Julie-Ann Bertram
Special to the Tribune
The West Nipissing Men’s Hockey League has been going strong since the 70s, and the competition has been both friendly and hotly contested every year since. Every October, the season begins with teams battling two nights a week, Thursdays at the Verner Arena and Sundays at the Marcel and Jane Labbé Arena in Sturgeon Falls. This year saw four teams, the Trashers, the Warriors, the Builders and Don’s North Stars, duke it out all season, with the final playoffs held on February 22.
Trashers goalie Kris Rivard, who is also a municipal councillor and new father in addition to his day job, still makes time for the league as a great social outing, workout and stress reliever. “It’s always fun to see the boys once or twice a week. Most of us know players from every team so it’s all for fun, but the competitiveness kicks in once the game starts!”
The Builders started this season as defending champs, but in the end, the Trashers triumphed 5-1 over the Warriors to win the best-of-3 series two games to one. They hoisted the Jean-Marc Raymond Memorial Cup trophy and celebrated the night at Chatelanes Bowling in Sturgeon Falls.
Shown are the champion Trashers: (top left to right) André Fleury, Josh Bujold, Matt St-Onge, Vincent Daoust, Johnny Bourque, Patrick Robert, André Larcher, Corey Piche, Marc-André Bouffard, (bottom left to right) Mathieu Piquette, Marc Sénécal, Kris Rivard, Joël Sénécal, Randy Amyot. Missing are Jacob Proulx, Jean Seguin, Alain Desbois.
