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Phare grabs gold at WHL Cup

Ridge Meadows product part of Team B.C. that grabs gold at prospects tournament in Calgary
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Maple Ridge’s Tyson Phare struck gold with Team B.C. at the WHL Cup in Calgary.

Phare, a first round draft choice of the Red Deer Rebels in 2017, chipped in with goal for Team B.C. in it’s 4-3 overtime win over Alberta on Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Winsport Arena.

It was just the second time Team B.C. won the WHL Cup, formerly Western Canada under 16 Challenge Cup.

Phare, the 18th overall selection by the Rebels in the 2017 bantam draft, had two goals in the tournament. The former Ridge Meadows Rambler played his last season in Maple Ridge in 2015/16, where he recorded 29 goals and 17 assists in 33 games. Phare has played the last three seasons with Yale Academy in Abbotsford.

It was the second straight WHL Cup gold medal game that went to overtime featuring Team B.C. and Team Alberta.

Alberta scored the only goal in the first period on a tally by Kaiden Guhle.

The Wild Rose province would make it 2-0, as Connor McLennon scored at 12:51 of the second period. Team B.C. would come back with a pair of goals to end the period as Justin Sourdif of Surrey and Phare of Maple Ridge would get B.C. even at two after 40 minutes of play.

Team B.C. would take their first lead of the game on a Ryan Watson (Delta) goal in the third. Alberta’s Connor McClennon got his team even with under two minutes to go.

Ben King of Vernon would win it for B.C. 2:37 into overtime, bringing the gold medal back to B.C. for the first time since 2012. Only B.C. and Alberta have won this event, which started in 2009. Manitoba defeated Saskatchewan in the bronze medal game earlier in the day.