Kilty Bees go for 1994 Junior A title

Caistor Center resident Matt Turek was voted the league’s MVP for 1994, and the Kilty winger played on several Southern US and European teams before retiring in 2007. Photo courtesy of the Spectator.

Ontario Provincial Junior A Playoffs of 1994, Round Three–
The Kiltys get bit by the Terriers, lose series in six games

The Hamilton Kilty Bs were to meet the powerhouse Orillia Terriers in the final series of games for the Ontario Provincial Junior A League championship. As winners of the East Division, Hamilton was to meet with Orillia, winners of the West Division, in another best-of-seven series.

Although Orillia has a 35-2-3 record for the 1993-94 season, with 252 goals, Hamilton was right there with a 32-8-2 regular season and 265 goals.

But the Terriers had breezed through their three rounds of playoffs, ousting the Collingwood Blues and Cobourg Cougars in four straight, and loosing only one game to the Newmarket 87’s. But Hamilton, although they disposed of the Streetsville Derbys and Oakville Blades, took a full seven games in both playoff sessions to do so. In the first round, Hamilton eliminated the Royal York Rangers in a sweep.

Things did not start well for the Kiltys. At the Community Center in Orillia, the Terriers opened up their attack with a 14-1 victory in game one.

While Steve Rebelo got the lone Hamilton goal, a lot of his teammates were sitting out the opener due to fighting and subsequent game ejections, or were on the disabled list.

Kilty right-winger Rich Vrataric, shown here trying to score against Burlington Cougar goalie Steve Valiquette early in the season, went on to become a local hockey instructor and power skating coach as well as a high school physical education teacher. Photo courtesy of the Spectator.

”We went in with a short lineup and then seven of our players were ejected in the first period for fighting,” said Kilty General Manager Blair Wray after the May 24, 1994 contest.

“I think we can bounce back,” he continued in a newspaper report. “We better.”

In the next game, held at Hamilton’s Mountain Arena, the Kiltys stung back with a 4-1 victory over the Terriers to tie the series at one game apiece.

Kilty goalie Aaron MacCormack, who suffered some unnecessary physical abuse from Terrier Jason Fisher late in the game, played well and stopped 33 shots.

“We played an exceptional game,” noted Hamilton Coach Glenn Walsh. “I knew we would come back and play well. I thought our defense was exceptional and Aaron made all the saves.”

The third game went to Orillia, who took a 5-2 win in its hometown to take a 2-1 series lead. Cheyne Lazar and Matt Turek scored for Hamilton. In this third game, players on both sides played more hockey and kept the fighting to a minimum.
“Out guys didn’t play as well as we did in Hamilton the other night,” said Coach Walsh after the loss. “If we can play with the same intensity and aggressiveness we did in that game we certainly have a chance to win. If we don’t, it’s going to be tough. Orillia is a talented team.”

Well, the Kilty players listened to their coach, as they tied the series with a 4-2 win in Hamilton, playing solid hockey. Scoring for Hamilton were Jason Johnny, Cheyne Lazar, Matt Turek, and Mike Massis.

“We played with intensity and commitment,” Walsh said after the win. “We had three lines working hard. I can’t pinpoint any players having exceptional games. Everybody, collectively, played solid hockey for us.”

Orillia goaltender Dave Dorosh was the star of the fifth game, giving his team a 5-4 win in Orillia to go ahead in the series 3-2. The Kiltys outplayed the Terriers, but Dorosh was a standout in net for the victors.

“This was one of those games you lose but don’t feel bad,” mentioned assistant coach Bob Zawislak after the game. “It was a good effort. We didn’t get any breaks around the net and that kid (Dorosh) stood on his head.”

Terrier coach Scott Jackson was not impressed with his team’s efforts, save Dorosh.

“I don’t think we played well at all in this game,” he said. “It was a lack-luster effort from our team in the first and second periods. Thank God for our goalie.”

In the sixth game of the series, the teams returned to Hamilton. And for the first time in the series, Orillia won in the Mountain Arena.

The win also gave the Terriers the series after a 6-3 win to give the team a 4-2 winning advantage in the series.

Hamilton just did not seem in the same game as the victors.

“I guess you have to give the other team credit,” said Walsh after. “They certainly put a lot of pressure on our defense when we had the puck.”

While Lazar, Johnny, and Jason Coles scored for Hamilton, the team’s defense could not stop the onslaught from the Terriers.

“We certainly came up with a poor effort for a game that was so important to us,” said Coach Walsh after the final game. “We didn’t have our big guns playing the way we wanted them to play.”

While Orillia advanced to the next round of the league playoffs in North York in their quest for the Centennial Cup, the Kiltys cleaned out their lockers for the season.
But Kilty management was pleased with the season.

“It was more than we expected,” mentioned team manager Blair Wray a few days after the final game. “We knew we would have a good hockey team, but it was a new league. We thought we’d probably finish third or fourth and maybe win a couple of playoff rounds.”

The 1993-94 season was the best for the Kiltys. In the next season, 1994-94, the team had a 28-15-5 record to finish third in its division. By the 2001-02 season the team placed third in the West Division of the OPJML, and for the 2002-03 season, the team representing Hamilton was now the Hamilton Red Wings.

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