It was a convincing win all the way.

After falling behind 2-1 early, the Edmonton Oil Kings stormed back with three straight goals to take a 4-2 lead into the third.

The OHL Champion Guelph Storm then rallied with a quick goal early in the third. It was a goal they needed to regain the momentum they’d lost, but the Oil Kings answered almost immediately, and that was basically it.

Henrik Samuellsson, first star of the game, finished it off with a pick at the Storm blue line and a shot from his knees into the empty net with just over a minute left. It was Sameullsson’s second goal of the game.

The Oil Kings were awarded all three stars: #3 goaltender Tristan Jarry, #2 Edgars Kulda and #1 Henrik Samuelson.

Edgars Kulda was also awarded tournament MVP.

The shots were 45-35 in the end.

The last time the Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup was in 1966. Bobby Orr was in the game.

Game Summary:

The Storm opened the scoring on their first shift of the game, on a goal by Guelph sniper Robby Fabbri at the one minute mark, assists went to Kerby Rychel and Zack Mitchell.

Edmonton then took two penalties, a high sticking penalty to Blake Orban and then a check from behind to Reid Petryk at 4:17, to put themselves in a big hole. But they killed both penalties, and fell behind on the shot clock 6-1, before regrouping on two Guelph penalties, a holding the stick call followed by a hooking call. Cody Corbett scored on the two man advantage on a point shot, assisted by Samuelsson, and team captain Griffin Reinhart at 9:38.

The Storm were fortunate not to be scored on again during the remainder of the second penalty, but hung on and went ahead a few minutes later, on a goal against the play from local Guelph product Stephen Pierog, assisted by Pius Suter (Swiss) and Zack Leslie at 16:36, to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

But by then the momentum had already shifted, with Edmonton winning the shot clock 20-14.

Edmonton started the second on a tear, and scored three straight, to take a 4-2 lead into the second intermission. Tyler Robertson scored at 1:58, assisted by Cole Benson. Edgars Kulda then followed up on a power play at 6:06 on a great move after a slick pass from Sautner and Samuelsson. The third dagger came from Mitch Moroz, assisted by Kulda, and Samuelsson (again!).

Shots were 15-8 for the period, Edmonton, for a total of 35-22 after 40 minutes.

Guelph started strong at the beginning of the third, and the top line connected at 3:23, on a goal from Mitchell, assisted by Rychel and Fabbri. It was a critical goal that closed the gap to 4-3, and breathed new hope into the Storm.

But the Oil Kings were quick to answer, on a goal by Samuelsson (who else!), set up by Kulda (again) and Moroz (again) at the 5:00 minute mark.

The goal energized the Oil Kings once more, and Guelph was unable to answer. Head coach Scott Walker pulled Justin Nichols with over two minutes left in a desperate attempt to close the gap, but again it was Samuelsson answering the bell, with a pick on the Storm blue line and a shot from a knees after a hit, that found the net and gave the Oil Kings the 6-3 victory.

The Three Stars: All Oil Kings

Samuelsson, with two goals and three assists was deservedly first star. Samuelsson, a ’94, is son of former NHLer Ulf Sameulsson. Born in Scottsdale, AZ, he lead the Oil Kings in regular season scoring with 35 goals and 60 assists in his third year with the team and was drafted 27th over all by the Coyotes (Canucks picked 26th).

Edgars Kulda, a late born undrafted ’94 from Latvia, with a goal and an assist was second star – and tournament MVP. He was fifth in scoring on the team in the regular season with 30G and 30A in 66 games. He is the younger brother of Winnipeg D-man Arturs Kulda. He scored 3G and 9A in 8 games with the Latvia Juniors in international play.

Third star went to North Delta’s Tristan Jarry, who was again, incredibly steady between the pipes. Jarry, a ’95,  started 63 games in the regular season, and posted a 2.24 GAA with a save percentage of .914. Jarry was drafted in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Kudos the Oil Kings coaching staff, lead by head coach Derek Laxdal and assistants, Dustin Schwartz, Sean Brown and Steve Hamilton. The team play was very impressive; always patient with the puck, never panicky, extremely well structured both offensively and defensively. The D, largely unheralded, were also quietly very solid, particularly Reinhart, Corbett, Sautner and Mayo.

Oil Kings Roster:

Forwards
#	Player	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight	DOB	Home town
10	Henrik Samuelsson	C	R	6’3	208	1994-07-02	Scottsdale, AZ
11	Luke Bertolucci	RW	R	5’8	175	1995-07-04	Montrose, BC
12	Cole Benson	C	L	5’7	153	1995-07-14	Edmonton, AB
13	Brandon Baddock	LW	R	6’4	206	1995-03-29	Vermilion, AB
14	Riley Kieser	C	R	6’1	185	1993-04-27	Sherwood Park, AB
17	Brandon Ralph	LW	R	6’2	183	1996-04-11	Ft. Saskatchewan, AB
18	Reid Petryk	C	R	6’2	210	1993-02-02	Edmonton, AB
20	Mads Eller	LW	R	6’1	196	1995-06-25	Rodovre, DEN
21	Tyler Robertson	LW	R	6’1	175	1996-10-01	Sherwood Park, AB
23	Edgars Kulda	LW	R	6’0	178	1994-11-13	Riga, LAT
25	Lane Bauer	C	R	5’11	187	1996-05-02	Anchorage, AK
27	Curtis Lazar	C	R	6’0	196	1995-02-02	Vernon, BC
29	Mitchell Moroz	LW	L	6’3	214	1994-05-03	Calgary, AB
36	Mitchell Walter	RW	R	5’11	185	1996-03-29	South Delta, BC
39	Brett Pollock	C	R	6’2	183	1996-03-17	Sherwood Park, AB

Defencemen
#	Player	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight	DOB	Home town
2	Cody Corbett	D	L	6’1	194	1993-12-14	Lakeland, MN
4	Blake Orban	D	R	6’1	199	1994-01-28	Calgary, AB
5	Ashton Sautner	D	L	6’1	193	1994-05-27	Flaxcombe, SK
8	Griffin Reinhart	D	L	6’4	202	1994-01-24	West Vancouver, BC
22	Ben Carroll	D	R	6’0	177	1995-08-27	Sherwood Park, AB
24	Aaron Irving	D	R	6’1″	190	1996-03-03	Edmonton, AB
28	Jesse Mills	D	R	6’5	200	1997-11-12	Peachland, BC
37	Dysin Mayo	D	R	6’1	180	1996-08-17	Victoria, BC

Goalies
#	Player	Position	Catches	Height	Weight	DOB	Home town
30	Tristan Jarry	G	L	6’2	180	1995-04-29	Delta, BC
35	Tyler Santos	G		5’11	175	1994-07-15	Sherwood Park, AB