Drake Batherson wows Cape Breton with World Juniors goal

Peter MacDonald said he was "super excited" when he watched Drake Batherson score Team Canada's winning goal against Finland Tuesday at the IIHF World Junior Championship preliminary round in Buffalo, N.Y.

MacDonald is the general manager of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, where Batherson plays centre in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"Every hockey player in Canada dreams of playing for their country. To see Drake reach that goal and and contribute for Team Canada is really exciting and we couldn't be happier for him," MacDonald said.

Winning goal

Canada beat Finland 4-2.

Aaron Nordine, who works at Don Cherry's Sports Grill in Sydney, N.S., said the place went wild when Batherson scored.

"There is excitement every year during the juniors. When Canada plays we get huge crowds, but when you have a kid that grew up in Nova Scotia and he's making a big impact for Team Canada it makes it a hundred times more exciting for people around here," said Nordine.

Nordine said he's been following Batherson's game since the 19-year-old was about 10.

'Excellent hockey player'

"He was an excellent hockey player then, just small.... He still has that competitive fire and he's become a great hockey player and I'm extremely excited to watch him play in the juniors," said Nordine.

​Batherson, born in Indiana, is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. His father, Norm Batherson, is from North Sydney, N.S., and he played at the professional level, signed by the Senators organization in 1993 and playing with its American Hockey League farm team in Charlottetown.

The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are on the road, but MacDonald said the team will be rooting for Batherson as the world juniors continue.

"Looking forward to watching Drake and Team Canada work toward that ultimate goal of a gold medal, and hopefully they can find a way to make that happen," said MacDonald.