PARADISE, N.L. — Liam Hickey of St. John's scored a pair of goals as Canada’s national para hockey team blanked the Czech Republic 6-0 in the opening game of the 2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup Sunday evening at the Paradise Double Ice Complex.
It was opening day for the event, once known as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge.
The tournament also includes the defending champion United States and Russia. The Americans blanked the Russians 3-0 earlier Sunday in the tourney's first contest.
In Canada's win, team captain Tyler McGregor, Greg Westlake, Alexis Auclair and James Dunn also scored while Zach Lavin proved helpful with three assists.
McGregor, who is taking over as captain from Westlake at this tourney, also had a three-point game with two assists
A special ceremony that saw Westlake turn over the captaincy to McGregor was held at the Terry Fox Memorial in St. John's (see video).
In Sunday's game, Dominic Larocque and Corbin Watson split the game between the pipes and shared the shutout for Canada.
Hickey, 21, has been part of the national team program for more than five years and a fixture on the national men’s senior side for the past three seasons. He has been an offensive force in international competition, averaging more than a point-and-a-half per game for Canada. He now has 60 points in 38 international games, including 11 in five contests at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in South Korea, where Canada claimed the silver medal.
Canada is back in action again today on Paradise with a game against Russia at 7 p.m. The Americans take on the Czechs at noon.
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