Josh Mahura of St. Albert added a gold medal from the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup to his collection after Hockey Canada’s summer U18 team defeated Sweden 7-3 in Saturday’s final in the Czech Republic.
The Red Deer Rebels’ defenceman scored once in five games as Canada won its eighth consecutive Ivan Hlinka championship.
Mahura’s goal was the ninth for Canada in the 9-2 victory over Switzerland in group A action.
The former captain of the bantam AAA St. Albert Sabres is entering his second Western Hockey League season with the Rebels, the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup.
Last season, the six-foot, 178-pound Mahura posted two goals, six assists, 20 penalty minutes and was minus-10 in 51 games.
Mahura, 17, is eligible for the 2016 NHL entry draft.
Training camps are underway for the Bellerose Bulldogs and Paul Kane Blues in metro Edmonton high school football.
The junior and senior Bulldogs and the senior Blues are huddling up for the upcoming season and the junior Blues start their training camp Monday.
The senior Bulldogs tackle the Notre Dame Cougars in preseason action Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. in Red Deer. The first Carr match is Sept. 3 against the Harry Ainlay Titans at 5 p.m. at Riel Recreation Park.
The senior Blues travel to Texas to play the Groesbeck Goats on Sept. 3. The Miles division two undefeated champions the last two years make their Carr debut Sept. 10 against the Spruce Grove Panthers at 6 p.m. at Fuhr Sports Park.
The most anticipated game of the year is the Battle of St. Albert between the Blues and Bulldogs on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. in St. Albert.
The junior Bulldogs, winners of three consecutive metro division one undefeated championships, have preseason games scheduled Sept. 5 against the Peace Wapiti Academy Titans of Grande Prairie in St. Albert and the Henry Wisewood Warriors of Calgary on Sept. 12 at Johnny Bright Bowl. Kickoff times are 2 p.m.
The Sept. 15 exhibition against the Bev Facey Falcons starts at 6 p.m. in St. Albert.
League play in pool B kicks off Sept. 29 against the Blues.
The junior Blues also have a Sept. 15 exhibition on tap against the Jasper Place Rebels at 5 p.m. at Clarke Park.
The second annual Esso Female Hockey Fun Day in St. Albert is Aug. 30 at Go Auto Arena.
Free on-ice instruction to first-time female hockey players of all ages will be offered.
Jerseys will also be provided through the Esso Fun Day Program.
Full equipment is required before stepping on to the ice, but individuals can bring what they have and organizers will try to supply the rest.
Registration is 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the tournament room at Servus Credit Union Place and the on-ice activities run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, contact Trudy at 780-458-8725 or [email protected].
An equipment swap for males and females will also take place that day from 9 a.m. to noon in the tournament room.
The equipment is to be clean and usable. All unused equipment will be donated to Sports Central.
The St. Albert Senior (30-plus) Cardinals rallied in the seventh inning to win the series opener in the best-of-three Alberta West Central Baseball Association final Monday at Legion Memorial Park.
The first-place Westlock Red Lions, the designated host team for game one, led 4-0 after six innings when the Cardinals got rolling with key hits by David Ross, Kevin Maloney and Joel Tauber in the top of the seventh. It was 4-3 with two out when catcher Rob Good drilled a liner to right centre to score the tying and go-ahead runs.
It was 5-4 Cardinals when Dave Edwards entered the game with two on and nobody out. The first batter Edwards faced popped up his bunt and the Bellerose Composite High School teacher made an acrobatic catch and then doubled off the runner at first.
Edwards walked the next batter before ending the game with a clutch strikeout.
Ross, a former St. Albert Tiger and Team Canada pitcher, started the game and Tim House pitched the sixth.
Game two was played Tuesday in St. Albert but the score was unavailable at press time.
Game three, if needed, is 6:45 p.m. Thursday in St. Albert.
In the best-of-three semifinals, the third-place Cardinals (10-5-1) lost game one 5-2 to the host Fort Saskatchewan A’s before charging back with wins of 5-1 in St. Albert and 8-2 in the Fort to complete the comeback.
