Boris Rybalka knows a party when he sees one.

On Saturday the head coach of the Canadian Para hockey team said that, this year’s Paralympics was the coming out party for rookie defenceman Auren Halbert, who scored a goal in Canada’s 8-0 over Slovakia, clocking a plus four rating.

TAIT: Canada with a second dominating para hocky performance at Paralympics Back to video

“I’ve seen what he’s all about, but now the world gets to see what Auren Halbert is all about.”

You can say that again.

Halbert had a 7-point night in Canada’s 14-0 win over Japan Monday.

The 23-year-old Calgary native was born without a femur in his left leg.

Para Ice Hockey came early in Halbert’s life. In 2010 the 6-foot-1, 168-pounder has four World Championship silver medals.

In 2022, he was one of the final cuts for the Beijing Games—a gut-wrenching moment for any athlete. Most of us would’ve packed it in, maybe taken up knitting or birdwatching. Not Halbert. He hit the gym, hit the ice, and hit the reset button. And now, here he is, proving that sometimes the best comebacks are born from the toughest setbacks.

Born with a shortened foot that required amputation, Halbert found para hockey at the age of eight. It was love at first sight—or maybe first slapshot. He honed his skills with the Calgary Sledge Hockey Association before heading to Pittsburgh as a teenager, where he played over 70 games a season. That’s a lot of hockey, folks. But it’s also a lot of heart. And the team challenge.

How to remain on a trajectory of getting better each game, period and shift, when you have a 6-0 first period lead, and leading the shot clock 20-2?

Because the mantra of the Canada Para hockey team in Milan  as they aim to for that gold medal grasp — something they haven’t had since 2006, and, oddly enough, that came in Italy.

Canada clearly is dominating Pool B, winning 8-0 Saturday over Slovakia, and then, Monday 14-0 over Japan.

My, how times have changed: at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics, Japan beat Canada 3-1, denying the home team of any medals.

Twenty-two to nothing. That’s how many goals Canada has outscored Japan in their last two games.

Japan, though, was ready to make a statement. Early.

On their first rush into the Canadian zone, Japan managed to get alone in front of Canadian goalie Corbin Watson.

“That was huge, you know, and that’s what’s great about having a great goalie,” Rybalka said. “He was focused and a little fumble the puck and, our own guy kinda ran into him and then out goes the blocker and he keeps the puck out. And then down we go. It’s one nothing, and then that just kinda started it.”

Captain Canada, Tyler McGregor, scored 39 seconds in, one of a pair on the night.

From then on, Canada was in total control, having a 6-0 first period lead, and then 9-0 after 40 minutes.

Canada had seven goal scorers with Dominic Cozzolinio, McGregor and Halbert as the only multiple point men.

The Canadian defence has been tighter than the security gate at the Vatican: two back-to-back shut-outs, allowing a total of four shots.

“That was something that we worked on right from the get go back in August,” said Rybalka. “We revamped the d zone, the neutral zone and revamp the forecheck, which ironically all ties into good solid defensive play.”

Canada plays back to back for the first time in the Paralympics. They face Czechia Wednesday in their final preliminary game.

Czechia is coming off an 8-1 win over Slovakia Monday for the second win of the tournament.

The last time Canada and Czechia saw each other was in December when the Canadians won 6-2, giving Rybalka his first Paralympic win.

“They always try to be physical against us, but, I think one thing, people found out, the Canadian players like physical play, and we love physical play.

“So, we can kinda go like that boxing match toe to toe and however you wanna play, and we’ll be ready to go – another Game 7 for us.”

Canadian forward Greg Westlake left the game with an undisclosed injury.

© Edmonton Sun