Close to home connections
Truro area and East Hants are producing hockey talent
To play in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League, players have to be fast and focused.
Last Friday night at the Wellness Centre in New Glasgow, Cole Harbour edged Pictou County Weeks Major Midgets 2-1 to sweep the best of five playoff series.
In goal for Pictou County, Truro’s Ben Gibbon was spectacular – stopping 39 of 41 shots. An outstanding young prospect, Gibbon faced more than 140 shots over three games. Debert’s Sam Archibald banged home a beauty for Weeks’ only goal, and another West Colchester product, Merle Putnam, was one of the best players on the ice.
Tireless forward Ben Fraser, of Pleasant Valley, is Weeks’ captain, while other locals include Tanner Greatorex, rookie goaltender Oliver Arnfest and affiliate player Caleb Mcandrew.
Dangerous scoring Jacob Melanson is from Amherst. He played major bantam hockey with Truro Bearcats. East Hants prospects Evan Tilly and Riley Mackinnon also play for Weeks.
Between periods during the game, former Brookfield Elks star Jeff Fraser gave me the heads up on the Cole Harbour roster. Several players from East Hants, or close by, play with Cole Harbour. They include Jeff’s son Brodie Fraser, Riley Kidney, Joey Merriam, Ben Williams, Mike Sack and Brady Hunter. Also from East Hants, Zachery Byard plays for Halifax Mcdonalds.
The next step for many of these players will be junior A and the Maritime Hockey League. Again this year, the Truro Bearcats have anice contingent of local players. From this area are goaltender Alec Macdonald, forwards G Blackmore, Gavin Hart, Luke Macmillan and Carson Lanceleve, as well as defenceman Marc Aucoin.
Add Onslow’s Ryan Porter to the list. The 20-year-old assistant captain is an effective, hard-checking forward who is in his third and final season with Truro.
“I couldn’t be blessed with a greater opportunity, these three years playing with the Bearcats have been the three greatest years of my life. This is a great organization, playing for Shawn (Evans) and getting to know Stu (Rath), I’ll have a lot of memories to take with me.”
In the first round of the playoffs, the fourth-place Bearcats meet first-place Yarmouth Mariners with the best-of-seven series to open Thursday night in Yarmouth. Game 2 will be Saturday night at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
“For our team, it was like playoffs the last week or so of the season,” Porter told me. “We really wanted in the playoffs badly, so already we have that playoff mentality. We bond together well as a team, from here on we’ll be trying to play our best game.”
Besides his hockey commitment to the Bearcats – Porter has been involved for three seasons with Wilsons Home Heating Cyclones female hockey.
“It’s been a real good experience getting to help these young girls. This year is special as my sister Jessica is playing for the atom C team.”
The MHL Valley Wildcats finished the season with four Colchester County players – defenceman Cameron Allaby, forwards Riley Macinnis and Gavynn Carter and goaltender
Brent Walters. For Carter, traded to the Wildcats halfway through the season, he left the playoff contending Edmundston Blizzard to join a team destined to miss the playoffs.
“I had mixed emotions getting traded from Edmundston,” Carter, of Camden, said. “Missing the playoffs is tough but I’ll push harder next season. I’ll definitely have a good attitude and I’ll try to be a leader as a 20-year-old.”
The trade also broke up ‘a brother act.’ Gavynn’s young brother, Chase Carter, is a defenceman with the Blizzard. With his team often playing home games before more than 2,500 fans, Chase described playing for Edmundston as very exciting and a great experience.
“We get tremendous support from all around,” Chase, 18, said. “Playing before these big crowds is something. Going against Campbellton in the first playoff series, our team is excited. To get by the first round we’ll have to win in their rink.”
Hunter Martin, of Millbrook, plays for Campbellton Tigers. A six-foot-two, 190-pound defenceman, Martin is a fine 18-year-old prospect. Truro has Jared Mcisaac and Ben Higgins playing with Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. From East Hants, Liam Kidney and Shaun Miller are members of Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.