The Vancouver Canucks overcame a two-goal deficit and earned first-place at the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C. with a 4-3 comeback victory over the Calgary Flames.
Vilmer Alriksson scored the game-winner for the young Canucks with just over five minutes remaining in the middle frame, taking a pass from Max Sasson and beating Flames goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew from the left faceoff dot.
Arshdeep Bains, Riley Patterson and Deagan McMillan also scored for the Canucks in a four-goal effort.
The Flames prospects came out to a hot start thanks to their two 2024 first-round picks, scoring twice in the first 11 minutes of the game to take a 2-0 lead.
Matvei Gridin opened the scoring halfway through the first, then Zayne Parekh, the ninth-overall pick, sniped the first of what will likely be many goals in a Flames uniform from the right circle a minute later.
The Canucks pulled within one before the end of the first period, then unleashed a three-goal onslaught in the second. Though the Flames prospects earned one back in the final frame thanks to a Sam Honzek goal on a Gridin set-up, the Canucks were able to lock down and secure the victory.
The Flames finish the tournament with a 1-1-1 record, while the Canucks finish undefeated, 3-0-0.
Prospects will now shift to fighting for roster spots, as training camps for each team open in the coming days.