Road to the OHL Cup: Four ALLIANCE teams clinch spots
By Raine Hernandez/OHL
Now a week away from the biggest event in all of minor hockey, 20 of the best teams from across the province (and one from the United States) finally get to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Whether it’s the daily practices, injuries, or the month-long stoppage in January, all of the hard work will be worth it as U16 players finally get to live out their minor hockey dreams of competing in the OHL Cup powered by Under Armour.
With all of this in mind, the next few days will be an extremely busy time as numerous teams across Ontario qualify for the “Big Dance”, and as the teams continue to punch their tickets, we will update along the way, starting with the first league that will have their four representatives, the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.
Get to know our first batch of teams that will be playing at Scotiabank Pond this time next week:
Brantford 99ers
Arguably the hottest team in the province since January, the Brantford 99ers steamrolled their way through the league, finishing the regular-season winning 10 games in a row, ultimately claiming the ALLIANCE regular-season crown. In the first round of the ALLIANCE playdowns, the 99ers defeated the Lambton Jr. Sting in four games, moving onto the next round and officially booking their ticket to the OHL Cup.
The 99ers are led by a three-headed monster in Lucas Karmiris, Braydon McCallum, and Marek Vanacker, but are blessed with a strong cast of players and the strong goaltending duo of Danny Doyle and Justin Robinson.
London Jr. Knights
Although the Jr. Knights were one point shy of winning the ALLIANCE regular season themselves, they remain one of the top teams in the province with an impressive 30-7-1 overall record. The Knights squared off against Tyler Graham and the Cambridge Hawks, winning all three games to move on to becoming the first team to qualify for the OHL Cup.
The Knights have the firepower to match up with any team in Ontario, with the likes of Brodie McConnell-Barker on the back end, crafty forward Jett Luchanko, along with a duo of 2007-born forwards worth keeping an eye on in Ryan Roobroeck and Ethan Weir.
Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs
A team that has been relatively under the radar for parts of the season, the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs finished fifth in the regular-season, setting up for one heck of a series in a 4/5 matchup with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires. Every game was a battle, but in the fourth and final game, the Chiefs would hold off the Spits to clinch their spot in next week’s tournament behind a goaltending performance from Carter Frogget.
With Dylan Richter and Colin Langstaff along with Julian Stubgen and Kaiden Kerr on the back end, the Chiefs certainly can surprise some teams, having some impressive wins on their resume such as a pair of victories against the 99ers and the high-powered Quinte Red Devils.
Huron-Perth Lakers
From a seeding standpoint, the lowest seed in ALLIANCE to have clinched an OHL Cup berth was the sixth place Huron-Perth Lakers. They defeated the #3 Waterloo Wolves in a 3-1 series victory. With a 21-12-4 overall record this season, the Lakers defeated the Wolves by scores of 2-0, 4-2, and finally a 1-0 victory in front of a packed house on the road at RIM Park in Waterloo.
The Lakers are led by captain Tate Vader, a player widely considered among the best of the best in the league and one that truly does it all for his team and is always a player that will attract a ton of attention.
