Lassi Thomson and Kaedan Korczak got bragging rights over Nolan Foote in the battle between Kelowna Rockets teammates at the CHL Top Prospects Game in Red Deer as Team Orr rallied for a 5-4 victory over Team Cherry on Wednesday night.
Foote, the Rockets’ leading goal-scorer with 22 on the season, started the showcase playing on a line with Dylan Cozens of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and Raphaël Lavoie of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads.
Thomson, who hails from Finland, was paired on defence with Jake Lee of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, while fellow blueliner Korczak played alongside Russian import Artermi Kniazev of the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
Thomson was plus-2 on the night and jumped into the rush on several occasions, firing a few shots wide of the net, while Korczak had one shot on goal and finished with an even rating.
Foote registered two shots on net but wound up with a minus-1 rating after Nikita Okhotyuk, another Russian defender from the OHL-leading Ottawa 67’s, used Foote as a screen on a goal that cut the deficit to 4-3.
Team Orr scored four times in the third period — including three goals in a 1:12 span — for the come-from-behind victory.
Team Cherry was up 4-1 early in the third before Team Orr’s Jakob Pelletier sparked the comeback at 4:42.
Okhotyuk struck next for Team Orr at 15:59, then Brett Leason and Connor McMichael scored 26 seconds apart to go ahead with less than three minutes to play in regulation.
Graeme Clarke found the back of the net in the second for Team Orr and Kirby Dach, the top-ranked player on display at No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, tacked on an assist.
Arthur Kaliyev led Team Cherry with two goals and an assist. Peyton Krebs had a goal and an assist and Nick Robertson chipped in with three helpers playing on a line alongside Kaliyev and Krebs. Samuel Poulin had the other goal for Team Cherry.
Hunter Jones started for Team Orr and stopped 18-of-20 shots in 30 minutes of action before giving way to Colten Ellis, who made 15 saves to pick up the win.
Taylor Gauthier took the loss after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Mads Sogaard started for Team Cherry and made 17 saves.
— With files from The Canadian Press