By Raine Hernandez/OHL
In front of a sold-out crowd at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the future of the Ontario Hockey League was on full display on Saturday night as Team Ontario and Team Saskatchewan squared off in the gold medal game of the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
What will now be regarded as one of the greatest minor hockey games ever played, it was Ontario who came away victorious, defeating Saskatchewan in double-overtime by a score of 3-2.
Down 2-0 heading into the third period, Ontario would bounce back with goals from Ryan Roobroeck (London Jr. Knights/ALLIANCE) and Quinn Beauchesne (Nepean Raiders U18/HEO) to send the game into a 3-on-3 winner-take-all overtime.
After nearly thirty minutes of 3-on-3, Matt Schaefer scores the golden goal for @GoTeamOntario! Jack Ivankovic was sensational throughout the overtime periods to keep Ontario alive. pic.twitter.com/rSge7pMA3D
— Puck Preps Ontario (@PuckPrepsON) February 26, 2023
As both teams exchanged chances throughout the 20 minutes of the first overtime, netminder Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Senators/GTHL) was brilliant for the red and white, stopping numerous grade-A opportunities, as well as multiple breakaway attempts to keep Ontario afloat into the second OT.
Midway through the second overtime, Ontario captain Matthew Schaefer (Halton Hurricanes/OMHA) would jump into the rush, converting on a pass from Brady Martin (Waterloo Wolves/ALLIANCE), scoring the golden goal to clinch Ontario’s first gold medal since 2015.
“My adrenaline was so high,” Schaefer said after he saw the puck cross the line. “I drove the net hard, and [Brady Martin] gave me a great feed to tap it in… It’s a moment I wish I could relive a hundred times over.”
Playing in front of a crowd that hosted over 3,500 people, that moment will stand as their first experience playing in a major junior hockey environment, something that Schaefer and the rest of Team Ontario won’t be forgetting anytime soon, especially with a gold medal around their neck.
“It was something I have never been a part of before,” Schaefer continued. “The crowd was amazing and the Team Ontario support throughout the tournament was tremendous… Once we step foot on the ice, we meant business and were there to win gold and we did.”
While Schaefer and his Team Ontario teammates return home to their respective minor hockey programs, the team will never forget the memories they’ve made, in addition to the special bond they formed as a unit, something that head coach Steve Devine will always cherish as well.
Glowing for gold 🥇@2023CanadaGames | @GoTeamOntario pic.twitter.com/tOYhcoC8ZJ
— GTHL Hockey (@GTHLHockey) February 26, 2023
“It was an honour to work with such an incredibly talented group of players who are equally impressive both on and off the ice,” Devine said. “Every player on our team made an impact for our group throughout and it is what led to our success.”
“I can truthfully say that I have gained many brothers from this tournament,” said the Team Ontario captain, citing the emotional goodbyes with his teammates as the group went their separate ways.
“Our championship picture will never die and will live on forever; we did this all for each other and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
As the HEO members from Team Ontario return to Ottawa to continue their quest for the TELUS Cup, Schaefer and the rest of Ontario return home to join their respective league playoffs, as their teams look to clinch a berth in next month’s OHL Cup.
For more on the 2023 Canada Winter Games, visit 2023canadagames.ca.
Team Ontario Roster:
Goaltenders:
Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Senators U16, GTHL)
Jaeden Nelson (Toronto Marlboros U16, GTHL)
Defencemen:
Dryden Allen (Southern Tier Admirals U16, OMHA)
Quinn Beauchesne (Nepean Raiders U18, HEO)
Tristan Boudreau (Renfrew Wolves U18, HEO)
Carson Cameron (Central Ontario Wolves U16, OMHA)
Maasilan Etchart (Rockland Nationals U18, HEO)
Matthew Schaefer (Halton Hurricanes U16, OMHA)
Forwards:
Nico Addy (Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16, GTHL)
Evan Elliott (Whitby Wildcats U16, OMHA)
Tyler Hopkins (Halton Hurricanes U16, OMHA)
Chase Hull (Renfrew Wolves U18, HEO)
Peter Legostaev (Smiths Falls Bears U18, HEO)
Brady Martin (Waterloo Wolves U16, ALLIANCE)
William Moore (Toronto Marlboros U16, GTHL)
Harry Nansi (Nepean Raiders U18, HEO)
Jack Nesbitt (Lambton Jr. Sting U16, ALLIANCE)
Ryan Roobroeck (London Jr. Knights U16, ALLIANCE)
Parker Snelgrove (London Jr. Knights U16, ALLIANCE)
Matheas Stark (Toronto Marlboros U16, GTHL)
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach – Steve Devine (East York, Ont.)
Associate Coach – Cyril Bollers (Scarborough, Ont.)
Associate Coach – David Cicchini (Toronto, Ont.)
Director of Operations – Jeff Robert (Ottawa, Ont.)
Goaltending Coach – Kari Rikkonen (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Equipment Manager – Chuck Dufton (Ottawa, Ont.)
Mental Performance Coach – Dr. Ashwin Patel (Guelph, Ont.)
Video Coach – Dustin Peltier (Manitoulin Island, Ont.)
