The 17U AAA matchup between the Coquitlam HC and the visiting Calgary Rockies was a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw tempers flare and the scoreboard light up, with Coquitlam ultimately securing a 6-4 victory. The Rockies struck first, with Matthew Morrow finding the net early in the opening period. Coquitlam's Lucas Robbins answered late in the first to tie the game, setting the stage for a chaotic middle frame. Calgary's Chase Donnan restored the lead, but the game's complexion changed dramatically when Calgary's Cale Grummett was assessed a major and game misconduct for a slewfoot. Coquitlam's power play, led by Danwoo Kim, took full advantage. Kim scored twice on the ensuing five-minute advantage, first from Kwonlyn Choi and Charlie Pena, and then again from Lucas Kim, to give Coquitlam a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
The final period was a whirlwind of special teams and physical play. Danwoo Kim completed his hat trick with another power-play goal early, assisted by Ethan Caputo and xavier sedor-steer. Caputo then scored what would stand as the game-winner, with Kim returning the favor for an assist alongside Timur Kolakov. Keenen Canales added another for Coquitlam to seemingly put the game out of reach at 6-2. However, the Rockies refused to quit. On a power play created by a major penalty to Coquitlam's Ethan Caputo for an illegal check to the head, Matthew Morrow netted his second of the game. Brayden Pickard scored with just two seconds remaining to make the final score more respectable, but it was too little, too late.
The game was marred by a staggering number of penalties, particularly in the second and third periods, with multiple misconducts handed out. Coquitlam's Joel Paladino and Calgary's Kyler Olsen faced a barrage of shots, with Paladino turning aside 27 of 31 for the win. The story of the night, however, was Danwoo Kim's offensive explosion. His hat trick and two assists powered the Coquitlam attack and was the decisive factor in overcoming a physical and persistent Calgary squad that played a significant portion of the game shorthanded.
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