When the puck drops on the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) playoffs Friday night, three Niagara based clubs will begin their quest for the Sutherland Cup.
The St. Catharines Falcons finished first overall in the Eastern Conference standings by virtue of a tiebreaker over the Ayr Centennials and the defending Golden Horseshoe Champion Fort Erie Meteors. All three teams had 72 points on the campaign.
The Port Colborne Sailors were fourth, while the Pelham Panthers and Welland Jr. Canadians failed to qualify for the postseason.
So No. 1 St. Catharines will take on the eighth ranked Hamilton Kilty B’s, third place Fort Erie meets the sixth seeded Cambridge RedHawks and Port Colborne faces the fifth ranked Caledonia Corvairs.
We’ll start in the Garden City as the Falcons were (5-0) against Hamilton during the regular season.
Don’t expect much different in the playoffs as the Falcons should advance to the GOJHL Eastern Conference semifinals.
Here’s a look at the St. Catharines – Hamilton best of seven series:
Game 1
Friday March 14 at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
Game 2
Saturday March 15 at Hamilton, 7:07 p.m.
Game 3
Tuesday March 18 at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
Game 4
Thursday March 20 at Hamilton, 7:07 p.m.
*Game 5
Friday March 21 at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
*Game 6
Monday March 24 at Hamilton, 7:07 p.m.
*Game 7
Tuesday March 25 at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
*if necessary
Despite finishing 13 points ahead of Cambridge, and sporting the best goal differential in the east (+75) Fort Erie was just (1-3) against the RedHawks during the regular season.
This series will be an interesting one and could go six or seven games.
The Fort Erie – Cambridge schedule looks like this:
Game 1
Saturday March 15 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Game 2
Tuesday March 18 at Cambridge, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3
Saturday March 22 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Game 4
Tuesday March 25 at Cambridge, 7 p.m.
*Game 5
Thursday March 27 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
*Game 6
Saturday March 29 at Cambridge, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 7
Tuesday April 1 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
*if necessary
Port Colborne Sailor team owner Scott Barnes told this reporter before the season started that he felt the 2024-25 edition of his team was the best he had ever been a part of.
Barnes was right.
Port finished with 65 points and was (7-3) over its final 10 games.
The problem, Caledonia has won nine in a row entering the postseason.
These two teams both picked up five points against each other in the regular season and we can expect more in the playoffs.
Don’t be surprised this best of seven series goes the distance.
It all starts Friday in Port Colborne.
Game 1
Friday, March 14 at Port Colborne, 7 p.m.
Game 2
Saturday March 15 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3
Friday March 21 at Port Colborne, 7 p.m.
Game 4
Saturday March 22 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m
*Game 5
Friday March 28 at Port Colborne, 7 p.m
*Game 6
Saturday March 29 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 7
Monday March 31 at Port Colborne, 7:30 p.m.
*if necessary
The other series in the East sees the second seeded Ayr Centennials meeting the seventh seeded Brantford Titans.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
