Blenheim Blades lose season opener

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Gavin Meriano scored twice for the Blenheim Blades in a 6-4 loss to the Amherstburg Admirals in Sunday’s season opener in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Stobbs Division.

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Andrew Goulet and Nelson DeKoning also scored for the Blades at Blenheim Memorial Arena. Jake Vancoillie made 30 saves.

The Blades trailed 3-1 after one period and 4-3 after two.

Rory Sandison led the Admirals (2-3-0-0) with two goals and Jay Procter made 41 saves.

The Blades visit the Essex 73’s Tuesday and the Dresden Kings Friday at 7:30 p.m. They’ll host the Walpole Island Wild Sunday at 7 p.m.

Sharks come back to defeat Wild

Stefan Jacobs scored two goals, including an empty-netter, in the Wheatley Omstead Sharks’ 4-2 comeback win over the Walpole Island Wild Saturday.

Grant Symons potted the go-ahead goal at 11:31 of the third period before 110 fans at the Walpole Island Sports Complex.

Josh Chauvin also scored and Ethan Davis made 18 saves for the Sharks (3-2-0-0).

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Cohen Veenstra and Connor Debot tallied for the Wild (0-4-1-0), who led 2-1 late in the second period. Chase Dehaan made 43 saves.

The Wild host the Dresden Kings Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and visit Amherstburg Saturday.

The Sharks host the Schmalz Cup champion Lakeshore Canadiens Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Wheatley Area Arena.

Vito Alfano scored for the Sharks and Cooper Crowe made 23 saves in Friday’s 4-1 loss in Lakeshore.

Kings fall to .500 after loss to Flags

Noah Wilson scored and Ty Golden made 24 saves for the Dresden Kings (2-2-0-0) in Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Mooretown Flags at the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre.

Casey Schouten scored twice for the first-place Flags (3-0-1-0) and John Chartrand made 27 saves.

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Maroons alumni sign with Squires

Two former Chatham Maroons forwards – Muirkirk’s Steven Beenackers and Ridgetown’s Nolan VandenBoorn – have signed with the Petrolia Squires of the Ontario Super Hockey League.

Beenackers, 28, was a Maroons captain and had 205 points in 223 games during five seasons in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He played four seasons with the Maroons and one with the Lambton Shores Predators.

VandenBoorn, 27, played one-and-a-half seasons with the Maroons and three-and-a-half seasons in the PJHL with Blenheim and Dresden. He was the PJHL Stobbs Division most valuable player and scoring champion with the Kings in 2018-19.

The Squires have also re-signed two ex-Maroons, forward Adam Arseneault and defenceman Ryan Fraser.

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Bluebirds add four new players

The Tilbury Bluebirds have signed four new players for the coming Ontario Super Hockey League season.

Forward Jason Daraiche, 21, is a Leamington native who played for his hometown Flyers. Defenceman Mason Gow, 24, also hails from Leamington and played for the Wheatley Sharks.

Defenceman Ryan Barwitzki, 23, of Sarnia played for the Sarnia Legionnaires and LaSalle Vipers.

Defenceman Aaron Moore, 28, of Belle River played for the Lakeshore Canadiens and Amherstburg Admirals.

The Bluebirds will play their season opener Friday, Oct. 4, at the Elora Rocks. Their home opener is Saturday, Oct. 5, versus the Tillsonburg Thunder.

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