This is not your father’s Nickel District Minor Hockey League.
Look through the annals of NDMHL history, the early years in particular, and you can find mention of classic battles between the Walden Devils and Rayside-Balfour Tigers, between the Nickel Centre Flyers and the Valley East Rebels, with the likes of the Onaping Falls Huskies, Coniston Flames, Copper Cliff Redmen and Capreol Hawks also frequently in that mix.
Small wonder that the original NDMHL need not include any Sudbury Minor Hockey Association teams at all in their loop come time to crown a league champion, such was the preponderance of youth in both the inner city and outlying suburbs.
But as the first of the NDMHL 2023-2024 playoff weekends wrapped up Sunday at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, ‘twas the Porcupine Jr Gold Kings and Nickel City Sons – East that were contesting the final banner of the day for the U15A division title.
Such is the landscape that now exists in the storied league, with teams from Sault Ste Marie, Timmins, the North Shore, North Bay, Kapuskasing and Temiskaming Shores all part of the field.
What hasn’t changed, fifty plus years later, is the drama that still emanates when post-season play arrives.
With almost 25 years behind the bench, Al Cross is not new at all to overtime encounters – though the team that he jumped aboard mid-season to assist might not be able to draw on nearly as much experience.
“The nerves were running, the stress was high on the bench and I just reminded them that this is fun,” said Cross with a laugh, his Copper Cliff U13 A Reds eking out a 1-0 championship win over the Nickel City Sons – East in double overtime.
Teammates Owen Kolari and Ty Cole played keep-away for a short stretch of the two v two session before the former netted the game-winning tally, with Colton Messier registering the shutout at the other end of the rink.
“My biggest thing was to try and teach them to develop as a team instead of individuals,” said Cross. “They’ve come a long way.”
Meanwhile, over at Countryside, the Porcupine Jr Gold Kings did not require overtime – but they were forced to overcome a 1-0 mid-game deficit and then hold on through a tense final minute to beat out Nickel City 2-1.
While the offensive talents of Porcupine captain Dre Wheesk are easy to spot, it was the commitment to defense that his team would need in the end. “It’s difficult because you’re outnumbered – they pulled their goalie,” said the 14 year-old grade nine student at Roland Michener.
“We had to worry about that extra player too.”
After playing AA hockey last year, Wheesk returned to the Kings understanding that he and a few others would be looked upon to provide some leadership to a team that was still gelling.
“I try and hype up the boys and always be nice to them, always encourage them,” he said. “We have a lot of skilled players and we move the puck well.”
After dropping their opener (4-0) to Nickel City Sons – West on Friday and playing to a 4-4 draw with the Copper Cliff Reds the next morning, Porcupine strung together wins over the Sudbury Wolves (4-1), Copper Cliff (3-1 in semi-final) and the Sons.
“I would say that this is our biggest win, just because it’s close to the end of the year – and it’s preparing us for the NOHA’s (Tournament of Champions next month),” stated Wheesk.
Jake Drozdowsky opened the scoring less than four minutes in for the Sons, Porcupine pulling even on a power-play second period goal from Jean-Luc Lariviere, the youngster burying his second of the game midway through the third to lift his team to victory.
The U11 A final made it three for three in terms of one goal affairs as the North Shore Thundercats trimmed the Sudbury Wolves – Blue 3-2. Malik Ariss (North Shore) and Bowen MacDonald (Sudbury) traded goals roughly one minute apart in the first period, with the Wolves taking the lead in the second courtesy of Jaxon Dubois.
But the Thundercats closed out the middle stanza with a late goal from Noah George, who then added another some three minutes into the third for the win. The U15A “B” final was equally as close as Sudbury slipped past the Manitoulin Panthers 3-2 while the U13 A Panthers took their “B” affair in a wild shootout, outscoring the Wolves 9-5.
Perhaps that game rubbed off on the U18/U16 AAA crew as a matchup of the Sudbury teams produced a grand total of 15 goals, with the older lads holding on for an 8-7 win against their fellow Wolves with Great North U18 AAA action.
Keynan Kydd paced the attack with a two-goal effort, including the snipe that snapped a 7-7 tie with just over five minutes to play, with Bryden Shank also scoring twice for the winners. Joining the tandem on the scoresheet for the U18 AAA Wolves were Lucas Antonioni, Corey Lacroix, Aleksander Duguay and Ryan Daze.
Replying in a losing cause were were Mason Walker, with a pair, as well as Brett Moxam, Kaden Wicklander, Dawson Morris, Ashton Pitawanakwat and Drake Taylor.
The Sudbury Lady Wolves competing in the OWHA southern circuit are in full playoff action as the U18 A crew moved even closer to capturing their divisional crown, edging the North Simcoe Capitals 1-0 Sunday, directly on the heels of the NDMHL wrap-up.
Makayla Dunn drilled home the game’s only goal and Sudbury puckstopper Elsa Blum made it stand as the locals improved to 3-0-1 in their four team double round robin playoff set.
The Sudbury U18 AA Lady Wolves are sitting at 1-1-1 after one weekend of playoff action, edging the Central York Panthers 3-2, playing to a 3-3 draw with the Toronto Aeros and falling just short in a 3-2 loss to the North York Storm.
The Sudbury U15 AA Lady Wolves are undefeated with a win and two ties, blanking the Markham-Stouffville Stars 2-0 and finishing in deadlocks with both the Barrie Sharks (0-0) and North York Storm (1-1).
