Second Half Starts January 3rd

Puck drops on the second half of the Allan Cup Hockey League’s 2025-26 season this Saturday when the Wentworth Gryphins visit the St. Catharines Saints at the Merritton Centennial Arena starting at 7:30pm. But, before we get back to action, lets look back at the first half of the season and what is ahead.

This year, the Cambridge Hornets and St. Catharines Saints joined the league as new additions. The Hornets won two of their first three games but have recently struggled to find their rhythm. Despite leading the league with 15 games played and currently sitting in last place, they remain within striking distance of turning their season around. Five of their losses have come by just one or two goals, showing how close they are to success. The holiday break may prove beneficial, giving the team time to recover from injuries and recharge mentally. With nine games remaining, the Hornets are far from out of contention.

St. Catharines' first season began with some early struggles, dropping their opening four games before breaking through with a victory against Cambridge on home ice. The Saints built momentum with a huge overtime win over the Stoney Creek Tigers in their next outing, also at home. They continued their surge with consecutive victories against the Dundas Real McCoys, propelling them into fourth place—just one game back of the McCoys for third. The second half of the season will present a significant challenge for St. Catharines, as seven of their remaining 13 games feature matchups against the league's top two teams: the Tigers and Wentworth Gryphins.

The Dundas Real McCoys have experienced an up-and-down season, currently holding third place with a 5-6-0 record. After dropping their first three games, Dundas responded with an impressive four-game winning streak that included taking two games against both the Hornets and Saints in November. Unfortunately, a wave of injuries and illnesses hit the roster in December, resulting in a difficult 1-3 stretch during the month. When at full strength, this team has the talent to contend for the league's top position. To make that happen, the McCoys will need a strong start to 2026, especially as their first five games feature showdowns with the Gryphins and Tigers.

The defending ACHL champion Wentworth Gryphins and their rivals, the Stoney Creek Tigers, continue to demonstrate why they've dominated the league in recent seasons. Throughout December, the two teams exchanged first and second place in the standings, with the Tigers claiming the top spot heading into the break at 9-1-0-1. The Gryphins (9-3-0-0, with one overtime victory) trail by just two points, ensuring this back-and-forth battle will carry into the new year. The teams will meet three times in the second half of the season, with their rivalry likely coming to a head on the final night when they face off at Stoney Creek Arena on February 28th.

With 30 games left to play over the next nine weeks, the intensity will ramp up as teams battle for position in the J. Robertson Cup playoffs. The stakes are high—the winner will join the Gryphins in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2026 Allan Cup Tournament.

First Half Notes
Cam Watson of the Cambridge Hornets has eight points which moves him into a tie for second place in ACHL All-Time Points with Darren Doherty at 291 points. Watson’s next point will secure second place for himself.

Alex Hutchings’ overtime goal for the Wentworth Gryphins on Thursday December 18^th was his third of his ACHL career, which is a new record, breaking a five-way tie that included the Tigers’ Mike Ruberto.

Simon Mangos of the Real McCoys became the ACHL All-Time Defensemen Points leader and now sits at 130 points.

Stoney Creek’s Nik Bibic as moved into the top ten for All-Time Defensemen Points with 73, just one back of Will Jones for ninth place.

Mike Mole has backstopped the Dundas Real McCoys to three wins this year, moving him into the league lead with 70 wins, breaking the tie with Brett Leggat.

The Tigers’ Matthew Sagrott joined an elite group, becoming just the 12^th netminder in ACHL history to record a shutout.

What To Watch For In 2026
The Hornets’ Cam Watson is nine points away from becoming the second player in ACHL history to collect 300 career points.

Watson is three games away from playing in his 200^th career ACHL game.

Mike Ruberto of the Stoney Creek Tigers is five assists away from being the first player to collect 200 career ACHL assists.

A trio of Tigers are climbing up the penalty minutes ladder as Matt Ruberto (239), Nik Babic (231) and Dominic Crnogorac (219) sit second, third and fourth respectively behind Shayne Salmon who had 254 penalty minutes.

Simon Mangos, of the Dundas Real McCoys, sits on top of the All-Time Defensemen Points list but sits seconds in goals and assists for defensemen. He needs two goals to tie Jamie Williams for the goals lead and one assist to tie Sean Blanchard for assists. Mangos is also two assists away from becoming the first ACHL defenseman to hit the 100-assist mark.

Dundas’ Mike Mole is 375 minutes away from 10000 minutes played in an ACHL goal crease.

Stoney Creek’s Daniel Svedin sits in third place for goaltender wins with 64. That places him three back of Brett Leggat and six behind Mole.

Upcoming Games
Saturday January 3
Wentworth at St. Catharines – 7:30pm

Friday January 9
Stoney Creek at Dundas – 7:30pm

Saturday January 10
St. Catharines at Stoney Creek – 6:30pm

Thursday January 15
Stoney Creek at Wentworth – 7:30pm

Friday January 16
Wentworth at Dundas – 7:30pm
St. Catharines at Cambridge – 8:00pm

Saturday January 17
Dundas at Stoney Creek – 6:30pm
Cambridge at St. Catharines – 7:30pm

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