Sports

Schmalz Cup tied 1-1 after opening games

May 7, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

For two provincial hockey teams, the entire season has come down to a single final series to determine who will claim the 2026 Junior C Schmalz Cup.

Most hockey players will never get to be part of a playoff series that goes into May, but if you’re on a championship team, it is a rare opportunity to play a season that could go 80 games.

Junior C hockey has two teams remaining this season.

The Fergus Whalers and the Tavistock Braves are currently playing the championship to determine which team will hoist the Schmalz Cup after the final game.

The final series is tied at one after the weekend.

Getting underway on May 2, the first game of the series was held at the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre.

It was a tough battle with both teams putting up a strong defence.

Fergus scored the only goal of the first period.

It was a tied game when Tavistock scored the only goal of the second period.

After a scoreless third period, the teams returned for overtime.

Fergus scored just 27 seconds into overtime to win Game 1, 2-1.

The following day, Sunday, May 2, the teams were at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex for Game 2 of the series.

Tavistock scored the only goal in the first period.

It was a tie game when Fergus scored at the midway mark in the second frame.

Tavistock took a one-goal lead late in the third period, but Fergus responded with a goal with just 1:33 left on the clock to tie it up and take the game into overtime.

The Braves scored at 4:24 into the OT period for the 3-2 win.

Game 3 of the series was scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, in Tavistock, with the results not available at press time.

Game 4 of the series will take place in Fergus on Friday, May 8. 

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