The Calgary Canucks have crashed their own party at the 2025 Centennial Cup. Read More
Hayden Fechner, Gavin Schmidt team up to push host side into championship contest
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Hayden Fechner, Gavin Schmidt team up to push host side into championship contest
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The Calgary Canucks have crashed their own party at the 2025 Centennial Cup.
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In vying to become hosts with the most at the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s national championship, they have pushed their way into the heralded event’s finale
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Patience, confidence and a never-in-doubt attitude is paying off for the reigning two-time Alberta Junior Hockey League kings in their own barn.
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“Never quit,” agreed Canucks GM/head coach Brad Moran, just moments after Hayden Fechner’s overtime goal in Saturday’s 3-2 semifinal victory over Ontario’s Rockland Nationals sealed a spot for the home side in the championship final.
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Noon News Roundup
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“That’s the M.O. of the group,” continued Moran. “They just kept going. They didn’t get rattled — they stuck with it.
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“I think it’s a team that has a big goal in mind.”
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That’s, of course, a Canadian title in front of friends, family and feverish fans, as the Canucks play for gold against Saskatchewan’s Melfort Mustangs on Sunday at Max Bell Centre (5 p.m., HNLive.ca).
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“We’re full of confidence right now,” said Canucks forward Gavin Schmidt, whose two goals in regulation — including one with just three minutes left in regulation — helped send the Canucks to the OT finish.
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“There was definitely nerves coming in,” continued Schmidt. “But even though we have some rough starts in most of our games at this tournament, we’re always turning it around.”
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In this one, they needed to in order to move on and avoid the same heartache felt last year when they lost in the semi at the Centennial Cup in Oakville, Ont.
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But it didn’t come easily.
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For most of the contest, the Nationals refused to give up much in the way of scoring opportunities. And when they did, goaltender Benoit Forget — who made 28 saves game-wide — was there to shut the door.
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The Canucks, however, kept pressing, shaking off two goals scored by Nationals sniper Gabriel Le Houillier, to eventually get a monster goal from Schmidt, who snapped home a feed from Fechner with the home squad short-handed late in the second period.
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The timely marker breathed life into the Cup hosts, as they came out in the third frame and continued with the never-quit attitude that’s paced them through much of the 11-day national championship.
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But between Schmidt’s tallies — his third and fourth of the 10-team competition — it was the home-side goalie, Lukas Renaud, with heroics at the other end. The Canucks ’tender almost single-handedly kept the Canucks’ comeback hopes alive with a handful of magnificent saves — including a couple on breakaways — as part of a massive 42-stop performance.
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“We went for it,” said Moran, of pushing forward in the third period. “We were bending big-time, and Renaud was outstanding. He gave us the opportunity to tie it up and win.
“We’ve come to expect that of him. And on this stage, it’s pretty remarkable.”
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Just as remarkable was the finish, with Schmidt and then Fechner, scoring once apiece to cap the rally.
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Schmidt’s late goal in regulation saw Fechner weave into the Nationals zone and push it to Luc Trevors, who beat a defender down low before centring back across the top of the crease for his linemate to punch home into a gaping net.
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“Fechner’s an unbelievable player to play with — he uses his speed so well and gets to open space,” Schmidt said. “And then I find that open space for him to give me the puck and just put it in the net.”
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Then came Fechner’s OT highlight, as he rushed nearly the length of the ice before going wide on a fatigued defender and making a move to deposit the puck short-side on Forget.
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“I saw the guy was tired and was going to change, and it was a one-on-one,” said Fechner of his fifth goal of the cup coming 10:57 into the overtime session. “When I crossed over to the middle, I just saw him stumble a bit, and I just drove the puck to the net. Good things happen when you drive the net, and obviously, a great thing happened.”
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The sensational goal nearly blew the roof off the building, and it sent the Canucks streaming off the bench in jubilation.
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“That’s just an unbelievable play,” said Schmidt, of linemate Fechner, who was in on all three goals in the triumph. “He’s such a good skater. And that’s just an unbelievable move, going wide and shelving it in tight on the winner.”
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“Some big-time players that stepped up there,” continued Moran. “Schmidty was all over ice, and Fechner’s been good all playoffs and all tournament.”
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And the entire Calgary crew has been patient and positive in hoping to pull off only their second-ever capture of the Centennial Cup.
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The last one came back in 1995 in Gloucester, Ont.
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“We’re used to being down here,” Fechner said. “Honestly every game in playoffs, we’ve been pretty much down. So we’re always confident we can get the win when we’re down — and we did (Saturday).
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“We’ve always had the confidence and swagger of knowing how good we are — and we showed it.”
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They hope to do it again, of course, in Sunday’s finale.
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“Down 2-0 isn’t always ideal,” added Schmidt. “But we got the win, and that was just amazing. I think if we get a better start, there’s no way anybody can beat us.
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“Our confidence is definitely there now. Super pumped.”
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LOOSE PUCKS
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The Canucks’ opponent in the final was decided late Saturday when the Mustangs edged Ontario’s Trenton Golden Hawks 4-3 in the other semifinal … Both the Canucks and the Golden Hawks secured their spots in the semis after finishing in first place of their respective pools … The Nationals scored a spot in the semifinal round after defeating shutting out the Northern Manitoba Blizzard 4-0 in Friday’s quarterfinal action, while it was the Mustangs downing Ontario’s Greater Sudbury Cubs 7-1 in the other quarter.
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