Canada opens Para Hockey Cup with dominant win over Italy

Canada's national Para-hockey team started strong at the 2022 Para Hockey Cup with a dominant 8-0 win over Italy on Sunday in Bridgewater, N.S.

Six different Canadians delivered multi-point performances, with James Dunn's hat trick leading the way. Canada's 48 shots on goal set a new Para Hockey Cup record for most shots in a game by one team, including 20 in the first period.

"I thought we put together a solid effort tonight. It's a special feeling being on home ice, and I think the guys fed off it," said Canadian forward Corbyn Smith.

"Credit to their goalie, he made a lot of saves in the first period, but we stuck with it and knew that he can't stop them all. We didn't stray from our game, and they started to go in."

Dunn also picked up an assist, while captain Tyler McGregor added a pair of goals and Jacob Leblanc scored his first international goal. Smith collected a goal and an assist, and defenceman Zach Lavin added Canada's eighth goal.

Jean-François Huneault and Dominic Larocque combined for an eight-save shutout.

Dominic Cozzolino, Auren Halbert and Anton Jacobs-Webb each collected two assists for the Canadians, who face the Czech Republic in their second game of the preliminary round on Monday at 6 p.m. ET.

Canada completes the preliminary round against the rival United States on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET — a rematch of the gold-medal game from the Beijing Paralympics last March. The Americans also defeated Canada for gold in September at the International Para Hockey Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Watch live coverage of Canada's preliminary-round games on Hockey Canada's YouTube channel.

The four-team Para Hockey Cup was last held in 2019 in Paradise, N.L., but was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dunn was happy to be back on home ice, saying the cheering crowd at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre was uplifting for the team.

"I was so excited to be back playing on home ice. It's been a long time since we've been in Canada. To play in front of our fans and hear them cheering us on gave everyone in that room a boost today. It was a great win by the group," Dunn said.

Led by first-year head coach Russ Herrington, Canada's 20-man roster boasts a mixture of Paralympic veterans and younger talent, with 10 players from the team that won silver in Beijing.

Canada is searching for its first gold medal at the tournament since 2013.

The defending champion U.S. squad cruised past the Czechs with a 10-0 win to open the tournament earlier in the day.

Star forward Declan Farmer had five points with a hat trick and two assists, while Ben Musselman collected two goals and two assists in a game that saw the Americans outshoot the Czechs 34-9.

Canada schedule

• Monday: Canada vs. Czech Republic (6 p.m. ET)
• Wednesday: Canada vs. United States (6 p.m. ET)

Canada roster

Forwards:

• #4 James Dunn — Wallacetown, Ont.
• #8 Tyler McGregor — Forest, Ont.
• #9 Corbyn Smith — Monkton, Ont.
• #13 Vincent Boily — Alma, Que.
• #19 Dominic Cozzolino — Mississauga, Ont.
• #20 Jacob Leblanc — Moncton, N.B.
• #21 Alexis Auclair — Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
• #22 Matteo Pellizzari — Vancouver
• #23 Liam Hickey — St. John's
• #26 Anton Jacobs-Webb  — Gatineau, Que.
• #98 Mathieu Lelièvre — Levis, Que.

Defencemen:

• #2 Rod Crane — Clarksburg, Ont.
• #5 Tyrone Henry — Ottawa
• #7 Zach Lavin — Essex, Ont.
• #11 Adam Dixon — Midland, Ont.
• #29 Micah Kovacevich — Edmonton
• #61 Rob Armstrong — Erin, Ont.
• #92 Auren Halbert — Calgary

Goaltenders:

• #30 Jean-François Huneault — Saint-Eustache, Que.
• #31 Dominic Larocque — Quebec City