Canada clinches berth in semis with win over South Korea

(photo: Hockey Canada)

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Tyler McGregor recorded the hat trick and national team rookie Auren Halbert notched two more goals as Canada defeated South Korea 8-0 on Sunday at the 2021 World Para Ice Hockey Championships.

Canada improves its record to two wins and no losses and clinches a berth in the semifinals. On Saturday the Canadians defeated the defending world and Paralympic Games champions United States 2-1.

“I thought we played another good game,’’ said Canada’s head coach Ken Babey. ‘’We had different players stepping up and had some guys come into the line-up that really helped us out. We played a solid team game, and we created a lot of offensive opportunities that we were able to capitalize on. 

‘’We’ll need to carry this momentum with us as we look ahead to playing the Czechs on Tuesday.”

One of the players inserted into the line-up was Halbert, making his world championships debut. The 18-year-old from Calgary was born with one leg not fully developed and has been on Team Canada’s radar for over two years.

“After sitting out the first game, it was a pretty incredible feeling to get into today’s game and play against South Korea,” he said. ‘’It was a blessing to be able to get my first two goals of the tournament, but it was a great effort by our entire team. 

‘’I am really proud to be a part of this group, and I think after 14 months of not playing, we really came here motivated to win.”

Other Canadian scorers were Liam Hickey with two goals and three assists and Corbyn Smith with one. Dominic Larocque and Adam Kingsmill split the goaltending duties. The Canadians led 3-0 after the first period and 6-0 after two.

“We had a few line-up changes after a tough first game, and the guys that got their first taste of action today really stepped up and filled their roles well,’’ said Canadian forward Zach Lavin. ‘’It was a physical game, but we were able to keep our composure. We maintained our offence and worked hard on the forecheck, and we were able to pick up an important win.”

Canada gets a well-earned rest on Monday before completing the round robin against host Czech Republic on Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. ET. The Czechs lost to South Korea 2-0 on Saturday.

Audiences across the country can watch Canada’s games live and on-demand at Paralympic.ca and the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Facebook page. CLICK HERE for more broadcast information. 

Quotes provided by Hockey Canada