The Toledo Walleye, the Detroit Red Wings’ affiliate in the ECHL, dropped a 3-2 decision against the Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the Kelly Cup final at Huntington Center in Toledo on Friday.
The Walleye had a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Randy Gazzola and John Albert but the Everblades ralled with a goal by Zach Solow in the second period and then two third-period goals by Alex Aleardi, including the winner with 1:41 left.
Canton’s Matt Berry and Macomb’s Brendan Hawkins had an assist each for Toledo and Walleye goalie Billy Christopoulos made 37 saves. Florida goalie Cam Johnson of Troy made 33 saves.
Game 2 of the series is Saturday in Toledo at 7:35 p.m.
Medina makes 43 saves in OHL final
Detroit’s Xavier Medina made 43 saves in the Windsor Spitfires’ 4-3 overtime victory against the Hamilton Bulldogs in Game 1 of the Ontario Hockey League final on Friday at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton.
Livonia’s Ryan Abraham assisted on the game-winning goal by Michael Renwick at the 9:30 mark of overtime. Red Wings draft pick Pasquale Zito had two shots on goal for Windsor in his second game back since suffering an injury against the Kitchener Rangers on June 10.
Bergmann shares goaltending duties
Detroit’s Annelies Bergmann made five saves in the United States’ 3-1 win against Canada in a tune-up game in Blaine, Minnesota, ahead of the under-18 women’s hockey championship in Madison and Middleton, Wisconsin.
Bergmann (Oakland Grizzlies), Sedona Blair (eight saves) and Ava McNaughton (nine saves on 10 shots) shared the goaltending duties.
Also on the team are three forwards from Little Caesars: Elyssa Biederman, Cassie Hall and Kirsten Simms.
The U18 women’s championship kicks off Monday with the U.S. facing Sweden.
The tournament was relocated from Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden, and rescheduled from January when it was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports minister orders investigation
Canada’s sports minister ordered a forensic audit of Hockey Canada after the organization recently settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by multiple members of the country’s 2018 world junior hockey team.
Pascale St-Onge said she was “shocked and angry” and said an investigation will be carried out to ensure public funds were not used in an out-of-court settlement to “cover up” the story.
The plaintiff, identified as “E.M.” in court records, claimed she was repeatedly assaulted while intoxicated in a London, Ontario, hotel room following a Hockey Canada event honoring the gold medal-winning junior team.
The woman, now 24, was seeking $3.55 million in damages. Details of the settlement were not released.
Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire, who introduced a motion in the House of Commons calling for an investigation, said he was “outraged” by the allegations.
“How do we learn (about this) four years after the fact?” he asked. “Have we covered up charges of sex scandal allegations involving Hockey Canada players?”
In a statement released May 26, Hockey Canada said the plaintiff chose not to speak with the both the police and Hockey Canada’s independent investigator. The organization also said the woman did not want to identify the players involved.
“This was her right and we fully respect her wishes,” the statement said.
The National Hockey League also launched an investigation.
“We will endeavor to determine the underlying facts and, to the extent this may involve players who are now in the NHL, we will determine what action, if any, would be appropriate,” the league said in statement.