Just over a week ago, the Abbotsford Canucks loaned forward Yushiroh Hirano to the Japanese Men's National Team for their Division 1B tournament in Estonia as they look to get promoted to D1A for 2024. The expectation is that Hirano will return to Abbotsford following the conclusion of the tournament on Friday.
After Thursday's action, Japan sat atop the standing with four wins and zero losses, including an 8-3 rout of Serbia on Wednesday. During Wednesday's game against Serbia, Hirano not only recorded a hat trick, but he scored potentially the goal-of-the-year at any level.
Hirano had the puck behind the net and went to bring it around in front, but circled back after a Serbian defender tried to take the puck off of him. For a few seconds, he's playing with the puck before he fakes a pass, which two Serbian defenders as well as the goalie went for, but then Hirano held onto the puck and wrapped it into the open side, giving himself his third goal of the game.
Before leaving to join up with the Japanese National Team, the 27-year-old was having a so-so season with the Abbotsford Canucks, appearing in 18 games where he put up four points (two goals, two assists), 16 penalty minutes and was a minus-four.
Promotion remains up for grabs in the Division 1B tournament as it's down to Japan and Ukraine, both of whom face off against each other on Friday. The winner of that game will be promoted to Division 1A, while the loser will remain in Division 1B for another year.
