Your 2012-2013 OJHL NorthEast Conference Champion Newmarket Hurricanes gathered for one final time  on Wednesday, May 8 at The Pickle Barrel in Newmarket to present the team’s year-end awards.  Players, management, coaches and staff were in attendance.

Bill Ketchell Community Service Award – David Savery

Rooke of the Year – Travis Dermott

Most Improved Player – Thomas Beretta

Coaches Award(s) – Ryan Johnson, Ian Farrell

Top Scholastic Award – Jordan Dunin (also received the OJHL Scholastic Award)

Most Sportmanlike Player – Justin Maiolino

Top Scorer(s) – Daniel Leavens, Brandon Francisco

K.J. Ramolla Most Popular Player Award – Chris Chiste

Best Defenceman – Sean Walker

Regular Season Most Valuable Player – Daniel Leavens

Playoff Most Valuable Player – Matt Wintjes

Preparations for the 2013-2014 version of your Hurricanes are already well underway.  The Hurricanes will be hosting their 2013 Spring Tryout Camp (by invitation only) from Fri. May 17-Sun. May 19 at The Magna Centre in Newmarket (10am-1pm each day).  come on out and take at look at some of the youngsters who may be putting on a Hurricanes jersey next seaosn!

The annual Nature’s Emporium Run or Walk For Southlake has become a popular event in the community.

Now in it’s twelfth year, the family-friendly event has grown to attract over 1,400 participants. With four routes to choose from – 10K, 5K and 2.5K run or walk and Kids Mini Mile – and a KidsZone, there is something for everyone.

Before an announced crowd of 1,473 (the “SO” or “Sold Out” signs being hung from the entrance doors prior to the start of the game) it was St. Mike’s who got off to a quick start, beating Canes netminder Matt Wintjes at the 1:09 mark. The clubs then traded quality scoring opportunities throughout the period until Ryan Johnson sent over 300 Newmarket fans into delirium, tying the game with a laser beam of a wrist shot that beat Buzzers’ Adrian Ignagni at 12:30.

Newmarket held the first period shot edge 15-8, although overall quality of play was quite even, as it has been throughout most of the series.

If the first five minutes of the second period were any indication, watching the remainder of the game waouldn’t be the place to be for the faint of heart. Every rush both ways seemed to result in a quality scoring attempt. As has been the case in the previous six games, both Wintjes and Ignagni were spectacular. Both clubs took turns domiinating the play in the middle frame; Newmarket through the middle five or six minutes, the Buzzers the final five minutes of the period.

Shots in the scoreless second were 14-7 Buzzers although, as in the first period, not a real indication of the evenness of the overall play.

Game 7 for the OJHL title; tie game going into the third – you can’t ask for any more than that! Sure enough, both teams came out flying and each missed on point-blank scoring attempts in the opening minute. At 2:31, the Buzzers scored what would be the game-, series- and championship-winning goal when Shane Conacher (younger brother of Ottawa Senator Cory, and ultimately, the Brent Ladds Trophy winner as OJHL Playoff MVP) beat Wintjes with a wrist shot on a one-timer from the faceoff circle to Wintjes’ right.

Only 59 seconds later (3:30), St. Mike’s got a break. Before the frenzy from their previous goal had subsided, St. Mike’s got the all-important insurance marker. It came on a 2-on-2 rush into the Newmarket zone when one of the Canes d-men lost an edge and went down at the Newmarket blueline, creating a 2-on-1 on which the Buzzers converted.

The Buzzers did a good job the rest of the way limiting Newmarket to no more than a couple of good scoring chances and playing “kitty-bar-the-door” defence, although the third period shot count was 18-8 in Newmarket’s favour (40-30 Canes overall).

Wintjes made 28 saves in the Canes goal.

Mention was made in a disraught Hurricanes dressing room post-game of the wonderful fan support the club received, both tonight and throughout the playoffs. From the players, a big shout out to you, our great fans! On behalf of the Hurricanes, thanks to all of our volunteers, sponsors and fans!

Congratulations to the OJHL Champion St. Michael’s Buzzers – good luck at the Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canada Championship in North Bay.

To our graduating players, good luck in your future endeavours and thanks for the memories! Remember, ONCE A HURRICANE, ALWAYS A HURRICANE!

That’s it folks – the end of the 2012-2013 OJHL season of your Newmarket Hurricanes. While we fell one win short, I think we can all agree – WHAT A RIDE!!! See you in the fall!

Your ever-resilient Newmarket Hurricanes have forced a Seventh and deciding Game with the St. Michael’s Buzzers for the 2013 OJHL Buckland Cup Championship! The Canes squeaked out a 3-2 win over the Buzzers before over 1,500 spectators at the Ray Twinney Complex Friday night in their final home game of the 2012-2013 OJHL season.

With their backs to the wall, Newmarket came out flying. Two goals within the game-opening 3:35 had the home crowd in a frenzy. Taylor Chick, who has not played since Game 4 of the second round Lindsay series due to injury, returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact, tapping home his fifth of the post season on a rebound to put the Canes up 1-0 at 3:09. Only 26 seconds later, they went up by a pair on Chris Chiste’s dandy tip-in of a Justin Maiolino pass, beating St. Mike’s’ Adrian Ignagni. It was the Captain’s ninth of the playoffs.

The remainder of the period was quite even, neither team having a whole lot in the way of top-notch scoring chances. Shots were 12-10 in favour of Newmarket.

A determined St. Michael’s squad took the play to the Hurricanes in the second frame with some strong forechecking, resultiong in several great goal opportunities. The Buzzers outscored Newmarket 2-1 in the period. Jake Evans capitalized on a Newmarket miscue in their own end and cut the lead in half at 7:42.

With momentum firmly on the side of St. Mike’s, Newmarket needed a big break…and they got one. Austin Rigney’s point shot found its way through a maze of players in front of Ignagni and bulged the twine, reupping Newmarket’s two-goal advantage at 16:13. It was Rigney’s second of the playoffs.

This goal was made even bigger from Newmarket’s standpoint when Stephen Pietrobon tallied only 28 clicks later, again from some confusion amongst Newmarket defenders in their own end, to narrow the margin to 3-2 for the Canes. Shots in the middle period were 13-11 for the Buzzers.

In a nerve-wracking third period for the home fans, St. Mike’s kept the play in Newmarket’s end most of the final period. Despite the territioral advantage, St. Mike’s was unable to produce many quality scoring opportunities. Newmarket played its best defensive period of the series since Game 1, keeping the Buzzers to the boards, corners and behind the net. The third was scoreless; the result being that we are going to play the ultmiate game in what has been the ultimate series! Shots in the third were 11-10 Buzzers; 34-33 St. Mike’s on the night.

Maiolino and Daniel Leavens each recorded two-assist performances for the Canes. Matt Wintjes had another typically strong outing in the Newmarket cage, making 32 saves for his 15th win of the playoffs.

This is it Hurricane fans! Game 7 for the OJHL Championship! Start time at the St. Michael’s College School Arena is 4pm on Sunday, April 21. If you are planning on attending, GET THERE EARLY!!! The rink, even with standing room, holds less than 1,000, so if you leave going down too late, you may be greatly disappointed!

It’s one game for the title – the winner lifting the Frank J. Buckland Trophy and going to the Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Championship in North Bay (April 30-May 4) to fight for a spot in the RBC Cup National Championship in Summerside, PEI. in mid-May. The loser will have to settle for being the OJHL’s second-best in 2012-13! IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!

GO CANES GO!!!

The roles were reversed for the first two periods from Monday’s Game 4. While the Canes had a big edge in play after two periods on Monday night (and only had a 1-1 deadlock to show for it), it was the Buzzers who dominated much of the play over the first forty minutes tonight, but were only able to beat Newmarket’s Matt Wintjes once to take a slim 1-0 lead into the third frame. Aside from a late first period flurry from Newmarket, most of the play was in Newmarket end in a scoreless opening stanza. Scoreless, thanks to the stellar work of Newmarket’s veteran goalie. Shots were 13-9 for St. Mike’s.

While the second period was not nearly as one sided as the first, the Buzzers continued to “buzz” around the Canes net. St. Mike’s opened the scoring at 15:43. Shots were 15-13 Buzzers.

Ian Farell brought Hurricanes fans back to life early in the third, tying the score with his sixth of the playoffs at 2:03, burying a rebound past the Buzzers’ Adrian Ignagni. Newmarket, with its newly-found momentum, almost took the lead a couple of times in the next couple of minutes.

Old “Mo” was not to last for the Canes, however. The Buzzers took the lead for good, making it 2-1 at 4:21 and extending the lead to a pair at 11:29.

Following a timeout called by Hurricanes Head Coach Justin Peca, Kyler Nixon narrowed the gap to a singleton off of a set faceoff play with his third of the post season at 18:53. Alas, a hoped-for game-tying goal was not in the offing. Shots in the third were 22-10 for the Hurricanes, 44-38 for the Canes overall.

Nixon added an assist to his goal to collect a two-point evening. Wintjes made 35 saves in the defeat.

Alright Newmarket fans! Friday night is the last home game of the 2012-2013 season and the boys want your support! Come on out to the Ray Twinney Complex Friday night at 7:30 for Game 6, cheer on your Hurricanes and help them to force a Game 7 in the OJHL Buckland Cup Final!

Hurricanes rookie defenceman Travis Dermott (second from left) was selected as the OJHL Fan Favourite Award winner through voting that took place online. Over 10,000 votes were cast in the process.

Hurricane “Superfan” Joe Boyer (second from right) was honoured by the OJHL for his support of the league and the Hurricanes over th past several years.

Despite holding a big edge in play over much of Game 4 of the OJHL Buckland Cup Final at the Twinney Complex, your Newmarket Hurricanes were unable to top the netminding brilliance of St. Michael’s Buzzers Adrian Igangni. Ignagni’s heroics allowed the Buzzers to stay in the game and score twice in the third period en route to a 3-1 win.

Close to 900 at the Twinney Complex saw the Canes come out flying and throwing everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at Ignagni in the first. Although the Canes had the shot edge 14-7 with plenty of point-blank opportunities, they were unable to score.

In a “wild and woolly” middle frame, the Canes finally did bulge the twine at 4:39 when Chris Chiste popped in his eighth of the post season at 4:39, the assists going to Travis Dermott and Justin Maiolino. Newmarket continue to press in the St. Mike’s end but saw their momentum halted via some defensive miscommunication, allowing the Buzzers to score from in close to tie the game at 7:39.

St. Mike’s took advantage of their newly-found Game 4 lease on life and started to apply pressure on Newmarket’s Matt Wintjes, who made some big stops of his own. The Buzzers appeared to take the lead on the power play at 14:21 but after a brief conference, the officials ruled that the puck was directed in with a high stick.

To the Canes’ credit, they continued to take it to the Buzzers but were unable to score again. Shots in the second were 18-16 for the Canes.

Play in the final twenty minutes was quite even as the teams “amped up” the defensive side of their games. The Buzzers took the lead at 12:33 when a Newmarket clearing attempt took an odd bounce off the glass, went right to a St. Mike’s player in the corner and the ensuing pass across the crease found Troy Josephs waiting to bang it home.

While Newmarket had more chances in the final few minutes, it was St. Mike’s who wrapped things up on the night with an empty-netter at 18:54. Shots in the third were 13-11 for the Buzzers. Newmarket topped the game shot total with a 43-36 edge.

Ian Farrell was chosen The Pita Pit Hurricanes Player of the Game.

Prior to the contest, rookie defenceman Travis Dermott was introduced as the OJHL Fan Favourite Award winner, which saw over 10,000 votes entered online by fans across the OJHL. Hurricane “Superfan” Joe Boyer was also acknowledged by the OJHL for his support of the league and the Hurricanes.

Game 5 in this “humdinger” of a series goes at the St. Michael’s College School Arena in Toronto on Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30pm. Game 6 is at the Twinney Complex in Newmarket on Friday, April 19, also at 7:30. If a 7th game is needed, it is back at St. Mike’s on Sunday, April 21 at 4:00pm.

In the NOJHL Final, the North Bay Trappers and Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds, who have both qualified for “The Dudley” (North Bay as host, Sault as the other NOJHL entrant) arte thied at 1-1. In the SIJHL Final, the Fort Frances Lakers and Minnesota Wilderness are also tied one game apiece.

In what was a much more fast-paced and hard-hitting affair than Game 1 at St. Mike’s, the Buzzers came out desparate to not go down by three games in this series. Despite being outshot 15-9 in the first frame, it was Galati’s man-advantage goal, a one-timer off a cross ice pass from Jordan Merante, that beat Newmarket’s Matt Wintjes to give St. Mike’s the lead, and the eventual game-winner. Galati played briefly with Newmarket as a 2010-11 trade deadline pick up.

Some controversy arose late in the first when the Canes appeared to tie the score on a goalmouth scramble. A quick whistle, clearly blown well before the puck entered the net, came as the referee had his vision obscured by players between himself and the puck, even though the puck had not been frozen by Buzzers’ netminder Ignagni.

There was more of the same intensity from both sides in each of the last two periods. However, as has been the case much of these first three games, it was goaltenders Wintjes and Ignagni who provided most of the highlights on this night.

In another even period, the middle stanza saw both clubs with periods of sustained pressure and good chances but were denied by the netminding brilliance of the other. Shots in the second were 13-11for St. Mike’s.

The Buzzers controlled much of the play in the third period, even though they were outshot 12-8. The Canes were effectively hemmed up in the neutral zone for much of the final twenty minutes, and were only able to create a couple of decent offensive opportunies.

This very entertaining series continues with Game 4 at the Ray Twinney Complex in Newmarket on Monday, April 15 at 7:30pm. The OJHL’s 2012-13 “Fan Favourite Award” as voted on online by OJHL fans, will be announced and the winner presented with his award prior to the start of the game. Game 5 returns to the St. Michael’s College School Arena on Wednesday, April 17, also at 7:30.

- Game 6 – Friday, April 19, 7:30pm – Ray Twinney Complex, Newmarket
- Game 7 – Sunday, April 21, 4:00pm – St. Michael’s College School Arena, Toronto

When the series schedule was originally announced, these game dates and times had not been confirmed.