The boys varsity hockey team made a statement at home on Friday night in the first game of the inaugural Kristian Daley Memorial Tournament at the Pavilion, defeating Niagara Wheatfield 5-1.
Prior to the game, the family of Kristian Daley was invited onto the ice for a ceremonial puck drop. Daley, a 2009 Canton graduate and four year member of the Golden Bear hockey team, passed away in the summer of 2024. His memory will live on in the Pavilion as part of the Golden Bear tradition.
Despite an onslaught from the Bears from the opening puck drop, Niagara Wheatfield held steady during the first period. Canton’s first line of juniors Owen Logan, Owen Palmer and Robert Palmer created scoring chances on their first shift and every shift thereafter. But, the visitors held steady, and the game remained a scoreless tie heading into the first intermission.
The second period was a different story, and the Bears took advantage of their opportunities. Just over three minutes into the second frame, Logan picked the puck up in stride off a pass from senior defenseman Jack Brandy as he crossed the blue line. Circling the net, he found R. Palmer creeping in and landed a pass on his stick at the top of the circles. Palmer let fly a wrist shot that buzzed past the goaltender’s ear and into the net.
With about six minutes to go in the second, Canton notched its second goal of the contest when Logan found the back of the net on a one-timer courtesy of senior forward David Seymour.
Not to be deterred, Niagara Wheatfield got on the board not long after. A shot from the point made it to the net front, and a lucky redirection off of a charging forward’s skate blade would be the lone tally allowed by senior goaltender Gavin Schryver on the night.
R. Palmer returned the Bears’ lead to two with a minute to go in the second on an impressive individual effort. After acquiring the puck on his own blueline, Palmer drove wide before slipping the puck around the last remaining defenseman, beating him inside and then chipping a short side dribbler over the shoulder of the goaltender.
In the third, Canton added to its lead yet again on a powerplay goal by O. Palmer, who was present at net front when an outside shot created a scrum and offered him the scoring opportunity.
Canton’s final goal came shorthanded when Seymour jumped a Niagara Wheatfield defenseman who bobbled the puck at the blue line. Seymour outpaced the defender for a breakaway and slipped the puck past the goaltender before crashing into the net.
Schryver finished the game with 22 saves to backstop the win for the Bears.
Prior to Canton taking the ice, Potsdam played Hilton in the first game of the Kristian Daley Memorial Tournament. Thanks to a last-minute goal by the Sandstoners, Potsdam walked away from the contest with a 4-3 win and an opportunity to win the tournament if they can best Niagara Wheatfield and Canton falters against Hilton.
Canton squares off with Hilton on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
Photos of this game, courtesy of Scotty Ahlfeld, can be found here.
