Sophomore forward Hayden Harsanyi scored a goal and an assist for the Saskatoon Blades in their 4-2 loss Wednesday at Rogers Place against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Wednesday marked the Calgary, AB product’s first game with the Blue and Gold since he was acquired by the team Monday from the Medicine Hat Tigers. The trade also included 2007-born defenceman Jack Kachkowski and five WHL Prospects Draft picks coming to Saskatoon in exchange for star defenceman Tanner Molendyk and forward Misha Volotovskii. Harsanyi missed 32 games before Wednesday due to a lower-body injury but immediately impacted Saskatoon. The 17-year-old winger has two goals and four assists in eight games this season.
Blades netminder Ethan McCallum was solid in defeat, stopping 33 of 36 Oil Kings shots. The 6-foot-4 goalie is 3-5-0-2 on the season.
The Oil Kings headed into the first intermission up 1-0 after a goal from NHL draft-eligible forward Lukas Sawchyn with 3:05 left in the opening frame. The secondary assist on Sawchyn’s eighth goal of the season went to brother and Florida Panthers prospect Gracyn.
Harsanyi scored in his first game with the Blue and Gold just over halfway through the game. The Calgary, AB product burst into the Edmonton end with speed out of the penalty box on a breakaway and picked up his second goal of the season. The initial call on the ice was a goal, and after a nearly ten-minute video review to confirm the puck crossed the line, the officials called it a good goal to make it 1-1.
The long review allowed the Oil Kings to stew, and forward Roan Woodward responded less than two minutes later to make it 2-1 Edmonton. The Sawchyn brothers picked up their second point of the evening with assists on the goal, giving the Oil Kings a 2-1 lead with 20 minutes left to play.
The Oil Kings extended their lead to two with a powerplay goal from forward Gavin Hodnett 3:12 into the final frame.
2008-born rookie Cooper Williams notched a powerplay goal of his own for Saskatoon to bring them within one with 3:01 left in regulation. Harsanyi sent a pass cross-crease to the fellow Calgary native to give Williams three goals and four points in his last five games. Williams has nine goals and 26 points in 39 games this season.
Gracyn Sawchyn put the Blades's comeback hopes to bed with an empty netter in the game's final minute. Sawchyn finished the night with one goal and three assists.
What’s Next?
The Blades conclude their four-game road trip Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Calgary Hitmen.
Puck drop is 8:00 p.m.
