Buffaloes earn bronze at Telus Cup

The Calgary Under-18 AAA Buffaloes are bringing bronze medals back from the 2024 Telus Cup.

That after Sunday's 4-3 victory in shootout fashion in the thirdplace game to cap their adventure at the Canadian U18 national club championship in Membertou, N.S.

The Alberta- and Pacific Region-champion Buffaloes showed mettle in the medal round by beating the Central-winning Markham Waxers of Ontario.

The difference on the scoreboard was shootout markers by both Brayden Gourley and Rhys Jamieson, while goaltender Kael Svenson blanked the Waxers in the penalty-shot session for the Buffaloes at Membertou Sport & Wellness Centre.

In regulation, Gourley opened scoring with a first-period power-play goal, before the Waxers tied it late in the frame with the man-advantage situation.

In the second, the Buffs' Diego Cazac tallied to make it 2-1, but the Ontario club answered back 90 clicks later.

And in the final stanza, it was the Waxers getting the jump midway through the period, before Christian Stephanson countered with a short-handed goal with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Overtime solved nothing, before the shootout went the Buffaloes' way.

Svenson made 36 saves overall in the victory.

The win came a day after the Buffs were ousted in semifinal action, when they lost 4-1 to the Western-winner Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Wheat Kings went on to play the Quebec-kingpin Cantonniers de Magog in Sunday afternoon's championship game. The team from Quebec went into the finale unbeaten at the Telus Cup.