By battlefordsNOW Staff

Kleiboer wins gold with Canada West at Jr. A Challenge

Dec 18, 2017 | 7:00 AM

The Battlefords North Stars had to play eight December games without top-pairing defenceman Levi Kleiboer, as he was busy winning a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge halfway across the country, in Truro, N.S.

Kleiboer was one of just two Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League players on Canada West, who defeated the United States 5-1 in the tournament final on Saturday. The club was made up of players from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), and SJHL.

The lone other SJHL representative on the ice was Flin Flon Bombers forward Chyrstopher Collin, while the team was coached by Bombers bench boss Mike Reagan.

The 19-year-old Kleiboer, who has committed to the University of Maine for next season, started the tournament on the bottom pairing but played in the top-4 in the elimination games. He was used on the penalty kill and power play as well.

He assisted on the opening goal of the gold medal game, when he fed a perfect breakaway pass to Langley Rivermen forward Brendan Budy, who sniped a shot blocker side to give Canada an early 1-0 lead. It was Kleiboer’s first point of the tournament.

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 1

10h ago

Trades in Sask.

Skilled trades need not limited to building homes

Apr 17, 2024

Battlefords Volleyball Club

13U BVC Impact take provincial silver in Warman

Apr 17, 2024

Below is video of the pass (Kleiboer is number eight).

@NathanKanter11 pic.twitter.com/yHC13WNUom

— Denise A (@MaydenCan) December 16, 2017

Angus Crookshank, Corey Andonovski, Ross Armour and Dylan Holloway all added goals in the gold medal game, while Jack Drury scored the only goal for the Americans.

The win was Canada West’s fifth gold medal since the inception of the tournament in 2006, but just their second in the last six years, as the United States had dominated in recent years, winning three straight golds from 2008-10 and 2012-14, and won again last year.

Canada West did win as recently as 2015, when Tyson Jost was named tournament MVP.

Kleiboer (#8) with the hair flip before putting on his championship hat haha #WJAC pic.twitter.com/CtEWpcBO7I

— Nathan Kanter (@NathanKanter11) December 16, 2017