Black Horse, representing Newfoundland and Labrador, faces the Saskatoon Buffalo in a cross-over quarter-final game at the Canadian national senior men’s ball hockey championship today in Winnipeg.
The N.L. team had entered its final round-robin game Wednesday without the guarantee of advancing to the playoffs, but a 5-1 win over the Tecumseth, Ont., Extreme improved its record to 2-1-1 and actually put Black Horse in a tie with the Edmonton Savages at the top of their five-team pool, each with seven points.
The Savages, who are the defending champions, enter the playoffs as the higher seed from their pool having downed Black Horse 4-3 in regulation in their opening game. They’ll face the Fort McMurray, Alta. Snafu (1-3) in their quarter-final, while the Newfoundlanders take on Saskatoon (2-2).
In Wednesday’s win, Danick Martel scored twice for Black Horse. Martel is a Drummondville, Que., native who was picked up by the N.L. team for the nationals; Quebec does not have a team in the tournament.
The 23-year-old Martel is an accomplished ball hockey player, having represented Canada internationally, but is best known for having made his National Hockey League debut with the Philadelphia Flyers this past year after appearing in nearly 200 AHL games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers’ top farm team.
Martel leads Black Horse with seven points.
Zach O’Brien, who is signed by the AHL’s Toronto Marlies next season, also scored for Black Horse, giving him a team-leading four goals in the tourney. Thomas Hedges and Kevin Reid had the Newfoundlander’s other markers Defenceman and San Jose Sharks prospect Cody Donaghey added two assists.
N.L. goaltender Evan Mosher made 17 saves.
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Colonial Auto Parts (CAP), representing Newfoundland and Labrador, is taking a 3-0 record in the playoff round of the Canadian masters men’s ball hockey championships, being played in Winnipeg.
That gives CAP, which came away with a silver medal from the 2017 nationals, a bye through the first round of the playoffs and directly into tonight’s semifinals.
The N.L. team’s three wins have all been by shutouts, including 7-0 and 3-0 decisions over the Toronto Capitals and Manitoba True North on Thursday.
Ray Martin has been the goalkeeper throughout for the Newfoundlanders, while CAP’s Jeremy Bishop leads the tourney in goals (5) and points (8). Robbie White has scored three goals for the N.L. entry, with Ryan Delaney contributing four assists.
