The 17U AAA Calgary Stallions and Kootenay HA treated fans to a goal-filled spectacle, with Kootenay ultimately pulling away for a 9-6 victory. The game exploded into action early, with Kootenay's Xavier Barrett opening the scoring just under two minutes in. Calgary responded with a furious offensive display, spearheaded by a dominant first period from Jakob Pugliese. Pugliese netted a natural hat-trick, including a power-play marker, while teammates Elliott Wilson and Brady Baun also found the back of the net. Kootenay kept pace, however, with Nixon McDonald scoring to make it a wild 5-2 Calgary lead after one. The period was not without its chippy moments, as early roughing minors to Calgary's Sean Morin and Kootenay's Dryden Hanson set a physical tone, followed by a head-checking minor to Kootenay's Dylan Bailey.
The second period saw a dramatic shift in momentum as Kootenay began to assert control. A major interference penalty to Calgary's Quint Myers proved costly. Shortly after the infraction, Kootenay's Carter Vanderloos and Jonas Rousselle scored to cut into the lead. Then, with Calgary's Grady Ford serving a tripping minor, Preston Oler capitalized on the power play to bring Kootenay within one. The Stallions' offense, so potent in the first, was silenced in the second as Kootenay goaltender Mateo Sinclair settled in, and his team began to dominate the shot clock, foreshadowing the final outcome.
Kootenay completed the comeback and sealed the win with a commanding third period. Lane Johnson tied the game early, and Brady Dyer netted the game-winner midway through the frame, assisted by Holden Nelson. Jaxon Derosier added an insurance goal to extend the lead. A late tally from Calgary's Brady Baun, his second of the game, provided a brief spark, but Max Parker's empty-netter in the final seconds extinguished any hope. The game ended with a flurry of misconducts, as Calgary's Mac Carr and Kootenay's Dylan Bailey were ejected following a series of roughing minors in the dying seconds, a fiery conclusion to a contest defined by relentless offense. Kootenay's relentless pressure, outshooting Calgary 40-31 over the final two periods, was the difference in a wild and memorable Junior Prospects Hockey League clash.
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