Canada Games Golden Recap

Alberta and Quebec's road to the gold medal game started on the 28th of February

Amid Semi-Final action, with the 3-1 Alberta facing the 3-1 British Columbia in Campbellton, NB. Also, the 4-0 Quebec went up against the 3-1 Ontario in Bathurst, NB.

Team Alberta skated to a 4-1 victory over the British Columbia squad, led by a goal and 3 assist performance from Daniel Bertram as well as a goal and an assist from Saskatoon Blades’ Wacey Rabbit, along with stellar goaltending from the 6'5"netminder Deven Dubnyk of the Kamloops Blazers. British Columbia's lone goalscorer was Reid Jorgensen.

In the other semi-final, Team Quebec held on to 2-1 lead through two periods to

Advance with a 4-1 win over a very powerful Team Ontario that boosted 17 OHL'ers. Ontario opened the scoring early in the first with a goal from Wojtek Wolski of the Brampton Battalion. Quebec got on the board late in the second with goals in the final minutes of play from Olivier Latendresse of the Val D'or Foreurs and Alex Bourret of the Sherbooke Castors. Quebec netminder Julien Ellis-Plante held his ground stopping 25 shots in the final two periods of play, while team Quebec added two empty net goals from Alexandre Blais and Guillaume Latendresse to give them a decisive 4-1 victory over Ontario.

In gold medal game action on March first was a rematch of 1999 the gold medal

Match in Corner Brook, Newfoundland when Alberta defeated Quebec in overtime action.

Team Alberta won its second straight Canada Games men's hockey gold after a 4-2

victory over Quebec infront of 3000+ fans at the Campbellton Civic Center. Making it the first time in Winter Games history that a hockey team has won consecutive gold medals.

Team Alberta was lead by Scott McCulloch of the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL, who had a goal and an assist. Jeff Topilko of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Daniel Bertram of the Foothill Bisons of the AMJHL and Tyler Spurgeon of the Kelowna Rockets also scored for Alberta. While Calgary Hitmen forward Andy Rogers added two assists.

Jim Watt of the Spokane Chiefs got the win in nets, stopping 33 of the 35 shots

Quebec fired at him.

Mathieu Roy of the Amos Quebec AAA Midget and Maxim Belanger of the Baie-Comeau

Drakkar scored for the Quebec squad.

Mathieu Roy opened the scoring less then a minute into the second. But Alberta

replied shortly after with a goal of their own from Jeff Topilko.

McCulloch gave Alberta the 2-1 lead on the power play just past the halfway

point of the second.

Daniel Bertram and Tyler Spurgeon scored just over a minute apart in the midway

through the third to put the game out of reach. Maxim Belanger added a goal for

Quebec late in the third but it was just not enough.

Quebec goalie Julien Ellis-Plante of the Shawinigan Cataractes, stopped 32 of

the 36 shots he faced.

In the Bronze Medal game in Bathurst. Team Ontario defeated British Columbia by

a score of 3-2.

Ontario was lead by Hunter Tremblay of the Barrie Colts with two goals. While

Michael Blunden for the Erie Otters recorded Ontario's other goal.

British Columbia got their two goals from Reid Jorgensen of the Kamloops

Blazers.

Ontario outshot British Columbia 50-34 in the game.

News and Notes from the games -

Nova Scotia's Sidney Crosby became the talked of the games by leading his team

to a 2-2 record and led the games in scoring with 9 goals and 7 assists. Fans

were packing the rinks just to catch a glimpse of Sidney play, On some days

security were turning away 500-1000 fans at the doors because the games were

already jam packed with people.

The biggest thumping of the games came on February 26th, when team Quebec

blasted Team Yukon 19-1, while out shooting them 61-6. Yukon also went on to

lose games 8-0 to Newfoundland, 15-1 to British Columbia and 5-0 to Saskatchewan

Nova Scotia goaltender Zach Saunders is the son of Women's Curling Champion and

CBC Sports analysis Colleen Jones.

B.C.'s Brett and Garrett Festerling became the 2nd brother tandem to play for BC

at the games joining there Father Brian and Uncle Doug who played for Team BC in

1970 and won gold. As a tribute the brothers wore the same numbers they did in

1979.