whirlwind weekend for Smith who went to the tournament as a member of the Camrose Kodiaks before being informed he was moved to the Oilers as part of a five-player trade following the competition.
“It’s an unbelievable experience, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” he said of wearing the Canada colours. “It was fast hockey, unreal players and getting to play with other guys from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, B.C. is an honour and a real eye-opener to see what other players are out there.”
For Gardner, one of the youngest members on the squad at 17, playing with the elite in Junior A can only propel his game forward in the Alberta loop.
“Coming back here there are a couple things I picked up from the new coaching (in Yarmouth),” he said. “Just playing that fast competitive hockey every night and coming back here and carrying that pace into these games.”
Oilers snap skid
The Okotoks Oilers put a halt to their four-game skid with authority on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Okotoks cruised to a 7-4 win over the last-place Calgary Canucks on home-ice. Taylor Allan, John Edwardh, Robbie Fisher, Gardner, Jordan Swenson, Connor Hartley and Mitch Collett, who collected his first of the season, all bulged the twine for the hosts.
The Oilers then suffered their third loss in as many tries to the Canmore Eagles, dropping a 4-3 result in overtime on Thursday night in Kananaskis Country.
Okotoks forced overtime with a two-goal comeback late in the third through Gardner and Ty Clay before hometown blueliner Jeremy Gordon clinched the result for Canmore 4:12 into the extra-session.
Okotoks has a rare eight-day hiatus between games as they next hit the ice on Friday, Nov. 22 when former Oilers assistant coach Derek Stuart brings his Calgary Mustangs to Pason Centennial Arena for the first-time this season.
Homecoming weekend continues on Saturday when ex-Oilers bench boss Garry VanHereweghe leads his Lloydminster Bobcats into town on Saturday.
Both games are 7 p.m. starts.
For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca
