RED DEER, AB – Team BC is without question the toast of Western Canada after beating Team Alberta 5-2 on Sunday afternoon, and Chetwynd’s Cayden Lindstrom scored the WHL Cup game-winning goal in the third period for Team BC.
Goaltender Evan Gardner was the best-performer in the round-robin, finishing with a goals-against-average of 0.00 and a save percentage of 1.000. He backstopped Team BC to a 9-2 semifinal win on Saturday against Team Saskatchewan, stopping 23 of 25 shots he faced. Gardner finished the weekend with a .953 save percentage, the best of all the goalies in the tournament.
While Team BC had the scoring advantage in the final against Alberta, the game was much closer than the scoreboard suggests. Team Alberta almost doubled Team BC in shots 42-22, and two empty-net goals in the final minute for Team BC solidified their championship win.
Team BC finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, winning its third championship to go along with wins in 2012 and 2017. Team BC scored a total of 32 goals while only giving up nine.
Team Saskatchewan scored a late power-play goal to win the bronze medal game against Team Manitoba by a score of 3-2. That offensive output got the attention of some hockey insiders including Peter Loubardias.
The majority of players participating in the event will be selected in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, or will go on to be listed by WHL Clubs. The WHL Cup, formerly known as the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, has been sponsored since 2009 by the Western Hockey League.
