Tuesday, December 13, 2011

STONE, GORMLEY SCORE AND GOALTENDERS SHINE IN CANADIAN JUNIOR INTRA-SQUAD GAME

Press Release

CALGARY – Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Brandon Gormley of the Moncton Wildcats scored in Red's 2-0 win over White in an intra-squad game at the Canadian junior hockey team's selection camp Monday.

Phil Di Guiseppe of the University of Michigan and Philip Danault of the Victoriaville Tigres assisted on Stone's goal. Gormley's was scored on an empty net when White pulled goalie Tyler Bunz for an extra attacker.

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Di Guiseppe's point was his third in a pair of intra-squad games.

Red goalies Louis Domingue of the Quebec Remparts and Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs combined to stop 25 shots for a shutout. Domingue turned away 12 and Visentin 13.

Plymouth Whalers goalie Scott Wedgewood posted a shutout in his half of the game for White, stopping all 14 shots. Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers then gave up one goal on 28 shots in front of announced attendance of 1,776.

Monday's game had more pace than the previous night's intra-squad game, but players fanned on scoring chances several times.

“All four goaltenders played really well and I thought there was more jump than last night,” Canada's head coach Don Hay said. “Obviously we'd like to see more goal scoring, but the goalies played really well.”

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brett Connolly played in the game despite a “lower-body bruise” he suffered in the previous night's intra-squad game.

He knocked Moose Jaw Warriors forward Quinton Howden hard into the boards in the second period. Howden left the ice bent over in distress and did not return.

Hay said Howden had an “upper-body injury” and that he would be evaluated Tuesday morning. Howden suffered a concussion during the Florida Panthers rookie camp in September.

Connolly said he wasn't trying to hurt Howden.

“It's a tough play. I was just trying to finish my check,” Connolly explained. “I feel bad now. Hopefully he's not hurt too bad.

“Definitely I could have held up a little bit. I haven't talked to him yet. I'll go and apologize.”

Connolly and Howden are two of four veterans expected to play for Canada a second straight year.

“I thought Connolly was finishing his check. It might have been a little bit late,” Hay said. “We asked (Connolly) to play a little more physical tonight and he did that.”

Forty-two players were invited to selection camp. Hay will release some Tuesday morning. Those who remain will face a team of university players at night.

Hay's final cuts Wednesday morning will determine which 22 players will represent Canada at the upcoming world junior hockey championship.

Stone, a sixth-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, was a standout at the junior team's summer camp playing on the wing of centre Ryan Johansen and left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau.

On Monday, Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts was his centre and Di Guiseppe played on Stone's opposite wing.

“I was a little bit nervous last night and today I had a little more confidence with the puck,” Stone said. “I got to the net a lot more tonight and that's what I wanted to do.”

Canada opens the 2012 world junior hockey championship Dec. 26 in Edmonton against Finland.


(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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