Sutter Fund Chiefs finish 5-0 in preliminary play at Esso Cup

The Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs have locked up first place in the standings at the 2026 Esso Cup.

On Thursday, they defeated the Stoney Creek Sabres from Ontario 3-1 to finish preliminary action with a perfect 5-0 record in the tournament in Dieppe, New Brunswick.

Red Deer’s Rylee Cruse scored the opening goal for the Chiefs, and in the third period, Taylor Wasylchew broke the tie, followed by an empty-net goal from Violet Green.

Goaltender Quinn Smith made 29 saves on 30 shots to secure the win.

“I feel really good, and my team has been playing strong in front of me, so that helps,” Smith said. “I hadn’t played in a long time [coming into the tournament], and I’ve had a chance to get into lots of practice, and the girls didn’t let up on me. I just had to stick with all my habits, be consistent, and I think that has gotten me to where I am right now.”

Next up, the semifinals are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Atlantic Time on Friday, with the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Atlantic Time.

The Chiefs opened the tournament last Sunday with a 6-2 win over Quebec before beating the Moncton Rockets 2-0 on Monday. They continued their success on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Ice and beat the Northern Selects 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday.