LOWER SACKVILLE: The Kings Hockey came out with one goal in mind on Easter Sunday morning — and delivered an Easter present for their team and ownership.
In doing so they showed what a team effort, one with the same goal in mind and what team work and hard work can do as they dominated the Valley Wildcats to earn the 2024 N.S. U-16 AAA Hockey League provincial title.
The win, by a score of 7-1 before a boisterous crowd at the Sackville Arena in Lower Sackville, punched the Kings Hockey team’s ticket to the Atlantics in Moncton, N.B. next weekend.
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While the players celebrated over goalie Nolan McLauchlan of Enfield in the corner of the rink near the zamboni, at least a couple of the Kings players recognized the importance everyone involved with the group meant.
As they celebrated, the team’s two minor hockey player representatives (Cash O’Flaherty and Casey Murphy from the U11B SMH Flyers) skated on the ice with the team flag in hand skating.
Two players, no. 12 Duncan McElmon-Sullivan first and then no. 27 Jack MacMillan secondly, gave hugs to the two minor hockey players as if they were fully part of the team.
A moment that O’Flaherty and Murphy will remember for a long time, and an indication that those two players–McElmon-Sullivan and MacMillan–knew they too were part of the victory and made them feel as if they were exactly that.
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In the game, the Kings led 4-0 after the first and never looked back as they cruised to the win.
Nic MacIntyre scored twice, both with the man advantage, and Josh Hollett also had two, one with the power-play, led the attack.
Elmsdale’s Theo Stapleton, on the man advantage; Chace Munden of East Hants; and Will Elliott had the other goals for the winners.
Jackson Orchard of Lantz; Max Blackwood of Windsor Junction; Dylen Probert all had single helpers.
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Hollett; MacIntyre; Stapleton; and Munden also had one assist apiece.
McLauchlan turned away 39 of 40 pucks fired at him to get the victory and send his team off to Moncton.
At Atlantics, the Basin Armada; N.B. Thunderbirds from Moncton; and Dukes from PEI will join the Kings.
Action starts Friday at the Atlantic championships and runs until April 7. All games are at the Crossman CC / Kay Arena.
