Peterborough's Porter Martone Helps Canada With Two-Point Game To Rout Slovakia, 14-4; Canada Defeats Switzerland 5-0 in Final Preliminary Game

Porter Martone get two points to help Team Canada rebound from their opening game loss with a 14-4 rout of Slovakia at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup at the Zimny stadion Trencin in Trencin, Slovakia on Tuesday.

Canada continued their momentum beating Switzerland 5-0 to finish their preliminary games before the playoffs on Wednesday morning.

Porter Martone, Assistant captain (left); Berkly Catton, captain (middle) and Sam Dickinson, assistant captain (right) for Team Canada in this year’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Photo courtesy of Hockey Canada.

After a two-goal period and shutting down the Slovaks in the first period, Canada played like a team possessed, scoring six goals in the period to their opponent’s three. Martone got the secondary assist to Canada’s fourth goal of the period, scored by Cayden Lindstrongand the primary helped to Henry Mews.

Canada continued their offensive juggernaut with another six goals to finish the game with 14 goals to Slovakia’s 4. Martone put the cherry on top, scoring the final goal of the game with 21 seconds left in regulation.

Martone did not register a point in Canada’s 5-0 shutout over Switzerland on Wednesday morning. That gives Canada a 2-1 record to finish the preliminaries.

Playoff brackets have not been established at the publication of this article. Canada is in Group B with Switzerland, Finland and Slovakia.

Switzerland shares a 2-1 record with Canada but lost to each other in the head-to-head matchup. Finland is 1-1 and plays Slovakia at 1 p.m. The former has the head-to-head matchup win over Canada. Slovakia has already been eliminated from the playoffs with a winless 0-2 record.

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Peterborough's Porter Martone and Team Canada Off to Rough Start at Hlinka-Gretzky Cup

Porter Martone and Team Canada are not having the start they envisioned as they lost 9-6 to Finland at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup at the Zimny stadion Trencin in Trencin, Slovakia on Monday afternoon.

Porter Martone, Assistant captain (left); Berkly Catton, captain (middle) and Sam Dickinson, assistant captain (right) for Team Canada in this year’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Photo courtesy of Hockey Canada.

Canada looked strong, scoring the first three of four goals in the first period. Finland scored with three minutes left to make it a one-goal game to make it 3-2 going into the second.

Finland surged with three straight goals to open the middle frame to have a 5-3 lead over Canada. Martone got himself involved in the score sheet, getting the secondary assist on a Berkly Catton power play goal. It was Canada’s only score of the frame going into the third, being down 5-4.

Canada seemingly got themselves back on track, scoring first in the third period but went downhill fast. Final scored four goals in less than four minutes to run away with the game. Canada scored a garbage-time goal but lost 9-6 in their opening game.

Canada will have to bounce back against Slovakia on Tuesday afternoon for their second preliminary game of the tournament. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Petes Mason McTavish Invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp

Petes forward Mason McTavish has been invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp from Dec 9 - 13 in Calgary, Alberta by Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

“It’s an honour to be invited to Hockey Canada’s camp,” said McTavish. “I love wearing the Canadian jersey and representing my country. I always dreamt of playing in the World Juniors during Christmas and I’m excited to put the work in to make the team.”

McTavish scored four goals in two games with the Petes. On Nov. 26, the 6’1”, 205 lbs centerman was named Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Player of the Night after scoring a hat-trick in his season debut.

McTavish was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft and recorded three points (two goals, one assist) and a +3 rating in nine games with Anaheim this season.

In the Ducks' season opener and his NHL debut, he became the youngest goalscorer in Ducks history (18 years, 256 days) for his first career goal.

In addition to suiting up for Anaheim, the Petes fifth overall pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection suited up for the Ducks’ AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, recording two points (one goal, one assist) in three games. 

On the international stage, McTavish served as alternate captain, helping Team Canada win gold for the first time since 2013 at the 2021 U18 IIHF World Championship in Texas. He finished the tournament with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven games, ranking fifth overall in the tournament and tied second on Team Canada.

In his rookie season with the Petes, the Carp, Ontario, who was born in Zurich, Switzerland recorded 29 goals and 13 assists for 42 points, finishing second in the OHL rookie scoring race. He was also named to the OHL 2nd All-Rookie team.

McTavish attended Canada’s National Junior Team summer development camp from July 28-August 4 2021 at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary.

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Local Olympians Help Canada Win First Water Polo Game Since 2004

Lindsay’s Emma and Claire Wright of the Canadian women’s water polo team defeated The Republic of South Africa with an impressive score of 21-1 at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on Wednesday.

Emma and Claire Wright in Peru. Photo Courtesy of Wendy Wright.

The win improved the team’s record to 1-2 in third place in Group A. Emma scored a goal early in the game and logged 17:08 minutes of play time.

Goalkeeper Clara Vulpisi made her first Olympic appearance, stopping eight of nine shots which allowed Claire to cheer on her sister during this match.

“Outside the water, it’s like I have my sister here and it’s amazing but in the water, she’s my teammate and we’re both there to do a job,” said Emma.

The team is currently sitting third in Group A. This victory put Canada on track to make the quarterfinals where the top four teams from each group will compete.

Quarterfinals will begin on Tuesday.

Canada will face the Netherlands in their final preliminary match on Sunday.

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Team Canada Names 3 Peterborough Lacrosse Players To Roster

Team Canada named its roster today (November 6th) for their November 17th exhibition game against the Iroquois Nationals, and three Peterborough natives cracked the squad. Cory Vitarelli, Mike Grimes and Shawn Evans—Evans and Vitarelli are pictured at left from their recent appearance on TSN SportsCentre—will all suit up in what will be the first International lacrosse game to be played at the Bell Centre in Montreal since it opened on March 16th, 1996.

Vitarelli plays pro lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) for the Rochester Knighthawks, while Evans plays for the Calgary Roughnecks and is the league's reigning MVP. Both of them still live in Peterborough and play summer ball with the Lakers. Grimes moved to British Columbia a few years back and he'll suit up this winter for the NLL's newest franchise, the Vancouver Stealth (formerly the Washington Stealth). Peterborough Laker Jordan MacIntosh was also named to the team.

Game time is 2 p.m. on November 17th and tickets can be purchased online here.

—PTBOCanada's Sports Guy Scott Arnold

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