Schmidt Learns from Experience with Canada Red at World Under-17
November 13, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Connor Schmidt and Canada Red came away with a fifth place finish over the weekend at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
While it wasn't the end result that he and the team had hoped for, the Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman is proud of the team's showing at the tournament.
"It was an unbelievable experience to be playing with international competition," Schmidt said. "We fell short, but the boys played hard throughout the tournament, so really excited with our performance."
Canada Red lost to Canada White, 4-3 in overtime, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Canada White would go on to win gold, beating the United States, 2-1 in overtime, in the final on Saturday.
Schmidt said despite the finish, it was an honour to wear the Canada's Maple Leaf for the first time.
"You always dream as a kid to represent Canada, so it was pretty emotional that first game," he said.
"It was a huge opportunity to put the maple leaf on and we competed to the end."
Canada Red went 3-2 during the round robin and then finished their time in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island with a 5-4 overtime win against Finland in the fifth place game on Friday.
Schmidt said the team played well together.
"We started off very strong and we just couldn't come away with the win when we needed to," he said. "We put our best effort forward and we played the Canadian way, so that's all you can ask for."
Schmidt finished with one assist in seven games at the tournament.
Coming back to Moose Jaw, he said there's a lot that he's going to take away from competing against the best players in his age group from around the world.
"You had to compete really hard, there's a lot of skilled guys and everyone's top notch there, so you had to be really sharp and competing every time you're on the ice to make an impact," Schmidt said.
"I just have to work, probably work hard, to be honest. Being harder on pucks, being harder to get pucks out and make the hard plays when they're there."
After getting his first taste of playing for Hockey Canada, Schmidt said he wants to do everything he can to experience it again.
"We're hosting the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup here in the summer, so that's my goal here to work my butt off and hopefully crack that roster," he said.
For now, though, Schmidt has his sights set on helping the Warriors.
"I would just like to build off my game, how it is right now and to have success here and start winning some hockey games," he said.
The Warriors are back in action on Tuesday night when they host the Saskatoon Blades at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Western Hockey League Stories from November 13, 2023
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- Silvertips' Penalty Kill Makes History with Three-Goal Night - Everett Silvertips
- Schmidt Learns from Experience with Canada Red at World Under-17 - Moose Jaw Warriors
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