Canada kicked off its 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship tournament with an impressive 4-2 victory over Finland on Tuesday night. Four different players scored and goaltender Carter hart impressively stopped 27/29 shots, but the team’s most memorable play came on a defensive effort from 6’4 blueliner Cal Foote.
With the Finns applying pressure in the third period, it appeared as though a rolling puck was about to put them within one of the Canadians. As the piece of rubber slowly trickled its way towards the net, Foote seemingly out of nowhere sprawled his massive frame out and narrowly prevented the puck from going in. He even took a blocker to the face from Hart in the process.
The call from TSN’s Gord Miller really said it all.
Foote’s long reach and towering stature is what prompted the Tampa Bay Lightning to make him the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft. The Kelowna Rockets captain has been an offensive force in the Western Hockey League with six goals and 24 assists, but his defensive effort will surely be remembered as one of the highlights of the tournament.
Following the game, Hart confessed that he had no idea just how close the puck was from going in.
Hart will continue to lean on Foote and the rest of Team Canada’s blue line as they continue their quest for gold. They group squares off against Slovakia on Wednesday night at 7 PM Eastern Time and can be watched across TSN.
