World Under-17 Hockey Challenge takes the ice (13 photos)

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge officially got underway on the ice on Thursday with four pre-tournament games.

Andrey Svechnikov scored a pair of goals as Team Russia scored a 5-3 exhibition win over Team Canada White at the Essar Centre.

The Russians took a 2-1 lead in the opening period that saw the team outshoot the Canadians 16-6. For the Canadian team coach Brent Kisio, the game was one that saw the team regroup from a slow start.

“For us it’s about getting better every day,” Team Canada White Coach Brent Kisio said of the approach to the tournament. “We know that we have to end up better than we are now and that’s part of the process. I think you saw steps today. We had a slow start and we fell behind but then we had a good push-back.”

Kisio credited the skill level of the Russian squad that also got goals from Grigorii Denisenko, Grigorii Nesvataev and Aleksandr Khovanov. Denisenko and Khovanov added a pair of assists each.

“They’ve got some big guys, they’ve got some guys that can skate and they’ve got some skilled guys,” Kisio said. “You can see on the power play they can really move that puck around.”

Team Canada White got goals from Koby Morrisseau, Jett Woo and Samuel Houde.

Soo Greyhounds forward Barrett Hayton suited up for Team Canada White in what is his first taste of international hockey.

“It’s amazing playing for your country,” Hayton said of his first game. “Putting on that jersey today was a really incredible feeling.”

The evening game at the Essar Centre saw Team Canada Red beat Team USA 3-1.

Second period goals by Shawn Element, Connor Roberts and Riley Stotts were the difference. Goaltender Carl Stankowski stopped 32 shots.

Jonathan Gruden had the lone goal for Team USA.

Thursday’s other early game saw Team Finland blank Team Czech Republic 3-0 at the john Rhodes while the late game at the Rhodes saw Team Sweden beat Team Canada Black 4-1.

Goaltender Justus Annunen stopped 33 shots for the shutout for Team Finland. Niklas Nordgren had a goal and an assist for Finland while Jesse Mollanen and Konsta Hirvonen completed the Finnish scoring.

Czech goaltender Tomas Vik made 23 saves in the loss.

Team Sweden had three power play goals in its win over Team Canada Black. Samuel Fagemo, Adam Bokvist, Linus Nassen and Nils Hoglander scored for Sweden while Nolan Foote, the son of former Soo Greyhound and NHL defenceman Adam, had the lone Canadian goal.

The round robin opens on Sunday with four games beginning with Team Canada Red taking on Finland at the Essar Centre in a 12 p.m. puck drop. Sunday’s other games will see Team Canada Black take on Team Canada White at 4 p.m. at the Essar Centre, Team Russia faces Team Sweden at 6 p.m. at the John Rhodes Community Centre and Team USA faces Team Czech Republic at 7:30 p.m. at the Essar Centre.