🇨🇦 Canada 10-2 Finland 🇫🇮
Hockey Canada Cup Preliminary Round
General Motors Place, Vancouver 🇨🇦
Tuesday, 01 September 2009

Hayley Wickenheiser became the first player on the Canadian women’s hockey team to break the 300 career-point barrier Tuesday in Canada’s 10-2 win over Finland at the Hockey Canada Cup.

Wickenheiser had a pair of assists in her record-setting night. She’s averaged 1.5 points per game since joining the national team at the age of 15. The 31-year-old captain from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, is Canada’s all-time leader in goals (142), assists (159), games (202) and penalty minutes (244).

“I’ve had a few good penalties over the years,” Wickenheiser said with a chuckle before adding. “I take a lot of pride in keeping myself at the highest level that I can.”

Wickenheiser plans to keep playing beyond the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver next February, so her numbers will be hard to match. Retired forward Danielle Goyette is second all-time at 219 points, followed by Canadian forward Jayna Hefford with 203.

“If you look at the next people after her, we’re so far behind and it shows how much of an amazing players she is,” forward Caroline Ouellette said. “The more important the games are, the better she is.”

Montréal’s Ouellette and Rebecca Johnston of Sudbury, Ontario, each scored hat tricks for Canada. Johnston, 19, leads Canada in goals in the tournament with five in two games.

Canada controlled Tuesday’s game throughout. It was goal-filled and eventful for the 2,237 who bought tickets as Haley Irwin of Thunder Bay, Ontario, scored on a penalty shot in the third period.

Sarah Vaillancourt of Sherbrooke, Québec, Gillian Apps of Unionville, Ontario, and Winnipeg’s Jennifer Botterill also scored for Canada (2-0). Goaltender Kim St-Pierre of Châteauguay, Québec, stopped 11 of 13 shots in her first start of the tournament.

Rosa Lindstedt and Linda Välimäki replied for Finland, who upset the U.S. 3-2 on Monday for just their second win over that country in women’s hockey history.

The tournament is a test event for the Olympic Games. Games are played at GM Place, which will be re-named Canada Hockey Place for the Olympics.

The preliminary round concludes Thursday with Canada versus the U.S. and Finland meeting Sweden. All teams advance to Saturday’s semifinal round with the top seed meeting the bottom seed and No. 2 taking on No. 3.

Finland has never beaten Canada. New Finnish coach Pekka Hämäläinen opted to rest goalie Noora Räty after her 49-save performance against the U.S. Backup Mira Kuisma couldn’t produce the same over-the-top performance with 30 saves on 40 shots.

Canada opened the tournament with a 7-0 win over Sweden. Finland forechecks harder and boasts a faster transition game than the Swedes. They attempt to slow the game to a snail’s pace once Canada clears their own zone as they clog up the middle lane to force the opposition to the outside.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
04:54 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Vaillancourt (Ferrari, Wickenheiser)
05:32 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Posa, tripping
08:17 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Wickenheiser, interference
10:07 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Sostorics, holding
10:52 – 🇫🇮 PP GOAL – Lindstedt
12:13 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Apps (Wickenheiser, Poulin)
12:56 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Ouellette (Larocque)
13:17 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Lindstedt, high sticking
13:50 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – Johnston (Ferrari, Bonhomme)
17:06 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Lindstedt, hooking

2nd Period
25:24 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Ouellette (Botterill, Apps)
27:25 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Karvinen, interference
32:29 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Ouellette (Piper)
36:48 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Välimäki (Pehkonen)

3rd Period
42:14 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Sirviö, body checking
42:29 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – Botterill (Piper, Ouellette)
48:44 – 🇨🇦 PEN SHOT GOAL – Irwin
51:47 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Johnston (Vaillancourt, Irwin)
58:17 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Johnston (Irwin, Vaillancourt)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇦 St-Pierre (11-13)
L: 🇫🇮 Kuisma (30-40)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 15+13+12 = 40
🇫🇮 4+6+3 = 13

ROSTERS
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Charline Labonté, Kim St-Pierre, Shannon Szabados. Defence: Tessa Bonhomme, Delaney Collins, Gillian Ferrari, Becky Kellar, Jocelyne Larocque, Carla MacLeod, Meaghan Mikkelson, Colleen Sostorics, Catherine Ward. Forwards: Meghan Agosta, Gillian Apps, Jennifer Botterill, Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Johnston, Gina Kingsbury, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Vaillancourt, Jennifer Wakefield, Hayley Wickenheiser.
🇫🇮 Goaltenders: Maija Hassinen, Mira Kuisma, Noora Räty. Defence: Jenni Hiirikoski, Mira Jalosuo, Kati Kovalainen, Emma Laaksonen, Rosa Lindstedt, Heidi Pelttari, Mariia Posa, Saija Sirviö, Tea Villilä. Forwards: Anne Helin, Venla Hovi, Michelle Karvinen, Emmi Leinonen, Mari Pehkonen, Annina Rajahuhta, Karoliina Rantamäki, Mari Saarinen, Nora Tallus, Nina Tikkinen, Minnamari Tuominen, Saara Tuominen, Marjo Voutilainen, Linda Välimäki.

Article Credit: Hockey Canada
Photo Credit: Hockey Canada – IIHF – HHOF – IOC