The Ridge Meadows Flames lost the Stonehouse Cup in game seven, in overtime, on Sunday night, April 2.
The Delta Ice Hawks won the Pacific Junior Hockey League championship by taking the final two games in the best-of-seven series over the weekend. They won game six on April 1 at Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge by a 2-1 score, and then won the April 2 matchup 4-3 at a neutral site in Langley.
“We left it all out there,” said Flames GM Derek Bedard. “It was one of the best series I’ve seen in this league, and I’ve been around for 10 years. Either team could have won any of those seven games.”
In Sunday’s final game, the Flames opened the scoring with a first period power play goal from Matthew Wise, who scored his first goal of the playoffs.
Another Flames power play goal came late in the second period, as Theo Kochan was left alone at the side of the net to score on a rebound, for his 11th playoff goal. The second period ended in a 2-2 tie.
Delta scored early in the third period, but Pierce Whyte knotted the score on a goal that just crossed the line before the Delta defence cleared the puck, and sent the game to overtime.
Each team had chances to end the game in overtime, then finally Delta pounced on a rebound and put it past Flames goaltender Cam Connolly for the win.
It was the first time the Flames have played for the league championship since the 2017-2018 season, when they also lost the Ice Hawks.
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There was a crowd of about 1,000 people watching the game Cam Neely Arena on Saturday night, and a similar crowd for Sunday’s game at a packed George Preston Arena.
Despite the loss, there’s good feelings around Maple Ridge’s Junior B team. Bedard is optimistic the team will come back strong next year, after having posted back-to-back seasons with 30-plus wins under head coach Brent Hughes.
The Flames had a record of 31-14-2-1, and must only graduate three players who will age out.
One was team captain Jordan Kujala, who finished his career as the playoff scoring leader with 22 points in 16 games played.
“He drove the bus,” said the GM, who got a little emotional talking about the players who will be moving on.
Their starting goaltender is also a 20-year-old.
“Cam Connolly was huge for us. He kept us in a lot of games, and he won us a lot of games.”
Forward Owen Thibodeau was acquired from the White Rock Whalers during the season, and was “the consummate teammate, respected by everybody.”
With seven players officially affiliated to BCHL teams, and another an emergency call-up, he expects that some will be moving on to Junior A and WHL. However, that’s the goal for most of the players who play Junior B hockey, he said, and even though talented players move on, it’s a great development for the organization overall.
Those who return will be assured they are part of a winning culture, with a core of players who have unfinished business left over from this year, said the GM.
Bedard said the team already has good prospects for the roster next season, and some have already been skating with the team.
“We’re building something special here, and people want to be a part of it,” he said. “Our foundation is really strong.”
The Ice Hawks will move on to represented the PJHL at the Cyclone Taylor Cup, the Junior B hockey provincial championship, which is being held in Revelstoke April 13 to 16.
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