Whitehorse Daily Star

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SHOWING HE BELONGS – Canada Red alternate captain Gavin McKenna (#9, left) competes against Canada White during the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Friday at Summerside, P.E.I. Canada Red edged Canada White 4-3. Photos courtesy MICHAEL BERNARD / HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

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SUPER CELE – Canada Red alternate captain Gavin McKenna (#9, left) celebrates a goal against Canada White during the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Friday at Summerside, P.E.I. McKenna had a goal and an assist in the game. Photos courtesy MICHAEL BERNARD / HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

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SCORES OT WINNER – Canada Red alternate captain Gavin McKenna carries the puck against the U.S. in 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge action in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Tuesday. Photo courtesy JANESSA HOGAN / HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

Gavin McKenna making his mark at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

Gavin McKenna is making his mark at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

By Morris Prokop on November 7, 2023

Revised - Gavin McKenna continues to have a major impact at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The tourney is taking place from Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I.

Mckenna is an alternate captain with the Canada Red team.

Tuesday in Charlottetown, McKenna fired home a one-timer 4:19 into overtime to power Canada Red over the U.S., which had a 2-0 lead over Canada Red after the first period.

Canada game back with two goals in the second to tie it up.

Ryan Roobroeck scored 1:34 into the third period for a go-ahead goal for Canada, but Landon Hafele of the U.S. tied it up 16 seconds later to restore the tie, setting up McKenna’s overtime heroics.

McKenna was also named Player of the Game for Canada.

Despite the big win, Canada Red finished third in the standings with seven points after the preliminary round. Their record is one regulation win, two overtime wins, and two losses. Finland and Canada Red have seven points each, but Canada Red beat Finland earlier in the tourney, putting them in third.

Despite the OT loss to Canada Red, the U.S. tops the standings with 11 points on the strength of three regulation wins and two overtime losses.

Sweden finished second with three regulation wins, one regulation and one overtime loss, good for 10 points.

Czechia (one regulation win, one OT win, and three regulation losses) finished tied with Canada White (two OT wins, two regulation and one overtime losses) with five points each.

McKenna has tallied five goals and two assists in five games and sits in sixth overall in points behind four players from the powerful U.S team, and Ivar Stenberg of Sweden,.

McKenna is second in goals in the tournament behind Stenberg, who has tallied six times and went off against Canada Red Monday, scoring four goals.

McKenna struck twice against Finland in Canada Red’s first preliminary game last Thursday. He added one of the goals in the shootout win for Red.

McKenna was also named Player of the Game for Canada Red in that game.

Canada Red stayed on a roll against Canada White last Friday, registering a tight 4-3 victory at Summerside, P.E.I.

McKenna notched a power play marker and an assist in the game.

Cole Reschny led the way for Canada with one goal and three assists.

Canada Red’s fortunes changed against the Czechia team, as they were downed 4-0.

They then ran into a buzzsaw Swedish team, losing 8-5 Monday.

On the positive side, McKenna notched another goal and assist for Red in the loss to Sweden. Red scored two straight goals twice in the game to keep it interesting.

The quarterfinals take place Thursday, with Canada Red taking on Canada White in a rematch at 4 p.m. Yukon time.

The semi-finals go Friday, as well as a fifth-place game, followed by the medal games Saturday.

The quarterfinal and semi-final games are live-streamed on a pay-per-view basis.

TSN will be broadcasting the medal games.

A video feature on McKenna can be viewed at https://video.hockeycanada.ca/en/c/u17-journey-to-world-under-17-hockey-challenge-gavin-mckenna.110477

Comments (1)

Up 5 Down 9

Michael mason on Nov 8, 2023 at 3:03 pm

I have watched Gavin skate and shoot a puck at his grandpa Joes house. I was amazed to see him play for the first time in Whse at the native tournament I was amazed. I am very proud to see him wear the maple leaf, then NHL wow its in all our blood as first nations to achieve our goals

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