2010 League Championships

2009 League Championships

2006 League Championships - Having been bumped up a division locally in our regular season and knowing that we were guaranteed a return trip to the 2006 Finals, we used the regular season and local playoffs as a valuable learning experience, especially if we were to repeat.  Having held our own in Cleveland, we were prepared for the challenges that Toronto held, especially since we were bumped up two tiers there.  Our division featured a team from NJ and one from DC.  Our tier also featured the St Louis Longnecks, the team that we beat in the 2005 championship and the Cleveland Stampede.  We opened the weekend against the NJ Force and found ourselves down 3-0 halfway through the game.  We did not come to Toronto to lose and we had every intention of playing on Sunday in some capacity, so the Canes battled back and prevailed 4-3, scoring the game winner halfway through the 3rd period.  Our next game featured the Chicago Tigers.  Mix a little late night action on Friday and no George, the result was a 9-3 beating administered by the Tigers.  The afternoon game brought the DC Invaders.  The winner of the game would play on Sunday.  The Canes left little question who would be playing Sunday as they easily won 7-3.  We learned that our Sunday morning semi-final playoff game would be a rematch of the 2005 championship game as we were to take on the St Louis Longnecks.  In 2005, the Longnecks came to Toronto with a short bench and most of their offense in St Louis still.  We won a close game, 2-0 that year, but it was a challenge throughout the game.  For the 2006 championships, the Longnecks looked to have brought a bigger team and some scoring.  The first two periods ended with the score tied 1-1.  We wanted to advance to the championship especially since we knew that the Stampede had won their game easily earlier and were set to play for the championship.  The floodgates opened and the Canes were able to win 6-2 going away over the Longnecks.  With just about an hour to rest, the Canes and the Stampede would have traveled 250 miles and played 4 games each just so they could play each other for tier three championship.  There had been one repeat champion in the history of the HNA championships and whoever won our game would be number two.  The Stampede did not bring their regular season goalie with them and ended up using the goalie we just beat from the Longnecks.  It was a game that each team wanted desperately to win, especially since we respectively hated one another.  It would be the Stampede getting up early, just 18 seconds into the game.  The Canes, undaunted, went onto to score the next three goals only to have the Stampede finish the first period with another goal.  The period finished with the Canes up 3-2.  The second period belonged to the Stampede as the netted two more goals and finished it with a 4-3 lead.  The Canes struck back early in the third to tie it and then with ten minutes to go, took the lead.  The lead would be short lived as the Stampede tied it with over seven minutes to go.  Each team took turns as the remaining minutes ticked away trying to win their second straight title, but it would be the Stamped taking the honors as they stuck a dagger in the hearts of the Canes with just over a minute to go and won the game 6-5.  It was little consolation to the Canes having come so close to a second championship, that we played up all year and met each challenge posed to us.  I am writing this in late July, almost two months since we lost to the Stampede and that bitterness is still fresh.  Hopefully that will carry over and we will use it as motivation in our quest to return to Toronto in June of 2007!

2005 League Championships - It was early March and our record stood at 7-6 after back to back losses to the Blast and the Buccaneers and there were questions whether or not the 2005 Hurricanes would make the local playoffs.  Knowing that we could afford to probably lose a game or two at most or face sitting at home in April, the Hurricanes began a trek that took them to Toronto.  We finished the regular season 6-1 to finish with a 13-7 regular season record, our best to date, but they don't give trophies for the regular season.  We were seeded #2 in the local playoffs, facing the Buccaneers in our opener.  We managed to get up early and despite some sloppy defense at the end of the game, prevailed 8-6.  Our next game would see us face off against the #1 seeded Blast.  The Blast had been tough all season as we split the season series with them 2-2, with them having won 2-1 and 2-0 in our last two meetings.  The playoff game would be tight as they scored early and were up 1-0 after the first frame.  We managed two goals in the second to go up 2-1, but the Blast, in typical Blast fashion pounced on a Hurricane mistake and tied it up and then took the lead with just minutes to go in the third.  Not to be denied, we sent the game into OT with around 90 seconds to spare.  Overtime came and the ref's indicated that they would let us play till we had a winner as opposed to going to a shootout after five minutes.  The first OT came and went with each taking some shots, but nothing too dramatic.  It was early in the second OT that we netted the game winner and earned the luxury of waiting for the Blast to square off versus the Fire Ants.  We took the ice versus the Ants, in a season that saw them become bitter rivals.  Though it was a double elimination tournament, no one wanted to see the Ants gain momentum and force a winner take all game.  The game was tied after one period 1-1 and the Canes took a 2-1 lead going into the third.  Destiny was on our side and we prevailed 4-2 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.  WE QUALIFIED FOR TORONTO AND THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!

Our invitation was bitter sweet as we learned the Ants also were invited, but we were going up there as division champs and had the oversized belt buckles, err, trophies to prove it.  Somewhere in the six weeks leading up to the trip to Toronto in June, the team shifted its focus from just feeling lucky to be going to maybe we could win the whole thing.  The week before the tournament, we learned the tier we would compete in and the teams that made it up.  There were plenty of 18-1-1 and 18-2 teams competing against us.  For the most part, our record of 13-7 was not even middle of the road.  The great mystery is trying to evaluate what an 18-2 record would translate into our league.  We lost seven games by nine goals.  All teams just be virtue of the fact that they made it had successful seasons, but how would we stack up?  We would soon find out as our initial three games consisted of a team that was 18-1-1, one that was 12-4-2-2 and one that was 18-2. 

Game one was against the NY Stars, who came into the game with an 18-1-1 record.  In looking over the Stars regular season record, they dominated their opponents having never given up more than 4 goals in a game during their regular season.  Though the game started slow as we familiarized ourselves with the new surroundings, we got up and stayed up on the Stars to win the game 8-2.  We were challenged to a softball game by them after the game, but this weekend, hockey would be our focus, well, at least our athletic focus.

Game two was against the DC Stingrays who would probably be our easiest opponent, at least on paper.  Their regular goalie was not able to attend and whoever they received as a netminder was damn good.  We peppered him with shots, but were only able to get three by him.  We won 3-1 with the Stingrays only goal coming on a slow motion penalty shot where Rob was lulled to sleep as the Stingray player came in.

Game three looked to be our biggest challenge.  We would take on the NJ Shock who entered the game with an 18-2 regular season record.  To add to their impressive record, their goalie had a 1.30 GAA for the regular season and only had given up 3 goals twice all year.  Since both teams knew they would play Sunday, there was nothing to play for, other than a little thing called pride.  Before the game, everyone was very cordial to one another, after the puck dropped, cordial went out the window.  We ended up winning the game 7-4 and went into the semi-finals undefeated. 

The semi-finals had the Hurricanes facing off versus the Detroit Stingers.  League sources advised us that this would be a game we should have a pretty easy time winning.  Talk about getting lulled into a false sense of security.  The Stingers went up 1-0 in the first and were up to the task of shutting our offense down.  The second period came and went with neither team scoring.  The third period saw a battle and a test of both team's wills as we each wanted to make it to the championship.  We tied the score 1-1, but the Stingers quickly took the lead back.  Applying as much offense as we could muster, we thought we tied it up again, but the referees had other thoughts and claimed the play was dead before the puck made it into the net.  Well, this just pissed us off and it was time to tie it for real, very late in the third, but it got us to OT.  With the momentum definitely on our side, we scored early in OT and won over a tough Stinger team.

The finals came quick after our semi-final victory.  There was enough time to grab our bags and head to a new locker room, grab something to drink and take in the end of the Barons winning Cleveland's first championship of the day over the NJ Bombers with former NHL'er, Bruce Driver in the net.  After their victory, it was our time.  We were set to play the St Louis Phantoms, though they call themselves the Longnecks.  They managed to get to the championship game undefeated as well.  Though they left some of their scoring punch at home, the Longnecks were definitely qualified to be there.  We went up 1-0 in the first, but each team played solid defense and there would be no more scoring till the third.  Each team controlled their end and scoring chances were few and far between.  What would a championship game be without some drama.  We made things interesting by going down on a 5-3 penalty kill, pretty much for two solid minutes.  The penalty kill of the season was put on by Nick as he took the puck and kept it in the Longnecks zone for almost the entire two minutes.  Having weathered the penalty kill, we would net one more goal and win the game 2-0 to secure the third championship that Cleveland took home with them that day as the Stampede won in OT earlier. 

It was a great weekend of hockey as we played five great games in less than 48 hours, managed to take in a little of the nightlife and came home champions.  Having won has done little to quench our desire to return and defend our title as we embark on the 2005-6 regular season.