Ho-hum, another opening round yawnfest looms

Forgive the Aurora Tigers and Newmarket Hurricanes if they should come out of the gates a little less than stoked about the opening round of the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League playoffs.
And while we’re at it, if someone could again jog our memories as to why 32 of 36 teams get to participate in the playoffs, please do.
Qualify might be a word some observers would deem too strong for how the Bancroft Hawks made it to the playoff party, which starts tonight at various outposts.
Ninth in the East Conference with 11 wins and 25 points in 49 games, Bancroft somehow gets to play in the North Conference after winning the annual crawl to the playoffs. Their reward is a date with the Aurora Tigers, winners of a fourth straight regular season division title and presently sharpening their claws for a quick maul.
The best-of-seven series begins with games in Aurora Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m.)
The Hawks were officially granted acceptance as the second wild card to join the North Conference bash because the sector has only seven teams — six qualifiers, plus two wild cards. Despite good standing in the north, the Huntsville Otters officially occupy the No. 7 hole as a wild card and gained a date with the second-place Hurricanes.
The Blues-Hawks non-race for post-season inclusion was particularly turtle-esque.
As of the Dec. 12 league standings, Bramalea and Bancroft were neck-and-neck at 20 points. The Hawks grabbed the upper hand that week and have held firm in the month since, matching the Blues point-for-point in the interim for a 25-23 victory. That total is 51 points behind the Tigers.
The Blues, in fact, had a chance to force a single-game playoff between the teams with a win Tuesday against the Burlington Cougars. Not surprisingly, they lost.
“No matter what, you have to play to your strengths,” said Tigers head coach Jerome Dupont, when asked about preparing for the Hawks. Let’s assume he said it with a straight face.
The Hurricanes, for their opening series, will tackle the Huntsville Otters, a team whose number they held all season with a sweep of the five-game series and 39-12 edge in scoring.
With a dozen wins, the Otters finished merely 36 points in arrears of the Hurricanes. The Otters did, however, accumulate the most penalty minutes league-wide by far this season, so there’s a chance the series will produce fireworks or at least a tutorial in power play activity.
For the Hurricanes, stamina gets a test right off the bat. The club dives right into the playoffs tonight (7:35 p.m.) and again tomorrow at Huntsville after playing their 49th regular season game last night at Couchiching.
Sure, the series start off tied at zero, but don’t expect any upsets.
Leaky’s Fund
Talk about a rousing start.
The Sylvia Claydon Memorial Fund is off and running thanks to a night dedicated to the cause by the Newmarket Hurricanes in their regular season home finale last Thursday night.
In all, the evening in memory of the Newmarket resident and Central York Girls Hockey Association peewee coach, who passed away in December, generated $21,250. Included in that sum were contributions from all Hurricanes income for the night, minus game costs, a $5,000 donation from Mayor Tom Taylor via his golf fund and several income sources including sales of wrist bands and roses, a silent auction and funds raised by a Grade 6 class at Pickering College.
“This was the Newmarket Hurricanes saying we wanted to do something for the community and give the community an opportunity to get involved,” said Hurricanes co-owner Anthony Pietramala.
Nicely done.
Fleeting success
Merely one full season removed from being the first Newmarket Baseball Association team to win the prestigious CNE peewee tournament title in 49 years of trying, the same Newmarket Hawks team is scrambling to find players at the bantam level for the 2006 season.
That’s how quickly things can turn upside down in the world of children’s sports.
The team lost its coach over an internal dispute with the association and then several players departed to try their hand with a variety of alternate and club programs.
Mark Cotgrave is attempting to keep the team alive. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at 905-895-6881.