The SJHL/MJHL Showcase kicked off Monday morning in Regina, starting two days of high calibre hockey by some of the top players from each league. The SJHL took five of the six games at the event last year. This year, the MJHL teams were looking to even the score.

In the first game of the day, it appeared to be the chance the MJHL players were looking for, as Team Garbutt form the MJHL beat the SJHL’s Team Schwartz 4-3 in a shootout.

The SJHL was the first team to get on the board when Luke Spadafora scored at the 7:40 mark of the opening frame. Spadafora, who plays for the Melville Millionaires, was assisted on the tally by Nipawin’s Jaxsen Wiebe and Notre Dame’s Jarrett Penner.

The Manitoba squad didn’t waste too much time in evening things up. Just under six minutes after the SJHL took the lead, Peyton Gorski, who plays with the Portage Terriers, got the puck past Estevan’s Grant Boldt.

Before the period was out, Team Schwartz regained the lead. Jack Lenchyshyn, who plays with the Nipawin Hawks, scored on Zach Bennett to make it a 2-1 game. Parker Fofonoff from the Melfort Mustangs assisted on the goal, as did Spadafora.

Neither team was able to score in the second period, as the goaltenders for both squads showed their skills. Boldt turned away all 10 shots he faced in the frame, while Bennett stopped all eight he faced.

Just 57 seconds into the third period, the MJHL tied the game up.

Drake Burgin, who plays for the Winkler Flyers, was able to score on Boldt to make it a 2-2 game. Burgin wasn’t finished, either, as he then scored a second goal just over three minutes later, giving Team Garbutt the lead.

The SJHL team worked to even things up and were handed the chance when Jake Tremblay from the Nipawin Hawks was hauled down on a breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot. Tremblay made good on the opportunity, and the game was again tied up.

With neither team able to score for the rest of the period, it meant a shootout was coming up, as there is no overtime for this showcase event.

In the shootout, it would be the MJHL squad which was able to score twice, with Reilly Funk, who plays for Portage, tapped twice to shoot as the shootout went to six shooters, getting both goals. The lone goal in the shootout for Team Schwartz came from Wiebe.

The two teams will meet again Tuesday morning to start the second day of the showcase event.