Showcase Success

The Ontario Junior Hockey League Govenor’s showcase is an annual showcase.

This opportunity allows all teams and players to play in one location and display their skills, talent and hopefully have a chance to play at a higher level.

Scouts from different leagues would attend the showcase ranging to the NHL, CHL, and NCAA. This year the showcase was in Niagara Falls and was played at the Gale Centre. Two Ice rinks worked well for 24 teams and the games were played from Sept 23-25. Each team would play two games.  

The Leamington Flyers came into the showcase after taking their first loss of the season in overtime against the Collingwood Blues – great back-to-back action game where the Flyers led the game twice but the Blues came on top.

The Flyers were no longer undefeated. Five wins straight and now an overtime loss. The team was looking forward to the showcase to try and get back on the winning column. 

The Flyers did do that. They played their first game against the St Michaels Buzzers and won four to one. Colton Smith scored two goals that increased his goals to eight on the season and the team looked great. In the second game, the Flyers would play the Wellington Dukes. This game was much closer than their last but the Leamington Flyers would win this one two to one. Smith scored again and now leads the league in goals with nine. Head Coach Dale Mitchell was very impressed with the team during the showcase.

“I am very happy with how the team has been performing. We are a pretty new group with only six returning players. We know it’s early in the season but we have started with a good base and still aiming to get better every day,” said Mitchell.  

The Leamington Flyers still have a lot to play this season. Their next home game is on Oct. 3 at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre in Leamington.