THUNDER BAY – Signing Ted Davis might have been the smartest thing coach Kurt Walsten’s ever done.
Davis was out of hockey this season, but decided to lace up his skates one last time and join the Dryden Ice Dogs for the stretch run.
It’s a good thing he did.
Davis, a native of Cobden, Ont., on Saturday night capped an amazing post-season run, scoring his third game-winner of the Bill Salonen Cup final as Dryden edged the Thunder Bay North Stars 3-2 at Fort William Gardens to secure a second straight Superior International Junior Hockey League championship, the fourth in franchise history.
“This is a lot of fun. This is what you play for. This is it,” said Davis, who scored eight times in 10 playoff appearances.
“I’m so happy right now. This is awesome.”
The goal came on the power play, 49 seconds into the third, moments after North Stars goaltender Brandon Bodnar had stoned Davis from point-blank range.
“Bodnar absolutely robbed me a second before, so I knew I had to get that back. I just saw it collapsing down low. I just thought I could take a shot through the screen there and he totally didn’t see it,” said Davis, whose team spotted Thunder Bay a 2-0 lead early in the second, but rallied to tie the game with goals 1:25 apart later in the period to even things up after 40 minutes.
It was former North Stars forward Kris Hamlin who started the comeback.
He rifled a shot that caught the underside of the crossbar and dropped behind Bodnar, the puck crossing the goal line on Hamlin's second effort.
Matthew Pitchenese evened things up 85 seconds later, at 11:22 of the second, ripping a wrist shot from the slot that Bodnar couldn’t catch up with.
For the Thunder Bay-born Hamlin, winning a second SIJHL title at the Gardens, where he spent parts of three seasons with the Stars, was especially sweet.
“It was absolutely unreal,” the veteran forward said. “Winning it back-to-back was even more special. You couldn’t script a better ending, to win it in my hometown, in their barn as a 20-year-old. I’m forever grateful that I ended my career here in Dryden and winning it again. It’s absolutely surreal.”
The Ice Dogs dominated most of the play in the first, outshooting Thunder Bay 19-9, but it was the North Stars who struck first, Ryan Mignault beating Ice Dogs goalie Landon Pavilsin blocker side with the home side short a man.
The Stars struck again in the first minute of the second, Mignault planting a perfect cross-crease pass on the stick of Turner Santin, who buried a wrist shot for a 2-0 advantage.
They just couldn’t hang on in the end against the league’s top seed.
“We worked out best all season to get here and obviously it’s a disappointment,” said North Stars forward Owen Belisle, a monster in the face-off circle all night long, particularly in the final minute with Bodnar on the bench for an extra attacker.
“We deserved better.”
They do have a second chance.
Both teams advance to next week's Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Ice Dogs as hosts and Thunder Bay as the SIJHL representative..
Stars coach Rob DeGagne said the team is devastated, but ready to regroup.
“We’ve got a resilient bunch and the bright side is we don’t have to think all summer about winning something. We can maybe come back and do something next week. We’ve got a few guys back in the lineup and get some rest.”
Thunder Bay was without rookie phenom Keighan Gerrie for the final, and dressed a trio of affiliate players Saturday night.
Dryden coach Kurt Walsten, his voice cracking, said his team just tried to stick to their game plan.
“Anytime you’re here, you want to win … We’re a good team, they’re a good team. I’m happy we won though.”
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Mignault 9 (Thrower, Bodnar) 9:57 sh. Penalties: Jay DRY (holding) 5:34, Turbide TB (holding) 8:52, Erwin TB (high sticking) 11:47, Auger TB (slashing) 17:05.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Santin 4 (Mignault, Thrower) 0:48. 3. Dryden, Hamlin 4 (unassisted) 9:57. 4. Dryden, Pitchenese 2 (Simm, Mowatt) 11:22. Penalties: Fortin TB (high sticking) 2:47, Pitchenese DRY (holding) 5:59, Galbraith DRY (roughing) 15:06, Anttonen TB (high sticking double minor) 18:05. Stout DRY (high sticking double minor) 18:16, Newhouse TB (holding) 19:23.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Dryden, Davis 8 (unassisted) 0:49 pp. Penalties: Jay DRY (holding) 8:44, Kavanaugh DRY (tripping) 12:57,
GAME DATA – SOG – Dryden 19-20-10-49, Thunder Bay 9-16-12-37; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (1-6), Thunder Bay (0-6); Goaltenders – Dryden : Landon Pavlisin, Thunder Bay: Brandon Bodnar; A: 1,100.
