The Calgary Canucks are on the brink of a storybook ending at the 2025 Centennial Cup — and they’re writing it on home ice.
Fueled by relentless determination and a flair for late-game drama, the host Canucks clinched a spot in Sunday’s national championship final with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Rockland Nationals in Saturday’s semifinal showdown at Max Bell Centre.
It was Hayden Fechner who etched his name into Calgary hockey lore with the game-winning goal in extra time, but it was the collective will of a battle-hardened team that pushed the two-time Alberta Junior Hockey League champions through to the title game.
“This team doesn’t know how to quit,” said Canucks general manager and head coach Brad Moran. “They stay composed, they believe in each other, and they just keep pushing. That belief is what’s carried us all the way to this point.”
The Canucks will now face the Melfort Mustangs of Saskatchewan in Sunday’s finale (5 p.m. MT, HNLive.ca), with a national championship on the line and a home crowd ready to erupt.
Gavin Schmidt was another hero in the semifinal, scoring both Calgary goals in regulation — including a dramatic equalizer with just three minutes left — to force the game into overtime. His timely performance under pressure epitomized the Canucks’ resilience.
“There were definitely nerves,” admitted Schmidt, “but we’ve been in this situation before. We’ve had slow starts in a lot of our games, but we always seem to find a way to battle back.”
The semifinal was no cakewalk. The Rockland Nationals played a disciplined defensive game and leaned heavily on standout goaltender Benoit Forget, who turned aside 28 shots and kept Calgary’s dynamic offense in check for much of the night.
But when the Canucks found an opening, they made it count.
After falling in the semifinals at last year’s Centennial Cup in Oakville, Ont., the Canucks entered this tournament with unfinished business — and so far, they’ve played like a team on a mission. Saturday’s win wasn’t just a ticket to the final; it was redemption.
With one more win, the Calgary Canucks could turn their Centennial Cup hosting duties into a championship celebration — right in their own backyard.
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