It’s been a big week for the Haliburton County Huskies – splitting weekend games before winning two at the 2024 OJHL Governors’ Showcase in Niagara Falls.
The Huskies competed Sept. 23-24 at the Gale Centre’s state-of-the-art facility with its four NHL-sized rink pads.
The main goal of the Governors’ Showcase is to give OJHL teams and players an opportunity to come together in one location and display their skills, talent and character, and ultimately have a chance to play at a higher level.
The OJHL has the highest percentage in all of the Canadian junior hockey leagues for players that have advanced to the NHL, AHL, CIS, NCAA DIII and CHL, and has the second highest percentage of players that have advanced to NCAA DI.
“The priority of the OJHL is to facilitate player growth and progress, and it is exhibited when approximately 70 per cent of graduating players from the league move on to play a higher level of hockey each year,” the OJHL said.
On Monday, the Huskies speared the Oakville Blades 5-2. A hot Sam Black opened the scoring just 37 seconds into the game. The Blades answered back at 15:40. The second saw Deandres De Jesus fire in a goal at 9:41. Oakville answered a little over a minute later, and it was 2-2 heading into the third. The Huskies busted it wide open with three, third period tallies; De Jesus at just 44 seconds; Ty Petrou on the powerplay at 12:38, and Ethan Wright, with the man-advantage, at 17:03.
On Tuesday, the Huskies beat up on the Georgetown Raiders 4-1. This afternoon tilt saw Isaac Larmard score two first period goals to put the blue and white up by a deuce. The Raiders got one in the third, at 13:13, but the Huskies shut then down with De Jesus scoring at 17:57 and Poole hitting the empty net at 18:46.
Head coach and general manager Ryan Ramsay said he thought the team played “really well” in the showcase. He said players are learning the league and learning the Huskies systems, “which is great to see. Tons of positives and nice to string three in a row together.”
Ramsay said with a lot of rookies, “some will get it and be really good players. Some won’t really get it. And some, it just takes a while longer. We’re really happy with where the progress has been.”
The roster has been in flux, with the team adding a player a week, so it’s been “a bit of a juggling act trying to get everyone on the same page, but they seem to be grasping what we are teaching them.”
Ramsay said the blue and white have picked up defenceman Ryan Fairbairn from Collingwood. He played his first game Sept. 24.
Haliburton 5 Aurora 2
On Sept. 21, the Huskies scored three unanswered goals in the second period to take the Aurora Tigers by the tail. After a scoreless first frame, Ty Petrou broke the goose egg on the powerplay at 3:52. Carson Littlejohn then found the back of the twine, at 14:55, with the Huskies enjoying the man advantage once again. Black made it a Huskies 3-0 lead when he scored at 18:47. Aurora cracked Huskies’ goalie, Corbin Votary, at 2:19 of the third on the powerplay, to make it a 3-1 game. However, Larmand answered back, at 11:16. The Tigers showed teeth just 38 seconds later, finding the back of the net to make it a 4-2 game. But Black cemented the deal, scoring his second tally at 15:15, to make it a 5-2 final.
Huskies 2 St. Mike’s 5
On Sept. 20, it was the Huskies’ turn to drop a 5-2 game, to the St. Michael’s Buzzers. The Buzzers got on the board first, at 6:51. The Huskies got a late first period marker, at 19:35, from Adam Smeeton. The blue and white took the lead in the second with a Ryder Dagenais tally. But it was all St. Mike’s from there, as they recorded four straight goals to finish off the Huskies. Next up are the Markham Royals, at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, Sept. 28, with puck drop at 4 p.m.
