Kilty Bees go for 1994 Junior A title

Ontario Provincial Junior A Playoffs of 1994, Round Two –
Kiltys face a long series with Oakville Blades

Although the Hamilton Kilty Bees lost the opening round, the team bounced back with a 6-3 decision in game two to tie the Provincial Junior A hockey League West Division final series 1-1 in the middle of March 1994.

“Hamilton was ready to play and we weren’t,” said Oakville coach Greg Ireland, who had enjoyed a string of six successive wins until this game. “We were lethargic and got beat to the puck. We can skate. We just weren’t doing it.”

The Kiltys had a 5-1 lead going into the third, with three markers on powerplays. When the Blades goalie was pulled in the period, Chris Stevenson scored the empty-netter for the Kiltys at the 19:26 mark of the final period. Defenseman Eddie Ward led the team with two goals in the game.

The third game in the series was a long one, but Hamilton pulled a 3-2 victory in overtime, courtesy of rookie Kilty Brent Aitchison.

None of the 1400 in attendance at the Mountain Arena left before the 1:50 mark of overtime as Aitchison took advantage of a terrific rush by teammate Rich Vrataric who stickhandled and rushed towards the Oakville net. Although Vrataric missed, Aitchison was right there to get the rebound and stuff it past Frank Ivankovic.

“That’s the biggest goal I guess I’ve ever scored,” said Aitchison after the game, which gave the Kiltys a 2-1 series lead. “Rich took the goalie one way and shot it back the other. I threw it into the empty net.”

Oakville’s Conrad Praamsma was not pleased with his team’s efforts, and then offered a glimpse of the future:

“Our heads weren’t screwed on properly,” he said, “so we lost. We’ll get them Friday, though.”

And at the Oakville Arena, the Blades took a 6-4 decision to tie the series at two game each.

The game could have been either team’s going into the third period with a 2-2 tie, but Matt Interbartolo scored for Oakville. Then Cheyne Lazar and Eddie Ward scored for Hamilton to take the lead, but Mike Roberts scored in the period to tie up the game, and then Jason Slaney scored the winning goal late in the period, and then Kent Williams sealed the game for Oakville with an empty-netter with less than a minute remaining.
Back at Hamilton’s Mountain Arena, the Kiltys took a 6-4 win and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series as Steve Rebelo scored the winning goal and Lazar picked up another won while the team was short two men.

The next night back in Oakville was a tumultuous one for the teams, both of whom were having issues with officiating. Hamilton Coach Glenn Walsh was ejected from the game after the second period for verbal abuse, and watched his team lose 5-4 to Oakville, which forced the seventh and deciding game in the series.

“I wasn’t happy about the referring,” said Walsh after the game. “All you ask from a referee is to be consistent. This guy was the most inconsistent I’ve seen yet in the playoffs.”

Oakville Coach Ireland agreed with his rival bench boss:

“They’ve taken away from the fact that there are two talent-laden teams our there.”

So on March 22, 1994, in front of an overflow crown of 2,100 at the Mountain Arena, Hamilton, bruised and battered, played an all-out effort to beat the Blades 6-5 and advance to the next round.

“The team played with a lot of heart and hustle,” said center Brian Ramm, who was a doubtful starter with a sore knee.

“We really wanted it.”

Ramm was also one of the Hamilton scorers in the game, along with West Division MVP Matt Turek, John Mayich, Mike Massis, and Jason Johnny. Turek, Ramm, and Mayich were questionable for this game, and none had played in game six of the series.

And then regular Kilty goalie Aaron MacCormack left the game with over 13 minutes left in the second period with a sore knee.

Coach Walsh brought it Dave Langford, who did an admirable job for the team.

“I saw the fire in David’s eyes and I knew he wanted to play,” said Walsh. “David made a lot of big saves and he deserves the accolades.”

Walsh went to say he was pleased with the entire team.

“With all the injuries we have, I’m very proud of the way we played.”

There was little respite for the winners of the East Division, as they had to get packed to start their best-of-seven series with the Orillia Terriers, the West Division, in the next round of the Provincial Junior A Championship only a few days after their win over Oakville.

NEXT: The Terriers bite Hamilton hard in the opener, but the Bees sting back.

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