The Collingwood Blues celebrated Friday night with their fans as they hoisted the Buckland Cup at the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena as the Ontario Junior Hockey League champions.
The Blues won Game 5 Friday night on home ice, their fourth victory of the series, with a goal less than three minutes into overtime, finishing their final game against the Trenton Golden Hawks with a 2-1 win.
It was Trenton who led the scoreboard for most of the game and tensions rose on and off the ice with fans on the edge of their seats. Trenton scored with just under four minutes left in the first period.
In the second period, tensions soared ever higher with four penalties for Collingwood and two for Trenton; each team was called for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.
It wasn't until the last eight and a half minutes of the third period that the Blues got on the board with a goal from Mark McIntosh, assisted by Orillia's Ayden Dooley and Bryce Sutherland, on a power play.
Both teams hammered each other as the third period closed, with Collingwood pulling its goalie for a few seconds.
In overtime, it was McIntosh again who got the puck through, assisted by Dylan Hudon and Blues captain Cam Garvey. The extra period lasted just two minutes and 53 seconds, and it took five seconds for the bench to empty and the stands to erupt in celebration of the home team win.
This was the third game of the series that went into overtime. Collingwood won Games 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Team owner Dave Steele said it was a nerve-wracking series and he was glad to win in front of a home crowd and the "best fans in the league."
"It feels so good to do it in front of a home crowd," said Steele. "And it was a huge crowd."
Attendance for the game was almost 1,200 people.
Blues goalie Noah Pak won MVP of the OJHL playoff series.
With the win, the Blues have earned a berth in the 2023 Centennial Cup in Portage la Prarie, Man., from May 11 to 21.
As OJHL champs, they'll be representing Ontario at the Canadian National Hockey League championship tournament.
