Accepting the Vince Ryan Memorial Cup for winning the Cape Breton Division of the Nova Scotia Senior A Hockey League are Cape Breton West Blackstone Knights captains Malcolm MacEachern, Randon MacKinnon, presenter Krista Ryan, Neil MacLean, and Keenan Gillis.
-by Bill Dunphy
It was a comeback for the ages.
From down 2-0 to start the best-of-five Cape Breton Division playoff series of the Nova Scotia Senior A Hockey League, the Cape Breton West Blackstone Knights reeled off three straight wins to hoist the Vince Ryan Memorial cup.
The Knights capped off the comeback on Saturday night at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre with, you guessed it, another 3-2 win.
“In the room before game three, everyone was feeling good, feeling light, and everything took off from there,” said Knights captain Neil MacLean.
“We played like a team – we played for each other.”
The team began the rally last Saturday in Membertou with a 3-2 win, followed by a 3-2 double overtime win in Port Hood.
This past Saturday, the Knights established their forecheck early and were rewarded with the game’s first goal.
Matt Raike, working the front of the County net, passed up to the blueline where Jason Johnson made a cross-ice pass to Liam Trenholm. With Raike still in front for the screen, Trenholm’s shot hit nothing but net with the riser from the point.
The County had the edge in shots, 16-12, but tournament MVP (in this sportswriter’s mind) Knights goaltender Kenzie MacPhail was lights-out once again.
The County came out in the second period playing desperate hockey, crowding MacPhail’s crease and scoring in a scramble at 2:29.
But 42 seconds later the Knights doused the County’s fire with Stephen Fox scoring on a one-timer in the slot. Winning a dump-and-chase initiated by MacLean, Chad Wilson centered the puck from the corner for Fox to finish.
Randon MacKinnon scored what would be the winning goal at 15:25 of the second frame.
On a delayed County penalty, Fox won a puck battle to get it to Wilson along the half-wall, where he picked up MacKinnon on the left side of the slot for a slapper to beat County goalie Cody Smith cleanly on the glove side.
Next came a test of nerves.
At 7:44, an inadvertent spear by Cody Hinkley put him in the box for a four-minute minor, and the County capitalized at 9:15 when a big save by MacPhail saw the puck get behind him for Jordan Moss to bang it home to make it a 3-2 game.
The Knights killed the other two minutes and the refs put the whistles away for the remainder of the period.
Knights coach Kyle Gillies called a time out at 17:09 to give his players a breather and the County pulled Smith for an extra attacker with a minute left in the game.
On a faceoff in the Knights end, the County called their time out at 19:46 but to no avail, the clock was on the Knights’ side for the 3-2 win.
MacKinnon said winning the series with this team was special.
“It’s pretty cool. Knowing the talent of the guys is one thing, but seeing it in reality is another. KG (coach Kyle Gillies) knew what this team was capable of and we proved it,” said MacKinnon.
He said the progress the team made was evident with every game they played.
“Glace Bay and the County have good teams and every team had a chance to win this,” he said, tipping his hat to MacPhail.
“Kenzie was the backbone of this team. He showed up every game even when we didn’t. This series we had guys getting in front of shots, doing what it takes for Kenzie to see the puck,” MacKinnon said.
MacLean echoed the sentiment.
“There’s no chance we win this series without Kenzie. I can’t even put it into words, the saves he made, the low shots through traffic, the one-timers, multiple stops on the same play. He literally stood on his head for us.”
Stephen Fox led the playoffs in points with 15 and tied with MacKinnon for goals, each with six.
“Randon’s winning goal was nice. I got the puck in deep and created a puck battle, getting the puck out to Chad for the pass that Randon one-timed,” Fox said.
He said the team peaked at the right time.
“After our first win, we felt good about our chances. We began controlling the play pretty good, and after the double-overtime in Port Hood, we really felt that the momentum was on our side.”
And was there any nervousness coming into Saturday’s winner-take-all game?
“No, we’re pretty good at keepin’ er chill.”
Wrapping up the series and the season, coach Gillies said it wasn’t all about winning.
“The trophies matter. The banners matter. They always will, but what stays with you most is the people you were in it with, the battles you went through together, and the bonds that were built in the process,” he said.
“The game asks a lot of you. It asks for time, energy, commitment, and heart. And even though we all know it eventually comes to an end, it gives something back that lasts much longer. It shapes your character. It teaches humility in winning, dignity in losing, and perspective in both. It teaches you to be part of something bigger than yourself.”
Gillies concluded, “In the end, what we take with us is not simply what we won or lost. It’s who we became, who we shared it with, and how lucky we were to be in the arena together.”
As of press time, it was not known if Truro was going to travel here if a Nova Scotia championship series was scheduled. Stay tuned.