Canada, Kinrade on to Spengler Cup semi finals
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Team Canada started its assault on defending Spengler Cup by stopping the Rochester Americans 6-3 Sunday in Davos, Switzerland.
Team Canada, with Nelson’s Geoff Kinrade anchoring the defence, built up a 3-0 first period lead before holding off the American Hockey League reps in quarterfinal action.
Byron Ritchie and Jacob Micflikier each scored twice while Derrick Walser and Alexandre Giroux added singles as Canada held period leads of 3-0 and 4-3.
Kinrade, the second consecutive season the Nelson native has played for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, added an assist on Micflikier’s second goal of the first period to give the winners a 3-0 lead.
Canada advances to meet Swiss club HC Geneve-Servette in Monday’s semifinal.
Geneve-Servette had an automatic berth to the semis after finishing first in its group.
Alexander Hutchings, Dan Catenacci and Joel Armia scored for Rochester, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Host HC Davos will face CSKA Moscow in the other semifinal.
Moscow beat HC Vitkovice Steel 3-2 on Sunday to advance.
The Spengler Cup, originating in 1923, is an annual ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland and is considered the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world.
Team Canada consists of players currently on European teams.
The 2013 Spengler Cup is the second time Kinrade, in his third season with SC Bern of the Swiss League, is representing Canada at the tournament.
Last year’s tournament Team Canada was sprinkled with professional players looking to keep their skills sharp during the NHL lockout.
This year Team Canada must take the challenge using Canadians playing in Europe.
Kinrade, who plays for SC Bern of the Swiss Nationaliga, is a graduate of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Nelson Leafs.
See previous story: http://thenelsondaily.com/news/updated-team-canada-begins-long-road-spengler-cup-defence-27714#.UsCa9faxVOE
