Puck drops on Young Stars Classic in Penticton
Vancouver Canucks President Trevor Linden, second from left, and City of Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit perform the ceremonial puck-drop between Brock Boeser of the Canucks andJansenHarkinsoftheWinnipegJetstoopentheseventhannualYoungStarsClassicprospectstournamentattheSouthOkanaganEventCentreinPentictononFridaynight.The Canucks defeated the Jets 4-2, with Kelowna Rockets forward Kole Lind enjoying a three-point debut with two primary assists on Vancouver power plays before scoring an empty-net goal to seal the victory. Lind was selected by the Canucks in the second round (33rd overall) of this June’s NHL draft after leading the Rockets in scoring last season with 87 points, including 30 goals, in 70 WHL games. There are a few players participating in the Young Stars with Rockets’ connections, as Dillon Dube is suiting up for the Calgary Flames for the second straight year — a second-round pick in 2016 — while former Rockets forward Austin Glover is on a tryout with the Edmonton Oilers. Dube and Lind are both expected back in Kelowna this winter, while Glover, now 21, is a free agent looking to turn pro this fall after finishing his junior career with the Red Deer Rebels. Kelowna traded Glover to the Prince Albert Raiders in December 2014 to land defenceman Josh Morrissey and forward Gage Quinney, who helped the Rockets win a league championship in the spring of 2015. Glover was then shipped to Red Deer midway through last season. The Young Stars tournament continues through Monday, with only one game scheduled for tonight — the Oilers against the Jets in a 7:30 p.m. start at the SOEC. Lind and Dube face-off as the Canucks clash with the Flames in Sunday’s lone game, 2 p.m., then all four teams are back in action on Monday. Calgary closes against Winnipeg at 10:30 a.m., followed by Vancouver’s finale against Edmonton at 2 p.m.