Sugar Kings claim Sutherland Cup opener
LONDON, ONT. — This might take some getting used to — the Olympicsized ice, the speedy, unknown opponent. Or maybe not. The Elmira Sugar Kings have done their level best to stay with the tour, despite the potholes and roadblocks on their quest to become the first wild-card team to win the Sutherland Cup.
In Wednesday’s all-Ontario Jr. B hockey championship series opener on the Western Fair Sports Centre’s big ice, the Kings took about 16 minutes to find the London Nationals’ net en route to a 3-2 Elmira victory.
Then the Kings exploded for two more goals, 29 seconds apart in the second to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
The best-of-seven affair returns to London for Game 2 on Saturday night.
Action shifts to Elmira’s Dan Snyder Arena on Sunday at 7 p.m. for Game 3.
On Wednesday, London’s Quinn Lenihan scored on the hosts’ third straight power-play opportunity in the first to bust a scoreless tie before 823 fans.
Kings forward Ethan Skinner replied 53 second later, also with the man advantage, as the teams went to their dressing rooms for the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1.
Jeff Jordan and Ty Biles scored back-to-back goals, in the second for the visitors.
London’s Austin Kemp drew the hosts within one with a one-timer midway through the third.
How long would it take the Kings to adjust to their new surroundings?
“Let’s hope the guys settle in early,” Kings coach Tyler Canal said before Wednesday’s contest. “(London) is a different team but if the playoffs taught us anything, it’s that you have to take each game, each period like a new opportunity.”
The Kings have embraced every new opportunity in these playoffs.
Elmira went 1-for-5 with the man advantage Wednesday. London also went 1-for-5.
The Sugar Kings took a circuitous route to the Sutherland Cup final. Yet here they are.
Elmira defeated conference rivals Guelph and Kitchener before succumbing to the eventual Cherrey Cup champs, the Listowel Cyclones.
Not quite dead yet, the Kings then advanced to the Suthie’s semifinal round as the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s wild-card team.
And so, on they went into a series against the three-time defending all-Ontario champs the Caledonia Corvairs, whom they ousted in six games.
“It’s not the way we wanted to be here,” said Elmira captain Jeff Jordon before his two-point performance in Wednesday’s series opener. “But we geared up that week (after losing the Cherrey Cup). We practised hard. We knew we still had something to fight for (against Caledonia).
Jordan, 19, of North Bay, who just wrapped up first-year economics studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, intends to be all business on the ice, too.
“It’s a quick turnaround. We have to be ready.”
The Nationals, who make a return trip to the Sutherland Cup final after being swept from the proceedings by Caledonia last season, took a more direct route to the final.
The Nationals outshot Elmira 40-24 on Wednesday.
Pat Powers, head coach and general manager of the Nationals, said he’s not surprised that Elmira advanced.
“Elmira is very offensive, have good goaltending and big defencemen. We know Elmira is definitely capable.”