Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Keegan Kolesar has a memory he won't forget in a game he'd probably like to forget.
His Seattle Thunderbirds team, the WHL champion thanks in part to his standout play, opened the Memorial Cup tournament with a 7-1 loss to host Windsor on Sunday. It was a forgettable outing for the squad, but the good news for Kolesar is he scored the lone goal for the T-Birds, using his 6-2, 223-pound frame to establish himself at the front of the net before jamming home a rebound past goaltender Michael DiPietro to make the score 3-1 at the time.
Keegan Kolesar jams home the rebound getting the @SeattleTbirds on the board #MCMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/0TgUnPKpL4
— Shayne Pasquino (@shaynepasquino) May 22, 2017
The goal continued what has been an impressive postseason for the 20-year-old taken in the third round of the 2015 draft. While leading Seattle to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as champions of the WHL, he scored 12 goals with 19 assists for 31 points in 19 playoff games. In the team's win over Regina that clinched the crown, he tied the game in the third period and assisted on the OT winner.
One of the team's top prospects, Kolesar is expected to make a run at a potential roster spot next season in Columbus or join the AHL's Cleveland Monsters. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the organization in 2015.
With the loss to Windsor, Seattle falls to 0-2 in the tournament. The Thunderbirds opened the tournament Saturday with a 4-2 setback vs. OHL champion Erie and now must beat QMJHL title holder Saint John on Tuesday to have any chance at advancing. Kolesar was held scoreless in the opener vs. the Otters.
The Memorial Cup matches up the champions of each Canadian major junior hockey league as well as the host squad to determine a champion of the Canadian Hockey League. Windsor is now 2-0 while Erie is 1-0 and Saint John 0-1.
