It was an emotional roller coaster. A championship game that for many will be their last minor hockey game on northern Ontario soil.
"I have played with many of these boys since novice and my D partner Davis Anello, I have been with him since novice," said Johnny Couch Jr. whose two late goals secured a high scoring 8-5 Trappers win over the hometown Hounds at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
The underdog U18 Trappers faced a barrage of penalties, a packed pro-Greyhounds crowd, and a U18 Hounds team that had only lost twice all season to northern competition.
But this Trappers team that started the year evacuating a burning bus that destroyed all their equipment and personal belongings on a northern highway, finished their season in a northern rink with a trophy presentation.
"We were just fired up, we were ready to go. We made sure to came out flying, work as a team and just lots of good work as a team," said Johnny Couch Jr.
For Trappers head coach Doug Sanders, who grew up in the Algoma area, the win was extra special. Celebrating with a trophy with his team and his family was a priceless moment for the second-year U18 AAA Trappers bench boss.
"It is a surreal moment," said Sanders who received a Gatorade shower from his players on the ice post-game.
"A lot of championships come and go. It takes a lot of people a long time to get there and to know that we got there with the group that we have is dynamite. I love these players, I love my staff, I love the city of North Bay it has become my home and to bring the trophy home, I could not be prouder."
The Trappers came out and built up leads of 2-1 after one and 6-3 after two periods.
However, halfway through the third period, the Trappers were assessed two penalties that led to a lengthy 5 on 3. The lethal Hounds power play which registered three goals on this night went to work and scored two tallies to make it a one-goal game.
Brendan Cooke led the Hounds offence with two goals.
But it was a Couch blast on the power play that beat Soo starter Maverick Fletcher high that made it 7-5 with five minutes left in regulation.
A Couch empty netter with just over two minutes left iced the win for the visitors.
Heath Bradley had two goals for the Trappers, while singles went to Joshua Currie, Grayson Bradley, Anthony Boyes and Nate Gravelle.
Gravelle, who finished with 10 points in five playoff games, was named the playoff MVP.
The Trappers finished the round robin tournament with a perfect 5 and 0 record.
Sanders says the turning point for the weekend came Friday morning then the Trappers overcame a 4-1 third period deficit to dump the Kapuskasing Flyers 5-4 courtesy of a late Nate Gravelle tally.
"We knew coming into the tournament it was not going to be easy and we could not take any team for granted," said Sanders.
"When the boys came out in that third period and put up another four goals I knew we were on to something big."
Battalion prospect Mike McIvor was once again solid in goal for the Trappers in the final. Like many of his Trappers teammates, McIvor struggled to hold back his elation when the final buzzer rang.
The last U18 Trappers team to win the Great North title was the Trappers squad led by goalies Ben Gaudreau and Reece Proulx back in 2019.
The Trappers will now move on to the U18 AAA Regional Championship which takes place April 3 to 9 in Windsor.
