Team Canada won the final of the 93rd Spengler Cup in Davos, defeating Czech champion Ocelari Trinec 4-0 on Tuesday afternoon. The Canadians scored three powerplay goals to make it 3-0 at the halfway mark. With 16 tournament victories, Team Canada is now the sole record Spengler Cup title holder.

With a courageous, offensive strategy, Trinec made it an open, attractive, and exciting final for the first 30 minutes of play. The Czechs built up their attack from a disciplined and well-organized defense. In contrast to their first three games, the Canadians were unable to generate much tempo to put their opponents under immediate pressure and take the lead early on. Tactically they also played more cautiously. It was thanks to the two solid goalkeepers Zach Fucale (Canada) and Jakub Stepanek (Trinec) as well as the goalpost that the game remained scoreless after the first period. The Canadian Zach Boychuk hit the post in the 5th minute of play, while Filip Haman did the same on the opposite side less than a minute later.
During the first half of the game the Czechs showed no signs of more fatigue from their tournament play. They were playing their third game in as many days and, after a much more exhausting semi-final – 3-2 overtime win over Ambri - also had five hours less rest than the Canadians, who, as the group stage winners, had not played a quarterfinal game. Then the waning energy began to express itself in the form of multiple penalties. And the Canadians took advantage of those powerplays mercilessly. Dustin Jeffrey, Jan Mitchell, and Chris Versteeg gave Team Canada a commanding 3-0 lead within four minutes and seven seconds. The Canadians superbly used a pair of two-man advantages to score the second and third goals.

Despite never resigning, continuously working hard and battling, even after Jeffrey’s 4-0, the Czechs were unable to salvage at least one goal. So, Canada’s keeper Zach Fucale celebrated doubly with a shutout victory in the final. The journalists selected him to the Spengler Cup’s All-Star Team along with defensemen Martin Gernat (Trinec) and Maxim Noreau (Canada) as well as forwards Kevin Clark (Canada), Arno Chmielewski (Trinec), and Matt D’Agostini (Ambri).
In 1984, after years of efforts, the Spengler Cup manager at the time, Fredy Gfeller, brought Team Canada to the Spengler Cup for the first time. The Canadians quickly became a staple and crowd favourite. This year was their 36th consecutive appearance at he traditional tournament. The team from overseas made the finals 24 times. And with their 16th tournament victory, they have crowned themselves sole record Spengler Cup title holders. Team Canada had shared the previous record with HC Davos.

Team Canada – Ocelari Trinec 4-0 (0-0, 3-0, 1-0)

Eisstadion Davos. – Attendance 6300 (sold out). – Referees Lemelin/Romasko (USA/RUS), Kaderli/Nikulainen (SUI/FIN).
Scoring: 30. Jeffrey (Tambellini, Versteeg/penalty Polansky) 1-0. 32. Mitchell (Noreau, Clark/penalties Michal Kovarcik, Marcinko) 2-0. 34. Versteeg (Noreau, Jeffrey/penalties Marcinko, Haman) 3-0. 45. Jeffrey (Noreau, Fucale) 4-0.
Penalties: 2 minors on Team Canada, 5 minors Trinec.

Team Canada: Fucale; Noreau, MacDonald; Grant, Wiercioch; Postma, Maione; Mitchell; Jooris, Fehr, Boychuk; Clark, Jeffrey, Versteeg; Danforth, Winnik, DiDomenico; Maxwell, Tambellini, Upshall; Faille.

Ocelari Trinec: Stepanek; Haman, Doudera; Hrachovsky, Musil; Adamek, Zahradnicek; Stransky, Marcinko, Dravecky; Ondrej Kovarcik, Michal Kovarcik, Martynek; Chmielewski, Polansky, Adamsky; Novotny, Mikulik, Hrna; Szturc.

Game notes: 5. Boychuk, 6. Haman hit goalpost – Trinec without Gernat (injured).
 

Text: Spengler Cup-Online  Foto:Keystone