The Haliburton County Huskies missed a chance to leapfrog the Newmarket Hurricanes into third place in the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s east conference this week, dropping a 4-3 decision to their fellow contender Feb. 10.

The blue and white got off to a great start in the road tilt, racing out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of goals from Ryan Gosse, notching on the powerplay at 4:30, and Kieran Raynor, tickling twine at 11:17.

The Huskies were dominant in that opening frame, rallying off 18 shots to Newmarket’s nine, but the home side got back into the game with a tally late in the period, swinging momentum back in their favour.

Newmarket restored parity four minutes into the second, but the visitors didn’t let that phase them – Isaac Larmand helped himself to his 22nd goal of the season and third point of the game, after assisting on the first two goals, to put the Huskies ahead again at 7:36.

It was a difficult third period for the Huskies, who were boxed into their own zone for long periods. They were outshot 17 to three, giving up two late goals to a Newmarket team that could smell blood.

“I think we have to do a much better job at closing these kind of games out. We did all the right things to put ourselves in a position to win… we just got away from what we were doing right,” said head coach Jordan Bailey. “Our defence weren’t moving pucks north and our forwards needed to chip more pucks into their zone. We tried to force too many plays, which, against a good team, allows them to counter and generate momentum.”

One positive for the visitors was having alternate captain Kaiden Thatcher back in the lineup after he missed Saturday’s win over the Burlington Cougars to play for the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes.

In his first major junior appearance of the season, Thatcher was a plus-one, had a shot on goal and was assessed a twominute minor in the Petes’ 3-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack.

Bailey said Thatcher is the latest of several Huskies to be called up to the OHL this season, following teammates Luis Sturgeon and Kieran Raynor in Peterborough and Easton Poe with the North Bay Battalion.

“Anytime we get that call and one of our players can make the jump, it’s a good thing. We’re a development league. Our job is to try to help players get to the next level. So, we’re happy anytime we get the call because it means we’re doing something right. And it’s always a great experience for those guys – they always come back a little more energized,” Bailey said.

Huskies 7 Burlington 4

The home crowd at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena were treated to a scoring spectacle Feb. 5 as the Huskies locked horns with the west conference’s Burlington Cougars for the first time this season.

Gosse and Josh Denes each helped themselves to a pair of goals, with Chase Del Colombo, Brody Coe and Liam Oravsky also getting on the scoreboard. Twelve different Huskies put up points in the effort, with Owen Edwards backstopping the team to an important win – stopping 29 of 33 shots.

“Burlington had won 10 of their last 11 games, so were on a hot streak coming in. They played the night before in Collingwood, so we knew we had to jump all over them early and have a good start. We were able to do that and that really helped us settle in and earn the two points,” Bailey said.

With the OJHL regular season winding down, the Huskies have a gruelling run over the next couple of weeks. They play six games in 10 days, starting with a road tilt in Stouffville Feb. 12. The Huskies then host the Wellington Dukes Feb. 14 and Pickering Panthers Feb. 16 – teams immediately around them in the standings.

The blue and white then play the North York Rangers Feb. 17, Lindsay Muskies Feb. 20 and Markham Royals Feb. 21.

Currently sitting fifth in the east, two points back of both the Panthers and Hurricanes, Bailey said it’s in his team’s hands whether they can secure home ice advantage in the first round of playoffs.

“We have two games in hand on Newmarket and are level with Pickering, though we do play them, so we do control our own fate,” Bailey said. “This will be a good test for us. We’ve been playing a lot of hockey as of late and this is a heavy run coming up too. Every game [is like a game seven] at this point, with everyone jostling for position. The message to the guys is to dig in, stay the course and keep doing what’s gotten us here so far.

“This run is a great test because there will be a lot of backto-backs come playoffs. It’s very rare you get two days off before a game in the post-season, so this is an opportunity to get up to speed early,” Bailey said.

The U13LL Casey’s Water Well & Geothermal Inc. team put forward a huge effort in their game against the second-place Brock Green, showing grit, skill, and teamwork from start to finish.

The defensive unit of Olivia Emmerson, Parker Fessey, Beau Gilmour, Brody Alton, Nathan Hill, and Blair Fisher turned in a stellar performance, showcasing their poise and discipline at the blueline. Their ability to read the play and hold the zone kept the pressure on the opposition all game long.

Emmerson and Fessey set the tone early with smart positioning and quick stick work, breaking up rushes before they could develop. Gilmour and Alton showed excellent puck movement, keeping plays alive in the offensive zone and making clean exits when needed. Hill and Fisher anchored the group with physicality and confidence, shutting down lanes and winning key battles along the boards.

The team’s forward units showcased excellent chemistry and relentless forechecking, setting the tone offensively from the drop of the puck. Jace Jones, Grayson Pelley, and Mason Mihlik worked seamlessly with Charlie Mainprize jumping in to sustain zone time. Their puck movement down low created repeated cycles that forced turnovers and kept the opposing defence pinned deep, generating several quality scoring chances through traffic.

The Aliyah Cox, Nolan Frybort, and Kylie Simms trio followed with strong transitional play, turning neutral-zone recoveries into quick counterattacks. Their ability to support each other on entries and maintain close spacing allowed them to pressure puck carriers effectively, often forcing hurried clears or icing calls that tilted the ice in their favor.

Rounding out the attack, Raelyn Adlam, Miller Brown, and Jack Guyatt brought gritty, high-energy shifts that kept the pace high. Their persistent forecheck and quick reads off each other’s plays prevented the opposition from establishing any rhythm on the breakout. Together, these lines created wave after wave of sustained pressure, wearing down defenders and keeping the team on the front foot for much of the night.

The team came out flying with a 2–0 lead in the third, but a few tough breaks late had us end things in a 2–2 tie.

We were missing Walker’s strong defensive presence, but everyone stepped up to fill the gap. All in all, it was a game full of heart, teamwork, and signs of real growth across the lineups.

A third class of inductees for the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame has been unveiled, with five athletes, four community builders and two historic teams to be recognized at a summer ceremony in Haliburton.

Hockey players Jonathan Bishop, Chris Petrow and Julia Fedeski, curler Paul Madden and all-rounder Wendy Bolt will join 17 previously inducted athletes into the hall.

The Bishop family, Helen and Neil Burk and Jane Symons are being recognized for their commitment and contributions to excellence, helping to promote their chosen sports in the Highlands. Their additions will take the builders wing to 11, said Hall of Fame spokesperson Roger Trull.

The Minden Rockcliffe Hustlers fastpitch softball team and 1978/79 Hal High Redmen football team will add to the four inductees in the
teams category, while the Boshkung Skiers and Haliburton County ladies softball league are up for outstanding achievement awards.

“This year’s class is a little bigger than we anticipated, but we’re really happy with where we landed – every single person included is worthy of being in the Hall of Fame,” Trull said.

Including this year’s nominees, the Hall of Fame now boasts 42 members.

Following its launch in 2021, Trull feels welcoming new classes every other year has worked well so far.

The ceremony will be held at A.J. LaRue Arena May 23, with each inductee having panels added to physical hall locations in Minden and
Haliburton.

Induction set for May

Bishop was a talented hockey player in his youth, winning five straight Ontario Minor Hockey Association championships with the Haliburton Huskies, captaining the Hal High Redmen hockey team and playing professionally with the San Angelo Outlaws (Western Professional Hockey League) and Knoxville Ice Bears (Atlantic Coast Hockey League).

High, competing in track and field, football, basketball, badminton and volleyball. While attending Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University), she won several awards across multiple sports, including the prestigious G.L. Dobson Trophy in 1978 for greatest contribution to athletics.

Madden won Ontario mens’ curling championship gold in 1999, podiumed in several Ontario senior mens’ curling championships between 2015 and 2024, and earned wins at the 2023 world senior mens’ curling championship and 2024 Canadian mens’ curling championship.

Fedeski is considered a pioneer for girls’ hockey in the County, representing the Highland Storm rep team from the age of seven before playing NCAA Div. 1 hockey with the University of New Hampshire.

In 2018, Fedeski was drafted 18th overall by the Toronto Furies in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, playing 24 games for the team in 2018-19. Petrow was a decorated minor hockey player, winning championships as a defenceman with the Haliburton Huskies and Central Ontario Wolves before playing for the Oshawa Generals and Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League.

He was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Trull said the Bishop family are being recognized for their work running Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride; Neil Burk for his contributions to softball and curling; Helen Burk for her many years volunteering with hockey, fastball, lob ball, curling, squash and golf; and Symons for her 45 years of dedication as head coach of the Minden Figure Skating Club.

“If we didn’t have these builders paving the way, there simply wouldn’t have been opportunities for many of the athletes we’ve seen succeed in their chosen sport,” Trull said.

Asked how he feels the Hall of Fame has been received by the public, and how long it can be sustained, Trull was optimistic on
both fronts. “I think everybody’s happy we have one – I think we all wish we had a better location,” he said. “We’re excited for the
future and, whenever a new arena is built, our hope is for a dedicated space where we can really showcase our sporting stars.

“We’ve got a long of young people now who are great athletes, out doing great things in the world. It won’t be too long before some of them would qualify to be considered for the hall,” he added.

For more information, visit hhshoff.ca.