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Zak Green was privy to inside information about the Telus Cup long before the Calgary Buffaloes AAA Under-18s earned an invite to the national championship.
Thanks, Dad, for your ice war stories, Green says.
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“I’ve been raised on stories like this my whole life from my dad’s time with the Buffaloes,” said Green, whose father, Cory, knows firsthand the experience of Hockey Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship. “He always talked about going to the tournament and what it means.
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“So being able to experience it myself is a coming full circle moment.”
And he’s experienced it to the fullest so far, with the Buffs just two wins away from capturing the coveted crown in Membertou, NS.
The first should come on Saturday in the event’s semifinals, when the top four teams face off in two games to decide the finalists for Sunday’s gold medal game (2 p.m. MT, TSN).
Green, a blueliner, and the Pacific Region champion Buffaloes (3-0-1-1) line up against the West winner Brandon Wheat Kings (3-0-2-0) at Membertou Sport & Wellness Center.
The other semifinal pits the undefeated Cantonniers de Magog (5-0), the kings of Quebec, against the central champions Markham Waxers (2-1-2-0), from Ontario.
Those games are broadcast live on Hockey Canada at 11am MT and 3pm MT.
“Just enjoy the moment,” Green said, when asked about the advice his father gave him about the tournament. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. “Just take it all in and enjoy the moment.”
When asked what year he saw his father wear the Calgary colors, Green himself wasn’t exactly sure.
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“Sometime in the ’80s,” he said with a smile. “That’s all I know.”
It was the 1987 championship, then called the Air Canada Cup, in Gloucester, Ontario, which is now part of Ottawa.
Quebec’s Riverains du Richelieu defeated Saskatchewan’s Notre Dame Hounds for the banner, while the Buffaloes finished third.
The younger Green and his fellow Alberta champions intend to do better this time.
They want gold, just like the 1989 edition of the Buffs unearthed in St. John’s, NL, in search of the association’s only other national title.
“Keep doing your job,” Green said. “And we’ll be fine.”
On Friday, the Buffaloes concluded the round-robin portion of the event with a 4-0 loss at the hands of the perfect Quebec kingpins. But the result meant nothing for the classification.
Colten Scott started at goalie, making 27 saves between the pipes for the Buffs.
“Yeah… I kept it simple,” added Buffaloes head coach Brent Harrison, who wasn’t worried about the competition. “We weren’t going to tire our horses out in that game.”
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