Host Gryphins Punch Ticket To Finals

With a capacity crowd in attendance, Minto and Wentworth, the tournament hosts, went to battle in the second semifinal of the day, with bragging rights for the province of Ontario and a championship berth on the line. The teams met during the round robin portion of the tournament with the Minto 81’s scoring twice in the third to come from behind to beat the Gryphins 3-2.

Like the afternoon semi, the scoring started early as Matt MacLeod took advantage of a power play in the first minute of play to give Wentworth a 1-0 lead. The 81’s would even the score at one just two and a half minutes later when Mason Kohn hit Garrett Meurs with a stretch pass then buried it past Joseph Murdaca.

From there it was all Gryphins who scored three times in the final 11:30 of the opening period. Remy Giftopoulos gave Wentworth the lead before Mike Lomas tipped in a shot that pinballed in the legs of multiple skaters and MacLeod tipped in Giftopoulos’ shot on the power play for a 4-1 lead through 20 minutes.

The opening period would see eleven penalties called, totaling 30 minutes, with Minto assessed 20 minutes which included a misconduct.

Both teams settled down in the second, which saw the teams have quality chances to score. The 81’s got a couple of breakaway chances by Adam Kawalec, but he could not finish it off. Kawalec would draw a penalty on his second attempt, but Minto could not take advantage. Cory Conacher would get a breakaway for the Gryphins, but his shot sailed over the net.

Alex Hutchings would give Wentworth a commanding 5-1 lead just past the halfway point of the middle frame, completing a tick-tac-toe play, getting Jonathan Reinhart sliding the wrong way. However, the momentum swung the other way as Minto was able to score three times in 74 seconds, collecting goals from Kawalec, Kohn, and Stephen Gibson to make it a one goal game headed to the third.

In the third, the Gryphins made sure there was no Minto comeback as they scored four times in the final stanza to close out the victory. Wentworth would get a pair by Conacher, one from Giftopoulos and Darroll Powe, while Minto got one last goal by Meurs before their season ended.

Joseph Murdaca picked up the victory, tying the tournament lead with AJ Whiffen, stopping 35 of 40 shots on the night. At the other end of the ice, Jonathan Reinhart took the loss, allowing nine goals on 37 shots.

With the 9-5 win, the Wentworth Gryphins will face the Clarenville Ford Caribous in the 2025 Allan Cup Challenge Championship game on Saturday April 26^th which will be broadcast on CHCH TV as well as online on Parrot TV starting at 3:00pm.

Upcoming Games
Saturday April 26 – Championship
Wentworth vs Clarenville – 3:00pm

Fans can purchase tickets through the Eventbrite website (click here) or at the door on game day.

About Allan Cup Hockey (ACH) and the Allan Cup
Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), formerly Major League Hockey until 2011, is the top tier Canadian senior ice hockey league in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1990, as the Southwestern Senior “A” Hockey League, the ACH is a member of the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The ACH’s champion contends for the Allan Cup each year.

The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the Dundas Real McCoys, who captured the 2023 and 2024 Allan Cup in Dundas, Ontario.

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For more information contact Allan Cup Hockey Commissioner Rick Richardson at 905-328-4727 or email: rickystar911@outlook.com