🇨🇦 Canada 7-1 Belarus 🇧🇾
Olympic Semifinal
E Center, West Valley City 🇺🇸
Friday, 22 February 2002

Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team advanced to the Gold medal game at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a 7-1 victory over Belarus on Friday. Canada will now face the winner of the USA vs. Russia semi-final game.

Steve Yzerman opened the scoring for Canada, drilling a shot past Belarus’ goaltender Andrei Mezin at the 6:05 mark of the first period. Belarus would reply with a goal at the 13:24 mark of the period, but Canada rebounded late in the period when Eric Brewer beat Mezin to give Canada a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.

In the second period, Canada would add two more goals as Scott Niedermayer and Paul Kariya gave Canada a 4-1 lead. Niedermayer one-timed a Mario Lemieux pass at the 2:09 mark, which was followed by Kariya converting another Lemieux pass at the 13:28 mark. Canada was up 4-1 going into the dressing room.

Canada’s young guns solidified victory in the third as Simon Gagné, Eric Lindros and Jarome Iginla all netted their first goals of the tournament to give Canada a 7-1 victory.

Martin Brodeur, despite a fluky goal in the first period, settled down to earn his third win of the tournament. Brodeur stopped 13 of 14 shots to record the victory.

Canada will now have one day to rest before facing either USA or Russia in Sunday’s Gold medal final. Canada will be looking to become Olympic champions for the first time since the Edmonton Mercurys accomplished it at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
01:52 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Kopat, high sticking
06:05 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Yzerman (Sakic, Blake)
13:24 – 🇧🇾 GOAL – Salei
16:05 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Fleury, roughing
16:05 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Mikulchik, roughing
17:25 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Brewer (Yzerman)

2nd Period
21:10 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Kovalyov, holding
22:09 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – Niedermayer (Lemieux, Kariya)
22:38 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Jovanovski, tripping
25:11 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Peca, cross checking
29:59 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Mikulchik, boarding
33:28 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Kariya (Yzerman, Lemieux)

3rd Period
43:31 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Niedermayer, high sticking
45:21 – 🇨🇦 SH GOAL – Gagné (Peca)
46:56 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Fleury, hooking
48:43 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Nolan, roughing
50:52 – 🇧🇾 PEN – team, too many players
52:24 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – Lindros (Smyth, Nolan)
56:15 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Iginla (Shanahan)
57:43 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Lindros, slashing
57:43 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Tsyplakov, roughing
59:54 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Lindros, unsportsmanlike conduct
59:54 – 🇧🇾 PEN – Tsyplakov, unsportsmanlike conduct

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇦 Brodeur (13-14)
L: 🇧🇾 Mezin (23-27), Shabanov (21-24)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 17+15+19 = 51
🇧🇾 3+6+5 = 14

ROSTERS
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Martin Brodeur, Curtis Joseph. Defence: Rob Blake, Eric Brewer, Adam Foote, Ed Jovanovski, Al MacInnis, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger (A). Forwards: Theoren Fleury, Simon Gagné, Jarome Iginla, Paul Kariya, Mario Lemieux (C), Eric Lindros, Joe Nieuwendyk, Owen Nolan, Michael Peca, Joe Sakic (A), Brendan Shanahan, Ryan Smyth, Steve Yzerman.
🇧🇾 Goaltenders: Andrei Mezin, Sergei Shabanov. Defence: Oleg Khmyl (A), Vladimir Kopat, Alexander Makritski, Igor Matushkin, Oleg Mikulchik, Oleg Romanov, Ruslan Salei, Sergei Stas, Alexander Zhurik. Forwards: Alexander Andrievski (C), Oleg Antonenko, Vadim Bekbulatov, Dmitri Dudik, Alexei Kalyuzhny, Andrei Kovalyov, Dmitri Pankov, Vasili Pankov, Andrei Rasolko, Vladimir Tsyplakov (A), Eduard Zankovets.

Article Credit: Hockey Canada
Photo Credit: Library & Archives Canada – IIHF – HHOF – IOC