It was the last weekend of hockey in the Don Lough Arena on April 12-14, when many talented teams hit the ice for their final skate of the season.
Garth Thomas was a former legendary Huntsville sports broadcaster who loved hockey. In honour of his dedication to the sport, Huntsville hosts an annual men’s hockey tournament in his name, inviting players from the surrounding areas to participate. This year, the tournament had 13 teams with some local players and others travelling from areas like the Ottawa Valley or Haliburton with approximately 20 former Jr C Otters supporting their team.
There were four divisions competing: Moose Delaney’s (Open age 18+ Group A), Muskoka Lighting (Open age 18+ Group B), MBRP (age 35+), and Canvas Brewing (age 50+). It was a busy weekend for all with back-to-back games, a casual bar where teammates could socialize, and a silent auction. Proceeds from the weekend support the operation of the local junior hockey club.
Overall, the weekend was filled with great sportsmanship and competitive hockey.
In the Moose Delaney’s and Muskoka Lighting Open 18+ division, two powerhouse teams played in the finals—Muskoka Crane Jr led by Dylan Hewitt and Corey Moore, who faced off against the Haliburton Boilers led by former Otters player Tanner Hamilton and Curtis Ballantine. The Boilers were victorious and took the cup for the second year with a final score of 4-3.
In the final game for the Open 18+ division, Muskoka Crane Junior (in orange) met the Boilers. The Boilers took the win 5-3.
The Boilers were victorious in the Open 18+ division at the 2019 Garth Thomas Cup
In the MBRP 35+ division, the final championship game saw the local On the Docks Pub team led by Ken Mercer and Jason Meager beat the highly favoured Goodtimers team for the second time, earning the right to the winning cup with a score of 5-3.
In the MBRP (age 35+) division, it was On The Docks Pub (in green) who would take the cup over the Goodtimers in a 5-3 win.
The Canvas Brewing 50+ division had three teams register, but with one team having to withdraw it was left to the Huntsville Coldwell Banker team, led by Kevin Mattice and goaltender Pete Kingshot, who faced off against the Almonte Oldtimers, led by Brian Graham and goaltender Shawn Clouthier. In a double-overtime game, the Huntsville Coldwell Banker team took the winning cup with a very close score of 3-2.
“The Otters organization thanks all participants and volunteers for helping,” said Otters president Monty Clouthier. “See you next year.”
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