DAY 8 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
Sean Bonar (G) – Canada West

Canada West may not have been able to take home its third World Junior A Challenge gold medal on Sunday night, but it certainly was not for lack of effort from Bonar. The netminder, who was named WJAC MVP and to the tournament all-star team, made 15 stops in the first period to keep the game scoreless, and kept his team in the game with remarkable save after remarkable save. His best was a post-to-post glove save off American forward John Parker, a stop that was so good it earned a spot on the TSN Honour Roll of the day’s best plays.

DAY 7 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
Nikita Remezov (F) – Belarus

Without a goal at this year’s World Junior A Challenge entering Saturday’s fifth-place game, Remezov picked an opportune time to register his first two. First, he opened the scoring midway through the opening period – the first time the Belarussians had scored first in 2009 – and then he restored his team’s lead midway through the third, rifling a shot past Swedish netminder Jonas Gunnarsson, when it looked as if the Swedes had all the momentum. He finished second in Belarus scoring, adding a pair of assists to his two goals.

DAY 6 - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Connor Jones (F) – Canada West

Jones was one-third of a dominating trio in Friday night’s 9-1 semifinal rout of Canada East – he, twin brother Kellen and Cody Kunyk combined for 11 points to lead Canada West to its fourth gold medal game appearance in as many years. Connor’s five points (2g, 3a) tied a tournament record, and his 10 points thus far (4g, 6a) leaves him just a single point and single assist behind the all-time single-year records. More importantly, he and his western teammates have a chance to regain their WJAC gold when they face the U.S. on Sunday.

DAY 5 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009
Cam Reid (F) – Canada West

His linemate’s performance was great – John Dunbar’s four assists tied a tournament record – but Reid was the difference in a quarter-final win over Belarus. He opened the scoring in the first period, gave Canada West a two-goal lead it would never relinquish in the second and put the final nail in the coffin in the third as he joined Kyle Turris and Casey Pierro-Zabotel – a pair of NHL draft picks – as the only Canada West players to score a hat trick in World Junior A Challenge history.

DAY 3 - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Shane Berschbach (F) – United States

Berschbach was a power play specialist on Tuesday night, scoring a pair of goals with the man advantage and helping set up David Gerths for the 3-0 goal, also on the PP, in an eventual 6-1 win over Belarus. The three points Tuesday gives the Clawson, Mich., native four in two games (3g 1a) and ties him for the tournament scoring lead with teammate Mike Parks. Berschbach has been lethal on special teams thus far – his only other point was a shorthanded goal against Canada East on Sunday.

DAY 2 - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009
Siarhei Drozd (F) – Belarus

He already holds a number of WJAC records – including most goals all-time, most goals in one year and fastest hat trick – but the Belarus captain added to his mystique on Monday against Canada East, racking up his second career hat trick at the tournament, becoming the first player to achieve that feat. The only downside was that the three goals came in a losing cause, although Drozd and the Belarussians can still finish second in Group B with a win Tuesday over the U.S.

DAY 1 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2009
Sergey Kostenko (G) – Russia

Kostenko did it early – making 16 first-period saves to keep Russia in it – and he did it late – turning away all 12 shots he faced in the third period as the Russians nursed a one-goal lead. The acrobatic netminder stymied Canada West from all angles, making 32 saves overall. The only goal Kostenko allowed came when he coughed up the puck behind his net late in the second period – but he made enough big saves down the stretch to more than make up for the miscue.