NB caps series with Kap
Now that was close. It’s on to the Great North Midget Hockey League championship series for the North Bay Trappers.
Pennant-winning North Bay edged the visiting Kapuskasing Flyers 3-2 on Monday in the fifth-and-deciding game of the Great North semi-final before an estimated crowd of about 900 fans at Memorial Gardens.
All three of North Bay’s victories against fourth-seeded Kapuskasing were by one goal.
The series win puts the Trappers into the league finals against the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves, who upended the Soo Greyhounds in four games in the other Great North semi-final.
The Trappers and Nickel Capital Wolves have both secured spots in the Ontario Hockey Federation regional championships that will be hosted by Sudbury during the first week of April.
North Bay head coach Guy Blanchard said the key to the Trappers success in the series win over Kapuskasing was a “hard forecheck.
“We forechecked hard and ground them down,” said the 57-year old Blanchard, who has coached in the Ontario Hockey League (Sudbury Wolves, North Bay Centennials and Guelph Storm) and won multiple championships in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with the old North Bay Skyhawks.
PHOTO: North Bay Trappers celebrate their Great North Midget Hockey League semi-final series win over the Kapuskasing Flyers. (Photo by Dave Dale/Postmedia.)
So close and yet so far for Kap….Oh ! well great series . Great to see some ink on the GNML .
..does this league promote season ending handshakes…..?
It does, but after a brawl occurred at the end of the game it was probably in the best interest. When you have two fights, the North Bay goalie leaving the crease using his blocker being third man in, Gravelle coming back on the ice after being removed from the officials, how can you blame them. the question should be asked, why were there no suspensions handed out????? The head of officiating was at the game and went into the Refs room after…..what did he tell the refs to do????? Lots of 10’s but wow. Just have to look at the NOHA reps at the game, lots of concerned faces since suspensions would hurt the trappers in the finals and team NOHA and the OHL Cup
Hope this was not a favour to North Bay since the NOHA already reversed a phantom call against Kap earlier in the series when the local linesman kicked out a player which could have affected the out come of the game. Rules are rules and what I saw these past 5 games is a shame if they allow that type of behavior at the end of series with no suspensions. Both teams should have had multiple suspensions and what is that teaching the kids down the road. Yes it started with Kap at the end of the game but do you blame them with they were intentionally targeting the head of Bourdages everygame…..players safety is obvious not a concern for the NOHA and GNML
Unless I’m wrong, can anyone confirm if there were any suspensions?
Congrats to all the Kap players for a great season, was a fun year and Good luck to North Bay in the finals
Kap cheap shot on a NB player precipitates ths with 2 sec left…..last year players with nothing to lose…that’s what happened..
So your not disagreeing what happen, just blaming Kap for starting it??? Cant disagree with you
So why were there no suspensions on either team????? Send a message for future players to not do the same thing and not to fight back. What would happen in other leagues if this were to take place?
Food for thought !!!!!
There could have been suspensions. But I like how the NEUTRAL refs handled it. Only 1 team loses out with suspensions called for defending themselves. Kap had nothing to lose. Game is over. With the finals and OHL cup approaching you feel kids that have worked their whole life to get to that point should be suspended because they came to their teammates defenseman after a cheap shot. I am proud of how they stuck up for each other. It was a big wrestling match anyway. That is a better lesson than suspensions.