Players, coaches, scouts, family, friends and hockey fans poured into Rink 1 at Scotiabank Pond on Tuesday to watch top Minor Midget AAA players compete at the 2015 OHL Cup. The six-day showcase event began with three Wild Card play-in games, with winners advancing to the round-robin.
Ryan Wells broke a scoreless deadlock late in the second period with goals 2:06 apart – the second an eventual game-winner via the power-play – to lift the Mississauga Reps over the Whitby Wildcats.
The OHL Cup Selection Committee invited both the Reps and Wildcats as wild card teams after the clubs finished 13-13-7 and 19-10-7, respectively, in GTHL and OMHA regular-season play.
Following in the footsteps of his Reps counterpart, Wildcats blueliner Joseph Franzin beat goaltender Mario Peccia just 38 seconds into the third period to get his team on the board. The goal gave the Wildcats life, as they pressed throughout the final frame, highlighted by a slew of scoring chances with less than five minutes remaining.
Peccia was perfect the rest of the way, though, and Mathew Ceolin hit the empty net with 32 left in regulation to seal the victory and a berth in the OHL Cup round robin.
The Reps join the Toronto Marlboros, Halton Hurricanes, Team NOHA and Ottawa Jr. 67’s in the Nash Division.
In the second Wild Card contest, the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs pulled ahead with two goals in the opening frame before Zach Gallant and Cole Purboo scored for the Mississauga Rebels to tie the game.
However, Max Racicot restored the Chiefs’ lead before the end of the frame and the club never looked back en route to the victory and a berth in the tournament.
The Chiefs join the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, York-Simcoe Express, Kitchener Jr. Rangers and Ottawa Valley Titans in the Subban Division.
The North Central Predators rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Toronto Red Wings to clinch their spot in the showcase.
The Predators join the Don Mills Flyers, Oakville Rangers, TPH Thunder and Waterloo Wolves in the Shanahan Division.
The Lindros Division features the Toronto Titans, Quinte Red Devils, London Jr. Knights, Thunder Bay Kings and Elite Hockey Group.
Round-robin play begins tonight at 7:00 p.m. when the GTHL Playoff champion Toronto Marlboros play host to the Halton Hurricanes. Click here to view the full tournament schedule.
