The Vancouver Canucks prospects wrapped up their 2024 Young Stars Classic with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames, solidifying their perfect 3-0-0 record at the tournament.
Goaltender Nikita Tolopilo earned his second win of the event, joining Winnipeg’s Thomas Milic as the only goaltender to notch two wins in the showcase.
Let’s check in on the action.

Opening Lineup

After a quiet showing on Sunday, the Canucks’ top line of Arshdeep Bains, Aatu Räty, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki was dismantled, with Lekkerimäki dropping to the second line alongside Max Sasson and fellow Swede Vilmer Alriksson. Tournament invitees Ty Haliburda (Vancouver Giants) and Deagan McMillan made their debuts in a Canucks uniform, adding fresh energy to the lineup.
On defence, the top pairing of Elias Pettersson and Kirill Kudryavtsev was split, with both players moving to the right side on separate pairings. The team’s recent seventh-round pick, Basile Sansonnens, made his Young Stars debut. Contrary to expectations, Nikita Tolopilo got the start in net for his second start following a 21-save shutout on Friday.

First Period

The opening minutes featured back-and-forth play, highlighted by spirited shifts from the camp invite line of Ty Halaburda, Cooper Walker, and Deagan McMillan. This combination would go on to enjoy strong games, providing energy for the team with each shift.
However, five minutes into the game, Basile Sansonnens made an errant pass that led to Matvei Gridin capitalizing with a quick snapshot to beat Tolopilo, marking the first goal against him in the tournament.
Just minutes later, Zayne Parekh doubled the Flames’ lead with a laser wrist shot from the point, scoring his first goal of the weekend.
Despite falling behind 2-0, veteran forward Arshdeep Bains, who was energized all afternoon, helped the Canucks regain momentum with strong shifts and capped the period by batting in a floating puck to cut the deficit to one.
Despite outshooting the Flames 14-7, the Canucks trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Second Period

The Canucks dominated the majority of the second period, aided by a string of penalties taken by the Flames. The invitee line continued to provide energy, drawing one of the penalties that led to a powerplay goal.
Danila Klimovich, stationed on the half-wall, delivered one of his many snapshots, this time being deflected by Riley Patterson, who scored his first goal in a Canucks uniform.
Klimovich’s assist was his third of the tournament, making him the team leader among the entire Young Stars field in that category. The Canucks continued to build on their momentum, scoring two more goals before the end of the period.
The hard-working invitee line finally cashed in, with Cooper Walker applying pressure to set up Deagan McMillan, who beat the Flames’ newly inserted goaltender Connor Murphy with a far-side shot.
Soon after, Max Sasson won a puck battle in the corner and fed Vilmer Alriksson, who scored on the opposite side. It was likely one that Connor Murphy would like back. For Alriksson, it was his second goal in as many games and third point of the tournament.
For the second consecutive game, the Canucks rallied from a 2-0 deficit and, for the second consecutive game, scored four unanswered goals.

Third Period

The Flames regained all momentum back early in the third period when former Vancouver Giant Samuel Honzek scored on a breakaway just one minute in, narrowing the Canucks’ lead to 4-3.
The Cancusk regrouped and played meaningful shutdown hockey for the remainder of the match. Both teams traded powerplay opportunities and scoring chances throughout the period, but the Canucks managed to hold off the Flames’ offensive push and secured the 4-3 victory.

Final Recap

Despite getting down early, the Canucks once again displayed resilience and determination to claw their way back into the game, solidifying their status as the tournament’s top team. After some standout performances, particularly from the invitee line and goaltender Vilmer Alriksson, the Canucks wrapped up the Young Stars Classic undefeated.

What’s Next

The Canucks’ prospects will remain in Penticton as the main Training Camp officially kicks off at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Thursday, September 19th. Fans can purchase tickets here.
Training Camp Schedule:
  • Day 1 Thursday, Sept 19 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
  • Day 2 Friday, Sept 20 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
  • Day 3 Saturday, Sept 21 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
  • Day 4 Sunday, Sept 22 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Scrimmage*
*Scrimmage: Two 20-minute periods with one 20-minute intermission.
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