Collingwood Blues score late in comeback 5-4 win over Calgary Canucks at Centennial Cup

The Calgary Canucks came up short at the Centennial Cup Thursday, dropping a 5-4 decision to Collingwood. (Photo: X@OJHLHockey/TimBates/OJHLImages)

Dylan Hudon scored with 3:22 remaining in the third period to lift Collingwood to a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Calgary Canucks in both teams’ opening game at the 2024 Centennial Cup Thursday afternoon.

Hudon’s winner came hot on the heels of another goal by Collingwood’s Spencer Young, who tied the score with 5:29 left.

With five strong teams departing the AJHL this year, the big question surrounding the Canucks was whether they could compete against the best from the rest of Canada at the Centennial Cup.

Collingwood got on the board first, a couple minutes into the first, when Marcus Lougheed split the defence on the power play to put the Blues up 1-0.

Later in the period, Mark McIntosh of Collingwood tipped in a Cameron Eke shot on a power play to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Canucks cut the lead in half late in the first, getting a power play goal of their own from Julien Gervais, who fired it past Noah Pak.

They followed that up with another power play goal in the second from Cody Pisarczyk to tie it up at 2-2.

Later in the second, the Canucks moved in front on another power play marker from Gervais.

But with five minutes left in the second, Collingwood’s Eke notched a power play goal to tie it up at 3-3.

In the third, Gervais completed his hat trick to give Calgary the lead before two late goals by the Blues gave them the one-goal victory.

It was a tough opening loss for Calgary, but the team proved it can compete with the other Canadian teams.

The Canucks are back in action Saturday when they take on College Francais de Longeuil of Quebec.

With files from Glenn Campbell