2009 TELUS Cup

3 Stars of the Day

DAY 7 – SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2009

1. Christopher Gibson (G) – Notre Dame Hounds
Quite likely the first Finnish-born player to compete for Canada’s National Midget Championship, Gibson saved his best game of the tournament, and likely of the entire season, for last, turning aside all 43 shots he faced as the Hounds claimed their first gold medal in 23 years.

2. Drew George (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
Notre Dame’s leading scorer in the regular season, and the most valuable player at the West Regional, George broke out of his tournament-long scoring slump at just the right time, opening the scoring and providing insurance in the third to help lead the Hounds to gold.

3. Alexandre Lavoie (F/A) – Rousseau Sports de Laval-Bourassa
Lavoie made sure Quebec’s consecutive-medal streak at the National Midget Championship did not end at 11, pulling the Rousseau Sports even in the first period and scoring the eventual game-winner midway through the second. He also added an assist in the win over Winnipeg.

DAY 6 – SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009

1. Sam Brittain (G) – Calgary Buffaloes
The first goaltender to crack the 3 Stars of the Day, the Calgary netminder stopped all 38 shots he faced as the Buffaloes advanced to the gold medal game for the second time in four years. Brittain’s 2.82 goals against average is the best of any goaltender with 120 minutes played.

2. Dylan Nowakowski (F/A) – Calgary Buffaloes
How good was Nowakowski in Calgary’s win over Winnipeg? The Buffaloes’ second-line centre had two points in five games going in, and racked up four (2g, 2a) in the lopsided win over the Thrashers. He opened the scoring late in the first, and provided insurance late in the second.

3. Lucas Froese (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
Notre Dame’s resident Manitoban was one of his team’s many heroes in their remarkable semifinal comeback against Laval-Bourassa, scoring the game-winning goal with just 2:21 on the clock. Froese’s eight points make him a top 10 scorer at the 2009 TELUS Cup.

DAY 5 – FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009

1. Pat McGillis (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
The first forward to claim the top spot, McGillis notched a hat trick and added an assist for good measure as the Hounds clinched first place and an unbeaten round-robin record with a 9-3 win over Moncton. Notre Dame’s co-captain finished tied for second in scoring with 11 points.

2. Chris Collins (F/A) – Calgary Buffaloes
The Buffaloes had only four shots on goal in the first period against Moncton, but Collins made good on two of them, sparking Calgary to a 6-2 win and a semifinal berth. Collins earned the tournament’s Most Sportsmanlike Player award, taking just one penalty to go along with his 10 points.

3. Nolan Zajac (D) – Winnipeg Thrashers
The offensive defenceman makes his third appearance in five days on this list, thanks to two assists in Winnipeg’s win. The two points gave him the tournament’s Top Scorer award – 13 points (4g, 9a) in five games – and he added the 2009 TELUS Cup Most Valuable Player award for good measure.

DAY 4 – THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2009

1. Sawyer Hannay (D) – Moncton Flyers
Defencemen continue to reign – for the fourth day in a row, a blueliner sits atop the 2009 TELUS Cup 3 Stars of the Day. Hannay was a workhorse for the Flyers, rarely leaving the ice after the Atlantic champions lost top defender Tyrone Sock, and adding the game-winner for good measure.

2. Sébastien Bergeron (F/A) – Rousseau Sports de Laval-Bourassa
The Rousseau Sports’ leading scorer during the regular season tops the scoring chart for the Quebec champions in Selkirk, and he added a goal and two huge assists in their tie against Calgary. Bergeron set up both third period goals as Laval-Bourassa erased a 3-1 third period deficit.

3. Brett Gagnon (G) – Winnipeg Thrashers
Despite taking the loss in Winnipeg’s setback against Notre Dame, Gagnon was the best player on the ice. He turned aside all 12 shots he faced in the first period and made 16 more stops in the second to keep the Thrashers within striking distance before a pair of late goals iced it.

DAY 3 – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2009

1. Jesse Pauls (D) – Notre Dame Hounds
Could it really be anyone else? A power play machine, the Hounds blueliner racked up three goals and an assist – all on the man advantage – in the game’s first 18 minutes and added his fourth of the game in the third as the West Region champions overwhelmed Moncton.

2. Chris Collins (F/A) – Calgary Buffaloes
The Calgary captain moves up one spot on the list from Tuesday, notching a hat trick in a tight, one-goal loss to Winnipeg. Collins has a tournament-high six goals in three games, and the line of Collins, Lamoureux and Moser may be the tournament’s best thus far.

3. Lucas Froese (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
Notre Dame’s only Manitoba resident put on a show in his home province on Wednesday, scoring twice and adding two assists in a runaway win over Moncton. The Hounds’ fourth-leading scorer is out in front when it comes to media requests, earning three in three games.

DAY 2 – TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009

1. Nolan Zajac (D) – Winnipeg Thrashers
Two days, two first-star selections for the Thrashers’ dynamic blueliner. After racking up three points on Monday night in the tight win over Hamilton, Zajac followed that performance up with a goal and three assists against Moncton, taking over the tournament scoring lead.

2. Ben Gamache (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
On Monday it was Notre Dame captain Pat McGillis who occupied the second spot on this list – the team and letter on the jersey was the same on Tuesday, but this time it is Gamache who takes the honour, picking up a hat trick to lead the Hounds to victory against Laval-Bourassa.

3. Chris Collins (F/A) – Calgary Buffaloes
Calgary’s captain was there when his team needed it, scoring twice to pull the Buffaloes even before they took control of the game en route to a win over Hamilton. Collins has already surpassed his 2008 TELUS Cup output, where he put up just two points in seven games.

DAY 1 – MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2009

1. Nolan Zajac (D) – Winnipeg Thrashers
On Sunday it was Travis Zajac in the spotlight, scoring the overtime winner for the New Jersey Devils, but Monday belonged to brother Nolan, who scored the game-winner late in the third period and added three assists in the Thrashers’ sixth-consecutive round-robin win.

2. Pat McGillis (F/A) – Notre Dame Hounds
Notre Dame’s captain was their leader on Monday as McGillis scored once and added an assist in the first period and notched another goal in the second. He teamed with linemate Francis Menard to lead the way offensively for the Hounds – the two combined for six points.

3. Alexandre Lavoie (F/A) – Rousseau Sports de Laval-Bourassa
Lavoie picked a great time for his first two goals of the 2009 TELUS Cup – the Laval-Bourassa sniper scored late in the second period to pull his team into a 3-3 tie, and notched the go-ahead goal midway through the final frame. He also added an assist in the opening-game win.

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