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Junior C hockey back with full schedule

October 22, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Small town Junior C hockey has returned this year with a full schedule.

The Provincial Junior Hockey League attempted some play last season, but they only managed to have exhibition games with a lot of restrictions, a short bench, and no contact on the ice.

The result was some lacklustre games and a lot of players who had no idea what to do when the puck went into the corner and they weren’t allowed to take out another player.

The season got underway on October 1, with teams around the province stepping back onto the ice and hoping to win a championship.

Locally, the North Carruthers Division features teams from central Ontario, who have quite the following, even from fans who don’t have a home team but travel to watch the games in nearby towns.

The Alliston Hornets are the defending champions from the 2020 season, although they never completed the final championship series. That series with the Stayner Siskins was cancelled and the teams were notified after the second period of a playoff game.

The championship was awarded to the Hornets based on their first-place finish.

So far this season the early going has a few surprises.

The Orillia Terriers have moved into first place going undefeated after six games. The Terriers had moderate success over the past few years, but have apparently re-grouped and re-built for this season.

In second place, the Stayner Siskins have a 5-1 record, followed by the Schomberg Cougars who have won four and had one tie game.

The Penetang Kings are in the number four spot followed by the Midland Flyers and the Caledon Golden Hawks.

The Alliston Hornets have had a rough start this year losing three games, tying one, and so far, coming out on top in only one game.

In the basement, the Huntsville Otters are still looking for their first win after taking a loss in all six games so far for the season.

The fans have also returned.

Even with current restrictions on the number of people allowed in an arena, there are enough fans turning out to make the games noisy with a lot of enthusiasm in the stands.

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