Two forwards with deep roots in Okotoks are on top of the hockey world. Okotokian Peyton Krebs and Okotoks Jr. A Oiler Dylan Holloway put a gold streak on the black-red-and-white jersey, helping Team Canada to the gold medal at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Saturday night at Edmonton’s Rogers Place. “I say it all the time, but it’s always special to wear that jersey and be among those players,” said Krebs, entering his second season with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice. “Any time you can win a gold medal with that team it’s pretty special to keep that tradition with Canada going.” Particularly to share that experience with a ‘brother.’ Holloway billeted at the Krebs household in Okotoks during the hockey season last year and will again in the 2018-19 campaign. “He’s pretty much a brother now,” Krebs said. “Having him there gave some comfort for both of us coming into this and anytime we needed to rely on a guy, maybe if were maybe struggling to talk to, we were stall buddies too. “He’s turned out to be an amazing bro of mine and I couldn’t have asked for a better guy to go win a gold with.” The Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, a tournament featuring the best under-18 players around the globe, has proven to be a Canadian specialty since its inception in 1991. This marked Team Canada’s third straight title and increased its overall total to 22 titles in 28 events. “I don’t know if it was pressure, just mostly motivation,” Krebs added. “Any time you have that behind your back you have a little more confidence going into each game. “You can almost use it to your advantage … being on home soil and having our crowd behind us really helped us out.” Team Canada burst onto the scene in Edmonton, hitting double digits to blank Switzerland 10-0 in the tournament opener. Krebs scored two goals and added an assist in the blowout victory. “Starting out with a big win showed us what we can do each and every night,” Krebs said. “We also learned a lot about what we need to do to be able to play against the best teams.” The second contest proved to be a much stiffer test with Canada holding off a pesky Team Slovakia in a 4-2 result. Holloway scored in the second period off a rebound in the slot. The Bragg Creek native started the tournament as Canada’s 13th forward and gradually moved his way up the lineup into a spot on the second line alongside Dylan Cozens and Sasha Mutala. The final game of round-robin saw Canada outlast Sweden 4-3 to book its ticket to a semifinal showdown with the United States. Dramatics were in store for the rivals. Cozens sent the game to overtime with a goal in the final seconds. The replays showed the puck crossed the line after the final buzzer, but tournament rules didn’t allow for goals to be reviewed. “The feeling I got was the most adrenaline I’ve ever had in a game,” Krebs said. “The crowd was insane, that was probably one of the best highlights of my career. “Even though we maybe didn’t score it, I was so pumped and so happy for Coz. Adrenaline was ripping and I wasn’t going to say no to that goal.” In overtime, Canada made good on its good fortune. Krebs showed terrific patience in open ice, gaining the zone and feeding an on-charging Josh Williams for the game winner at 1:44 of the extra session as the hosts won 6-5 and charged into the gold medal game. “Quick turnaround, it was a turnover by U.S.A. and we got the transition,” Krebs said. “I was trying to take the puck to the net, was fortunate to get a nice bounce back to my stick and fed it back to Willy. He has an unreal shot, it was nice to have him in the slot to put it away.” The rematch with Sweden beckoned in the final. The Tre Kronor built a two-goal advantage in the opening frame only to have Canada score six unanswered to comfortably take the title by a 6-2 count, Saturday night in Edmonton. “Our coaches put a really good mentality around playing our game and our game wasn’t fancy, wasn’t flashy,” Krebs said. “Maybe we had some goals or plays that didn’t look that way, but our game was creating those turnovers to make those nice plays off hard work.” Skating on the top line with captain Alexis Lafrenière and Kirby Dach, Krebs scored two goals and added three assists in five games. Lafrenière is pegged as the top prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft, while Dach and Krebs are considered to be first-round talents for the 2019 Draft. “Playing with those two special players it’s almost easier to play than it is pressure,” Krebs said. “They do an unreal job of moving the puck and getting to places where you can move it to them. “I learned a ton. The amount it takes to be the best at the top all the time, it’s incredibly hard work and extra motivating for me each and every day when I got off these tournaments to work my hardest and get better.” The lone Junior A player on the roster, Holloway tallied one goal and three points and was a key cog on the penalty-kill for Canada. The 16-year-old centre, not eligible until the 2020 draft due to a late birthday, has now won two gold medals (2018 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, 2017 World Junior A Challenge) and one silver medal (World Under 17 Hockey Challenge) with Hockey Canada. Holloway trades in the red-and-white for the green-and-gold next week. The defending AJHL South Division champion Oilers open training camp on Aug. 24.
