GTHL grads help Canada win gold on home soil

January 6, 2015

By Brendon Crossman, @coachcrossman
Photo by Terry Wilson/CHL Images

Winning gold on home soil is every hockey player’s dream. Winning in your own backyard makes it that much sweeter.

Former Don Mills Flyers teammates Max Domi and Darnell Nurse stole the show in the gold medal game at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship to help Canada’s National Junior Team capture its 16th gold medal with a 5-4 win over Russia.

Domi showed his offensive prowess throughout the gold-medal match, notching a goal and two assists, including a helper on the eventual game-winning goal.

It was a performance Domi undoubtedly played out in his mind as a kid, like so many young Canadian hockey players do. Achieving that lifelong dream at the Air Canada Centre, where he spent much of his childhood alongside his father and former Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy, Tie, makes it extra special.

The 19-year-old Arizona Coyotes prospect finished fourth in tournament scoring with 10 points (5-5—10) in helping Canada finish with a perfect 7-0-0 record.

For his efforts, Domi was selected by the directorate as the tournament’s Best Forward, a feat achieved by only three other GTHL graduates: Eric Lindros (1991), Mike Cammalleri (2002) and John Tavares (2009). Overall, he is the fifth Canadian in the last seven years to be selected as Best Forward.

In Monday’s gold-medal game, Domi carried the Canadian offense through the opening 32:30 but it was his former Flyers teammate who took control after a four-goal lead dwindled to only one by late in the second period.

With the Canadians on their heels, Nurse again displayed his calm and composed leadership on the blueline. His dominant shutdown abilities were key in helping stifle a desperate Russian offense.

On one third-period shift in particular, Nurse used his looming 6’11’’ frame to overpower Russian forward Alexander Dergachyov behind the net and eliminate a scoring opportunity.

For his efforts, the 19-year-old Edmonton Oilers prospect finished with a +2 rating and was named Canada’s best player of the game.

Fellow GTHL graduates Connor McDavid and Nick Paul also found the back of the net in the gold medal game. McDavid finished tied with teammates Sam Reinhart (5-6—11) and Nic Petan (4-7—11) for the tournament scoring lead with 11 points (3-8—11).

Canada has captured a medal at all 11 World Junior Championships on home soil, including five golds. Overall, Canada has won 32 medals since the tournament’s inception in 1977.

LOOSE PUCKS: Paul, who played with the Mississauga Senators and Reps, finished the tournament with three goals … Mississauga Rebels graduate Robby Fabbri was held out of the final two games after suffering a high ankle sprain against Denmark, but finished with six points (2-4—6) in five games … Nick Ritchie, an Anaheim Ducks first-rounder and Toronto Marlboros product, added one goal in the tournament … Domi, McDavid and Reinhart and Canadian defenseman Josh Morrissey were among those selected to the media All-Star Team.