2026 OHL Cup: Day 2 Recap
Stay tuned throughout the day for rolling updates from the OHL Cup, with game recaps, key moments, and top performers from every matchup.
Stars Pull Away from Raiders with Strong Second Period
Niagara North Stars vs. Ajax Pickering Raiders
Final: 6 (NIA) – 2 (APR)
The Niagara North Stars used a dominant second period to power past the Ajax Pickering Raiders with a 6-2 victory in OHL Cup action, outshooting their opponents 43-20.
“I thought it was great. We did everything right, forechecked hard, finished our hits and we got the result we wanted,” said Kohen Chrastina.
Niagara opened the scoring late in the first period, as Szymon Tomczuk (1) struck shorthanded to give the Stars the early lead.
The Stars built on that momentum in the second period, with Chrastina (1) extending the lead before Evan Hoven (1) added another shorthanded marker that would stand as the game-winner.
“I think our penalty kill was very strong today; we shut them down. Our forecheck was hard, and we buried on most of our opportunities,” added Gabriel Selvaggio.
Ajax Pickering responded midway through the frame, with Shea Huxtink (1) getting the Raiders on the board. Brady McGarry (1) followed shortly after to cut the deficit to one.
However, Niagara answered back quickly, as Nathan Hewitt (1) restored the two-goal cushion before the end of the period.
The Stars carried their momentum into the third, where Kaelen Ruddy (1) scored on the power play, and Jacob Greene (2) added another to round out the scoring.
“I think it gives us a lot of momentum, and we’re gonna be coming ready for tomorrow,” Selvaggio said.
New Era Player of the Game:
Niagara North Stars: Nathan Hewitt (F) – 1G, 1A
Ajax-Pickering Raiders: Brady McGarry (D) – 1G
Colts Dominate Kings in 7-0 Shutout Victory
Thunder Bay Kings vs. Barrie Colts
Final: 7 (BAR) – 0 (TBAY)
The Barrie Colts delivered a dominant performance, shutting out the Thunder Bay Kings 7-0 while outshooting them 51-20.
“The game went to plan, and all the boys really worked together. We got pucks in deep, got shots off that and dug hard,” said Brendan St. Croix.
After a scoreless opening period, Barrie broke through in the second and never looked back. Cameron Hogg (2) opened the scoring early in the frame, netting what would stand as the game-winning goal.
The Colts continued to pour it on, with Corey Coe (1) doubling the lead before Cole Harlow (1) added another. John Kanyo (2) capped off a four-goal second period with a power-play marker to make it 4-0 heading into the intermission.
“It was a good game for us. We had a rough start, but it’s a good turnaround and good for the group,” St. Croix added.
Barrie carried that momentum into the third period, where Jack Lee (1) extended the lead early. Dylan Biga-Wadstein (1) followed on the power play, before Luka Dragojlevic (2) rounded out the scoring to secure the 7-0 victory.
The Colts showcased a balanced offensive attack, with multiple players contributing to the scoresheet in a complete team effort.
Goaltender Logan Senay was perfect between the pipes, turning aside all shots he faced to earn the shutout.
“We got a big game tomorrow, and we’re going to try and play electric. We know they’re a physical team and we’re ready for that,” St. Croix said.
New Era Player of the Game:
Barrie Jr. Colts: Logan Senay (G) – 20 SVS
Thunder Bay Kings: Carter Johnson (G) – 44 SVS
Red Devils Hold Off NOHA in High-Scoring Affair
Quinte Red Devils vs. Team NOHA
Final: 4 (QRD) – 3 (NOHA)
The Quinte Red Devils earned a crucial 4-3 victory over Team NOHA, using a strong second period to build a lead and hold off a late push.
“It was a good game. It was a must-win game for us to keep going in the tournament, it was a huge win,” said Austin Ottenhof.
Team NOHA opened the scoring early in the first period, as Tyden Belanger (1) found the back of the net just over a minute into the game.
Quinte responded quickly, with Andrew Laurin (2) tying the game before the end of the frame to send the teams into the intermission even at 1-1.
The Red Devils took control in the second period, with Lawson Minten (1) giving them their first lead of the game. NOHA answered shortly after, as Nicholas Christakos (1) evened the score once again.
Quinte continued to push, with Ottenhof (2) restoring the lead before adding his second of the game later in the period, a goal that would stand as the game-winner.
Team NOHA made things interesting late in the third, as Seth Verbowski (1) cut the deficit to one, but Quinte held firm to secure the win.
“We just need to keep the energy up and keep it going for our big game tomorrow evening,” Ottenhof added.
New Era Player of the Game:
Quinte Red Devils: Andrew Laurin (F) – 1G, 2A
NOHA: Seth Verbiwski (F) – 1G, 1A
Little Caesars Rally Past Ottawa to Secure 5-3 Win
Ottawa Jr. 67’s vs. Detroit Little Caesars
Final: 5 (DLC) – 3 (OTT)
The Detroit Little Caesars used a strong third period to rally past the Ottawa Jr. 67’s, earning a 5-3 victory.
“I think the game went well. We battled back from a deficit, and I think the boys responded really well,” said captain Griffin Carver. “Obviously, it wasn’t our way the whole game, and then the last few minutes we really stepped it up and brought it back.”
Ottawa opened the scoring early in the first period, as Kyson McMillan (2) found the back of the net to give the Jr. 67’s the early lead.
Detroit responded in the second period, with Samuel Tanguay (1) tying the game before Ottawa regained the lead on the power play, as Innis Robinson (1) made it 2-1.
The back-and-forth continued, with Aiden Kelly (3) scoring for Detroit to even things up once again heading into the third period.
Ottawa briefly regained the lead early in the final frame, as William Boyko (2) capitalized on the power play to make it 3-2.
However, Detroit took over from there. Marc Ruggiero (1) tied the game shorthanded before Alexander Moore (1) gave Little Caesars their first lead of the game in the last few minutes, with what would stand as the game-winner.
“It’s great being able to respond from being on the penalty kill and then scoring right away,” Carver added. “It’s nice having a team that doesn’t get down on themselves when there’s a penalty and we can get right back up and go and score a goal.”
Kelly added the empty-netter for his second of the night to provide an insurance marker and seal the 5-3 comeback victory.
New Era Player of the Game:
Ottawa Jr. 67’s: Athan Stone (G)
Detroit Little Caesars: Jack Hair (D)
Honeybaked Edges Hill Academy in Overtime Thriller
Detroit Honeybaked vs. Hill Academy
Final/OT: 4 (HB) – 3 (HILL)
Detroit Honeybaked earned a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over Hill Academy, scoring two unanswered goals to secure the extra-time win.
“We’ve been doing it all year; they call us the comeback kids,” said captain Max Lappan. “We just have a determination to win, and that’s what we do.”
Honeybaked opened the scoring early in the first period, as Cash McElmurry (2) capitalized on the power play to give Detroit the early lead.
Hill Academy responded before the end of the frame, with Tanner Adams (4) finding the back of the net to even the score heading into the intermission.
Hill carried that momentum into the second period, as Brayden Jaravata (1) and Deklan Marks (1) struck to give Hill a 3-1 advantage.
Detroit began to battle back in the third, with Easton Dozark (1) cutting the deficit to one. Later in the frame, McElmurry added his second of the game on the power play to tie things up and force overtime with just under a minute left in regulation.
In the extra frame, Lappan (1) buried the game-winning goal to seal the comeback victory for Honeybaked.
“We won every big tournament this year, and we’re just going to keep it going,” Lappan added.
New Era Player of the Game:
Detroit HoneyBaked: Austin Hall (F) – 3A
Hill Academy: Brayden Jaravata (D) – 1G
Marlboros Ride Fast Start to Victory Over Lakers
Huron-Perth Lakers vs. Toronto Marlboros
Final: 3 (TMAR) – 1 (HPL)
The Toronto Marlboros used a strong opening period to power past the Huron-Perth Lakers with a 3-1 win, outshooting their opponents 39-20.
“The game was great, the boys were moving the puck well,” said Braden Reilly. “We took a loss earlier today but I think we bounced back well.”
Toronto opened the scoring early in the first period, as Preston Hebert (2) found the back of the net just over three minutes into the game.
Huron-Perth responded shortly after, with Declan McCotter (1) tying the game midway through the frame.
However, the Marlboros quickly regained control, as Will Cameron (1) restored the lead later in the period with what would stand as the game-winning goal.
Toronto added to their advantage in the second period, with Miles Reilly (1) scoring shorthanded to extend the lead to 3-1.
While the Lakers pushed to close the gap in the third, the Marlboros held firm defensively to secure the win.
“It was a great win and hopefully we can keep it going,” Reilly added.
New Era Player of the Game:
Toronto Marlboros: Braden Reilly (F) – 1A
Huron Perth Lakers: Declan McCotter (F) – 1G
Jr Knights Fend Off Late Push from TPH
TPH vs London Jr. Knights
Final: 6 (LDN) – 4 (TPH)
The London Jr Knights (2-1-0-0) fended off a late push from TPH (2-1-0-0) en route to a 6-4 victory on Day 2 of the 2026 OHL Cup.
“We know this team hasn’t been together for a while so we put the pressure on and with pressure they wouldn’t know where each other are,” said London’s Graham Littlejohn.
The Jr Knights found themselves up 3-0 just past the midway mark of the game courtesy of a pair of goals by Drew Bate (4) and one by Graham Littlejohn (2). TPH got one back from Quinn Kaiser (1) and then minutes later found themselves on the powerplay where Luke Hartman (3) capitalized to make it a one goal game heading into the second intermission.
In the third, Ryan Beaulieu (2) and Finley Butler (3) scored just 20 seconds apart to put London ahead 5-2 to put the game in a sport where most might think it’s over. Just past the midway mark of the third period TPH’s Mason Drouin (1) and Lee Russom (1) scored one minute apart and all of a sudden TPH was knocking on the door. London’s Ryan Salmoni (3) scored an empty net goal to seal the deal and give his team the 6-4 win.
“I’m in a good sport right now, just playing confident and trusting my teammates. I’m doing all I can do,” said Littlejohn after picking up a goal in the win.
Both teams finish round robin play tomorrow and will require a win to give themselves a chance at advancing to the quarter finals on Thursday. TPH plays the Don Mills Flyers at 9:45am while London plays Barrie at 1:15pm.
New Era Player of the Game
TPH – Mason Drouin (D) 1G
London Jr. Knights – Ryan Salmoni (F) 1G
Kings Defeat 99ers 7-4 to Keep QF Hopes Alive
Brantford 99ers vs Vaughan Kings
Final: 7 (VK) – 4 (BFD)
The Vaughan Kings defeated the Brantford 99ers 7-4 in a game that saw four lead changes and both teams score at least one goal in every period.
“We went down early and took a lot of penalties, we just needed to stay out of the box,” said Kings forward Brody Brown, “good teams find ways to win and we found a way to win.”
The game was tied after the first period with goals by Vaughan’s Kane Cloutier (3) and Brody Brown (2) with Noah Bosnjak (1) and Emry Lowe (3) scoring for the 99ers.
Brantford scored early in the second period but had the goal waved off due to the net being off – Vaughan goalie Demetri Stokes was handed a delay of game penalty for the infraction and the 99ers’ Calder Anderson scored on the ensuing powerplay to retake the lead.
Both Kane Cloutier (4) and Brody Brown (3) scored their second goals of the game to put Vaughan back on top at the second intermission. Kane Cloutier (6) added a couple more in the third period to help give the Kings a 7-4 win in one of the most entertaining games of the week so far.
“They make the players around them better, it’s easy to play them because of how talented and skilled they are,” explained Brown on the amount of talent on his team.
Both teams wrap up round robin play tomorrow with the Kings taking on Upper Canada College at 10:15am while Brantford plays Team NOHA at 1:30pm.
New Era Player of the Game
Brantford 99ers – Roman Vanacker (F) 1G 1A
Vaughan Kings – Kane Cloutier (F) 4G 1A
JRC Cruises Past Panthers with Dominant Shutout Win
Sun County Panthers vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Final: 6 (JRC) – 0 (SCP)
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens delivered a dominant performance, shutting out the Sun County Panthers 6–0 while heavily outshooting them 35-7. Goaltender Marko Mesich was solid between the pipes, turning aside all shots he faced to earn the shutout.
“The game went well. Our team started off the tournament a little weak, but over the past two games, we played really well,” said Rico Champagne. “Our coaches preach chances and opportunities, and that’s all we play for every shift and every period, and we use it to work hard.”
Toronto set the tone early in the first period, with Jude Litman (2) opening the scoring just over 11 minutes into the game. Champagne (2) followed shortly after, doubling the lead to give the Jr. Canadiens a 2-0 advantage heading into the intermission.
The Jr. Canadiens continued to build momentum in the second period. Champagne added his second of the game on the power play, before Brayden Grima (4) extended the lead to 4-0.
“The two goals I got were with my team working hard. I was working hard to get into the right spot at the right time,” Champagne added.
Toronto carried that pressure into the third period, where Khov Long (1) capitalized on the power play to add another. Litman capped off the scoring with his second of the game later in the frame.
“Just keep playing for chances and opportunities, working hard and moving our feet, not stopping the momentum,” Champagne said.
New Era Player of the Game:
JRC: Rico Champagne (F) – 2G
Sun County Panthers: Ethan Townsend (G) – 29 SVS
Groulx Shuts the Door on the Raiders in 2-0 Win
Eastern Ontario Wild vs Ajax-Pickering Raiders
Final: 2 (EOW) – 0 (APR)
Eastern Ontario Wild (2-0-0-0) goaltender Josh Groulx stopped all 20 shots he faced to lead his team to a 2-0 win over the wildcard Ajax-Pickering Raiders (0-2-0-0).
Leo Hendriks’ (1) powerplay goal late in the first period was all the HEO Champions would need to get by the Raiders on Day 2 of the 2026 OHL Cup.
“There was a lot of powerplays and penalty kills this game, so there wasn’t many goals and it came down to mine”, said Hendriks, “I got a good pass with some good net front [pressence], so I decided to shoot it… I picked the corner and it felt good”.
The Raiders pulled their goalie late in the game to try and get the equalizer but Tristan Gendron-Steele (1) scored into the empty net with 37 seconds left to give the Wild the 2-0 win. When asked about what it’s like to play in close games Hendriks said “It’s super exciting. There’s a lot of people in the stands so it makes it even better… we have a lot of eyes on us so it’s exciting, it’s stressful, but it feels good.”
The Ajax-Pickering Raiders are back in action tonight at 7:30pm versus the Niagara North Stars while the Eastern Ontario Wild are back on the ice tomorrow at 11:45am versus the Toronto Jr Canadiens.
New Era Player of the Game
Eastern Ontario Wild – Josh Groulx (G) 20 SVS (SO)
Ajax-Pickering Raiders – Tanner Gibson (G) 17 SVS
Civello Nets a Pair in 2-1 Win over Jr. Colts
Don Mills Flyers vs Barrie Jr. Colts
Final: 3 (DMF) – 2 (BAR)
The Don Mills Flyers (2-0-0-0) battled to another one-goal victory to stay undefeated at the 2026 OHL Cup with a 3-2 win over the Barrie Jr. Colts (0-2-0-0).
Ty Civello (1) opened the scoring for the Flyers just 3:41 into the game but Barrie responded late in the period with goals by Cameron Hogg (1) and John Kanyo (1) in a 40 second span.
An early third period powerplay for the Flyers provided them with an opportunity to tie the game at two and that’s exactly what they did with a goal by Remi Flikweert (1). The game felt destined for overtime but Don Mills had no intention of letting it go that far as Ty Civello (2) fired his second of the game with just 2:08 left to give his team the lead and ultimately the win.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but I told the boys, just keep working, keep blocking shots and put your body on the line. It’s all about the team,” said Civello after the win, “I think we’re rolling pretty good, we just won two big games and we want to keep it going for the rest of the tournament.”
The Flyers are back in action tomorrow morning at 9:45am vs TPH while the Barrie Jr. Colts look to get in the win column tonight at 7:15pm versus Thunder Bay.
New Era Player of the Game
Don Mills Flyers – Ty Civello (F) 2G
Barrie Jr. Colts – John Kanyo (D) 1G
Detroit Little Caesars Ride Strong First Period to a 3-1 Victory
Credit River Capitals vs Detroit Little Caesars
Final: 3 (DLC) – 1 (CRC)
Detroit Little Caesars got off to a good start at the 2026 OHL Cup with a 3-1 victory over the OMHA Champion Credit River Capitals.
“We don’t want to be using our legs too much, we have a lot of hockey to play this week. Try to simplify everything, don’t try to do too much,” said Little Caesars forward Aiden Kelly.
Samuel Nowlan (1) opened the scoring just 4:45 into the game with Kelly (1) adding to the lead seven minutes later. Credit River had a few surges of offence in the third period and were able to score off a deflection with 11:32 left but the goal was immediately waved off due to a high stick. They didn’t let that stop them as Sawyer Burness (1) capitalized on a 2-on-1 to get the Capitals officially on the board with 7:20 remaining.
Another late push by the Capitals resulted in a few shots off the post but nothing else in the back of the net. Benjamin Slavick (1) added an empty net goal to secure the win for Little Caesars.
“I was happy, the boys were putting their bodies on the line,” said Kelly after the game, “Troy [Falbo], our goalie, played phenomenal and I think we just have to keep it going.
It’s a quick turnaround for Detroit Little Caesars as they take on the Ottawa Jr 67’s at 5:30pm. Credit River is still in search of their first win of the OHL Cup and will finish off the round robin with a double header tomorrow versus the 67’s at 10:00am and the Upper Canada Cyclones at 7:00pm.
New Era Player of the Game
Credit River Capitals – Aaron Archer (G) 32 SVS
Detroit Little Caesars – Aiden Kelly (F) 1G
Guizzetti Scores Hat Trick as UCC Defeats NOHA
NOHA vs. Upper Canada College Blues
Final: 4 (UCC) – 1 (NOHA)
Upper Canada College (2-0-0-0) delivered another strong performance, earning a 4-1 win over Team NOHA (0-2-0-0), outshooting their opponents 34-16.
“It’s been a good team effort. I wouldn’t be able to put up these points without my teammates,” said Cole Guizzetti following his three-goal performance.
UCC opened the scoring late in the first period, as Damian Norris (1) found the back of the net on the power play to give the Blues the early lead.
Guizzetti (3) added to the advantage shortly after, scoring his first of the game before striking again in the second period with a shorthanded marker that would stand as the game-winner.
He continued his standout performance into the third period, completing the hat trick to extend the Blues’ lead to 4-0.
Team NOHA broke through late in regulation, as Tayden Smith (1) scored on the power play to get his side on the board, but that would be as close as they would come.
“We’re 2-0 right now, and the boys are rolling, we’re just going to keep that going and hopefully keep winning,” Guizzetti added.
New Era Player of the Game:
UCC Blues: Cole Guizzetti (F) – 3G, 1A
NOHA: Felix Sapay (F) – 1A
Dylan Sack’s Shutout Keeps Majors Undefeated
Upper Canada Cyclones vs Markham Majors
Final: 7 (MAJ) – 0 (UPCC)
The GTHL’s Markham Majors continue to roll as they shutout the Upper Canada Cyclones 7-0 on Tuesday afternoon. Markham has now gone 91:25 of game time without allowing a goal because of back-to-back shutouts by Cohen O’Neill and Dylan Sack, “The team keeps playing great behind me and Cohen [O’Neill], we’re playing well together, back to back shutouts,” said Sack, “we’re limiting their opportunities and I have a lot of confidence in the back end and even the forwards, covering for the defence when they pinch, it’s amazing.”
Dacey Dupuis (1) and Ryder Nobes (4) had goals in the opening period for Markham. They kept pushing in the middle frame with goals by Lucas Cranney (1), Ryder Nobes (5) and Jack Samek (1). Nobes (6) completed the hattrick in the third period while Peter Cortese (1) added one of his own to make the final 7-0.
“We’re feeling super confident… we all believe in each other and we all believe we can win this whole thing,” said Sack after his shutout win.
Markham closes out round robin play tomorrow night at 5:15pm in a heavyweight tilt versus Detroit Little Caesars. The Cyclones have a double header tomorrow to wrap up the round robin with games versus Detroit Little Caesars at 8:15am and the Credit River Capitals at 7:00pm.
New Era Player of the Game
Upper Canada Cyclones – Aiden Plooy
Markham Majors – Dylan Sack (G) 19 SVS (SO)
Imbeau’s 16 Saves Leads the Express to 4-1 Victory
York Simcoe Express vs Huron Perth Lakers
Final: 4 (YSE) – 1 (HPL)
In a game that featured two teams searching for their first win of the week the OMHA Finalist York Simcoe Express picked up an important 4-1 win over the Huron Perth Lakers.
York Simcoe got great goaltending from Ty Imbeau which allowed them to build up a comfortable 4-0 lead heading into the second intermission off of goals by Gage Kirk (1), Joshua Miles (1), Cooper Niquet (1) and Jacob Bertucci (1).
The Lakers were able to break the shutout bid for Imbeau on a goal by Evan Miller (1) with just 50 seconds left in the game. York Simcoe stayed disciplined only taking two penalties which didn’t provide Huron Perth with any opportunities to get back in the game.
“Defensively we played really well, there weren’t many mistakes and I think I played well, I did my job out there,” said Imbeau after the win, “we put more pressure on ourselves [after our loss yesterday], but we had faith in each other and I think we showed it out there today.”
York Simcoe has the rest of the day off before a double-header tomorrow against Detroit Honeybaked at 8:00am and Hill Academy at 7:15pm. Huron Perth is back at it tonight against the Toronto Marlboros at 5:15pm.
New Era Player of the Game
York Simcoe Express – Stuart DeMunnik (D)
Huron Perth Lakers – Ethan Bridges (F)
London Depth Shines in Win over Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay Kings vs London Jr. Knights
Final: 10 (LDN) – 1 (TBAY)
The ALLIANCE Champion London Jr. Knights flexed their muscles in a 10-1 win over the Thunder Bay Kings on Day 2 of the 2026 OHL Cup.
London’s New Era Player of the Game, Ryan Salmoni (2) got things going early for his team scoring two goals in the opening 1:48 of the game. Teammate Jace Luchanko (1) added another before the end of the first to give the Jr. Knights a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Early in the second period Thunder Bay’s Liam Maxwell (1) netted his first of the tournament to get the Kings on the board. A couple powerplay goals by London’s Finley Butler (1) and Drew Bate (1) would widen the gap to 5-1 before the end of the second period. London padded to their lead in the third period on their way to the 10-1 win, marking their first victory of the tournament.
London’s Graham Littlejohn put up one goal and four assists in the win, while teammate Drew Bate had two goals and two assists, “We kind of started out slow, we were trying to pile up some goals for the goals against and goals for average,” said Bate, “I’ve been playing pretty good. The first game pucks just didn’t go in the net, it happens, but the next game we persevered, I hope we can keep it rolling through the tournament.”
The Jr. Knights will take on TPH later today at 3:45pm while the Kings are up against the Barrie Jr. Colts tonight at 7:15pm.
New Era Player of the Game
Thunder Bay Kings – Liam Maxwell (F) 1G
London Jr. Knights – Ryan Salmoni (F) 2G 1A
Honeybaked Victorious in their OHL Cup Opener
Detroit Honeybaked vs Toronto Marlboros
Final: 3 (HB) – 1 (TMAR)
A busy week ahead for Detroit Honeybaked started with a 3-1 win over the GTHL’s Toronto Marlboros.
Toronto got to work early with a goal by Michael Warner (1) just 4:28 into the game. Honeybaked entered the 2026 OHL Cup fresh off of an appearance at Nationals just last week so a little bit of fatigue might have been expected.
They were able to find their touch in the second period scoring a pair of goals by Austin Hall (2) just 3:10 apart. “I think we played great, we lost two of our guys from the regular season so we brought in two guys and made sure they feel part of the team,” said Hall, “we played a gritty game and got to work this morning.”
The Marlboros threw 13 shots on net in the final frame trying to even the score but Honeybaked goalie Carter Nash stopped all of them down the stretch to preserve the 3-1 win after his team added an empty net goal.
“We got back Saturday night [from Nationals], tried to rest the legs, get a good night’s sleep and get ready for this week after a long week,” said Nash after his team’s opening game win.
Detroit Honeybaked will rest up before taking on Hill Academy at 4:00pm. The Toronto Marlboros will look to get back in the win column when they play the Huron-Perth Lakers at 5:15pm.
New Era Player of the Game
Detroit Honeybaked – Austin Hall 2G
Toronto Marlboros – Nolan Hardy 42 SVS
99ers Ride Strong Second Period to Victory Over Red Devils
Brantford 99ers vs. Quinte Red Devils
Final: 5 (BFD) – 2 (QRD)
The Brantford 99ers used a dominant second period to power past the Quinte Red Devils with a 5-2 win in OHL Cup action, outshooting their opponents 43-26.
“Pretty good. I thought we got pucks deep, won our battles down low, and got a lot of shots on net,” said captain Roman Vanacker following the win.
Brantford opened the scoring early in the first period, as Calum Morgan (1) found the back of the net just over two minutes into the game. Ethan Zivanovich (2) followed later in the frame, doubling the 99ers’ lead to make it 2-0 heading into the intermission.
The 99ers continued to build momentum in the second period. Vanacker (1) extended the lead with what would stand as the game-winning goal, before Carson Vukelich (2) added another to make it 4-0.
“This is a great tournament for us and every team in here. It’s going pretty well for us. We had a tough loss yesterday in overtime, but we bounced back this morning and had a great game,” Vanacker added.
Quinte responded midway through the period on the power play, with Kalum Phillips (1) getting the Red Devils on the board. However, Brantford answered back before the end of the frame, as Emry Lowe (2) restored the four-goal cushion.
Jack Sutton (1) added a third-period marker for Quinte, but the Red Devils were unable to close the gap any further as Brantford held firm the rest of the way.
“I want to be better than him,” Vanacker laughed when asked about his brother finishing the OHL regular season as the league’s top goal-scorer. “He pushes me to try to be better than him as well,”
New Era Players of the Game:
Brantford 99ers: Emry Lowe (F) – 1G
Quinte Red Devils: Andrew Laurin (F) – 1A
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Twenty-five teams will embark on the 2026 OHL Cup Showcase, with tournament games beginning at 12:00pm on Monday, March 30th, culminating in the Championship Final that will take place on Saturday, April 4th at Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto, with puck drop at 2:00pm.
The OHL Cup has established itself as a premier development tournament, serving as a critical showcase for the next generation of hockey talent. A total of 223 OHL Cup graduates have advanced to play in the OHL en route to the National Hockey League (NHL), including 114 players currently on NHL rosters.
