High school hockey season gets underway

SYDNEY — The Cape Breton High School Hockey League will kick off the 2023-24 season this week across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Like previous years, the league will feature the Riverview Ravens, Sydney Academy Wildcats, Memorial Marauders and Glace Bay Panthers.

This year, the league will play 18 regular season games. The playoffs will begin in early February.

The league will officially drop the puck on the new year tonight with the Sydney Academy Wildcats hosting the Memorial Marauders at 7 p.m. at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre.

Meanwhile, the defending league champion Riverview Ravens will begin their title defence on Wednesday when they host the Glace Bay Panthers at 7 p.m. at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath.

The Memorial home opener is set for Thursday when they take on Sydney Academy at 7:40 p.m. at the Emera Centre Northside in North Sydney. Glace Bay’s home schedule will begin on Sunday with Riverview visiting the Miners Forum at 7 p.m.

Tournament play will once again take place with all four schools hosting their annual events.

The first tournament on the schedule will be the Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold Tournament slated for Nov. 2-5 at Emera Centre Northside in North Sydney, while Glace Bay’s Panther Classic is set for Dec. 7-10 at Miners Forum in Glace Bay.

Sydney Academy will host the first tournament of the 2024 calendar year with the Blue and White Contractor Cup set for Jan. 11-15 at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. Riverview’s Red Cup Showcase is scheduled for Feb. 1-4 at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre.

Here’s a breakdown of the teams for the 2023-24 season

RIVERVIEW RAVENS

Less than a year after winning the league championship over Glace Bay and playing in the School Sport Nova Scotia provincial championship tournament, Riverview finds itself in a much different position entering the year.

The club lost 13 players from its championshipwinning team and will have six returning players – four forwards and two defencemen — this season, meaning the majority of the roster will be new players.

“You can expect a fast-paced physical team,” said head coach Jordan Moss. “We’re hosting provincials this year, so we will be building for that has two new goaltenders in Kayden Mollons and Max Shaheen. Mollons played with the Joneljim Cougars of the Nova Scotia Under-15 Major Hockey League, while Shaheen is a Grade 9 and played with the under-15 program

• Record: 15-1-0-0 – 43 PTS

• Goals For: 77

• Goals Against: 26

GLACE BAY PANTHERS

The Panthers will be on the prowl to once again win a league championship, but like Riverview, the Glace Bay club has lost the majority of its lineup.

Glace Bay had 11 players graduate from the program at the end of the 2022-23 season and will return eight players to its lineup this year.

“This year’s team is a fast team with lots of skill,” said head coach Dwayne Doucet. “We should be able to compete for a league championship.”

Among the players returning are forwards Dylin White and Tyson Bolland, both of whom are third-year players and are expected to contribute offensively.

The club’s offence will also feature Hudson Clarke, a former draft pick of the Halifax Mooseheads, as well as Tye Oliver and Garrett MacIntosh, all of whom played with the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush

of the Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League last season.

On defence, Doucet believes he has six solid defensemen who can move the puck out of the defensive zone quickly and also contribute on the offensive side of the game. Josh Gottwald, a third-year player, and Landon MacIsaac will be key contributors on the blueline.

One thing that hasn’t changed from last year is the team’s goaltending tandem of Kristian MacKenzie and Brandon Cole, which Doucet considers a benefit to the club.

“Last season was a rebuild year and we pretty much did what the coaching staff predicted,” said Doucet. “Our expectations for this year are higher. If the boys buy in, we will compete for a win every game and we will have a pretty good chance to recapture the league championship.”

2022-23 Glace Bay Panthers Statistics:

• Standings: First overall

• Record: 9-6-1-0 – 28 PTS

• Goals For: 64

• Goals Against: 55

Tyson Bolland of the Glace Bay Panthers, right, looks for a loose puck during Panther Classic action at Miners Forum in Glace Bay last December. Bolland will be among the veteran players returning to the Panthers lineup for the 2023-24 Cape Breton High School Hockey League season. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST

MEMORIAL MARAUDERS

Memorial will have plenty of experience on its roster this year with 14 players returning to the program from the 2022-23 team, making them one of the older clubs in the league.

The Marauders have continuously improved over the last several years and should be considered to be a contender for the league championship this season.

“We’re another year older and wiser,” said head coach Marc Lyle, who considers his club to be well-rounded.

“When the team was announced, and we had our first team meeting the staff asked the group what our expectations should be this year? It was a resounding 'be the best.' We know what we want the end goal to be, but we have to make sure they're giving their best each day they come to the rink first.”

Offensively, the club will welcome back captain Daniel Young as well as the league’s rookie of the year in 2022-23 Sam Gracie. Jesse Ross will be another returning forward to watch for the club.

Defensively, the team will have high expectations for Keagan MacKenzie and Brayden MacDonald. Lyle said MacKenzie and MacDonald will be leaned upon in key situations like the penalty kill.

Between the pipes, Jack MacPhee will return for his third season with the club and will likely be among the top goaltenders in the league once again. Andrew Forrest will join MacPhee as the goaltending tandem.

“We certainly know it won’t be easy (to win) but as a group, we have been focused on this season,” said Lyle. “We have been a young team the past two years, so we are hoping the work the guys put in during that time will be worth it this year.”

2022-23 Memorial Marauders Statistics:

• Standings: Third overall

• Record: 8-9-0-0 – 24 PTS

• Goals For: 57

• Goals Against: 59

Jack MacPhee of the Memorial Marauders has been stellar between the pipes for the Marauders and will enter his third season with the club this year. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST - Jeremy Fraser

SYDNEY ACADEMY WILDCATS

We’ll have to wait and see when it comes to the Sydney Academy program this season as not much information has been made available about the team.

Last year, the club had 11 returning players from the 2021-22 season and finished in last place in the four-team league with a 1-15-1-0 record

on the season.

The club is expected to be young, but as far as returning players and new additions not much is known going into the season.

One known change about the team this season will be behind the bench. Justin Lund, who was the club’s assistant coach for the last several years, will take over as head coach from the outgoing Sheldon Surette.

The Cape Breton Post contacted Lund, but he was not immediately available at the time the preview was written last Thursday.

2022-23 Sydney Academy Wildcats Statistics:

• Standings: Fourth overall

• Record: 1-15-1-0 – 4 PTS

• Goals For: 36

• Goals Against: 94

The Sydney Academy Wildcats will open the new Cape Breton High School Hockey League season on Tuesday when they host the Memorial Marauders at 7 p.m. at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST - Jeremy Fraser