REGINA - Team Saskatchewan men's hockey won silver at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, after a intense match. It was a gold medal game for the ages in Charlottetown but, in the end, Ontario prevailed in dramatic fashion.
Ontario won a classic, 3-2 in double-overtime, Saturday night in a game that finished just before 11 p.m. local time.
A pair of Saskatoon Blazers helped Saskatchewan jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Kash Andresen opened the scoring at 7:21 after Dayce Derkatch put the puck in the slot and Andresen patiently put it home. Cole Reschny then made it 2-0 at 15:20, his fifth goal of the tournament.
Team Ontario pressed in the second and had multiple great scoring chances but Saskatoon Contacts netminder Logan Edmonstone made several key saves to keep Saskatchewan up by two heading to the third.
In the third, Ontario battled back. Two quick goals, including one on the power play, knotted the game at two with 7:13 left.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the extra frame and, ultimately, a fifth period was needed. The Ontario game-winning goal came at 3:52 of double overtime by Matthew Schaefer.
Logan Edmonstone made 49 saves in the loss.
With a silver medal, Saskatchewan improves upon a 4th place finish in the last Canada Winter Games, held in 2019 in Red Deer, Alberta.
