Easton Cowan scored a hat trick to lead Canada to a 7-1 win over Switzerland on Thursday in a pre-tournament game ahead of the world junior hockey championship.
Canada pulled away with three goals in an 82-second span late in the first period at TD Place in Ottawa.
Captain Brayden Yager opens up the scoring for the Canadians at 6:29 of the first period with the assist on the goal going to 2024 Utah Hockey Club First Rounder and Barrie Colt Cole Beaudoin.
Soo Greyhound D Man Andrew Gibson makes it a 2-0 game when he scores with a bullet from the point at 15:40 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Saskatoon Blade Tanner Molendyk and 2025 Draft eligible Porter Martone.
Kelowna Rockets Dman Caden Price makes it a 3-0 game unassisted at 16:33 of the first period. Price is a Saskatoon native who was 2023 3rd round pick of the Seattle Kraken.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan made it a 4-0 game for Canada at 17:02 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Callum Ritchie and Carolina Hurricanes 2023 first round draft pick Bradley Nadeau who currently plays for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL..
Shots on goal in the first period were 9-6 for the Canadians.
Shots on goal in a scoreless second period were 17-5 for Canada.
Easton Cowan got his second goal of the game just 38 seconds into the third period to make it a 5-0 game for the Canadians. The assist on the goal went to Oshawa Generals Calum Ritchie.
Spokane Chief Berkley Catton makes it 6-0 for Canada at 9:21 of the third period with the assists on the goal going to Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf.
Bad misplay by Bjarnason and Lethbridge Hurricanes Leo Brailard scored for the Swiss. The assist on the goal went to Alain Graf who plays for Bern in the Swiss League at 9:31 of the third period.
Easton Cowan gets his hat Trick goal to make it a 7-1 game on the Power Play with the assists on the goal going to Matthew Schaefer and Bradly Nadeau at 13:09 of the third period.
Shots on goal in the third period were 14-4 for the Canadians with Canada out shooting Switzerland 40-15 in the game.
For the Canadians Carter George stopped all 11 shots that he faced in the 2 periods of the game that he played. In the third period Carson Bjarnasson stopped 3 of the 4 shots that he faced. For the Swiss Elijah Neuenschwander made 9 saves on the 13 shots that he faced. He was then replaced half way through the game by Christian Kirsch who made 24 saves on teh 27 shots that he faced.
Canada’s next game is a pre tournament game on Saturday December 21st against Sweden.
