The stage is set for the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Pollock Division Final, with the top-seeded Hanover Barons preparing to face the third-seeded Fergus Whalers in a best-of-seven series beginning Friday.
Hanover enters the series as defending division champions, while Fergus looks to continue its remarkable rise in just its second season.
The Barons have been dominant through the postseason, sweeping both the Kincardine Bulldogs and Goderich Flyers to reach the final. Their high-powered offense and strong defensive core have been on full display, making them the team to beat. However, General Manager Peter Irwin knows that the upcoming challenge will be anything but easy.
“They’re a very well-coached team,” Irwin said of Fergus. “(Head Coach) Ryan Black does a great job. They work hard, they play a heavy game, and they skate very well. It’s going to be a challenge for us, for sure.”
While Hanover has been a powerhouse for years, Fergus has quickly established itself as a serious contender. After debuting last season, the Whalers have already reached the division final, taking down the Walkerton Capitals and upsetting the second-seeded Mount Forest Patriots along the way. The Whalers sealed their semifinal victory with a 5-1 road win in Game 5.
Fergus General Manager Craig Dool said his team is embracing the underdog role but knows the challenge ahead.
“We know Hanover is a good team, there's no doubt about it,” Dool said. “They only lost three or four games all season. We expect a battle, and we’re definitely not walking into this lightly. But we think we can give them a good run.”
Dool emphasized that his team’s mindset will be to take things one game at a time.
“We’re walking into Hanover on a Friday night with a thousand fans in the stands. The odds are stacked against us,” he admitted. “But once the music starts flowing and everybody pulls together, you let the nerves wear out and just play hockey.”
One of the more controversial moments of the Whalers’ playoff run came in their series against Mount Forest, when a game was forfeited due to an improperly filed game sheet. The PJHL Protest Committee ruled that Mount Forest had breached Hockey Canada Rule 2.2B by dressing an ineligible player without properly listing him on the game sheet.
As a result, Game 3 played on March 11 was overturned, awarding Fergus the win and putting them ahead 3-1 in the series. The decision sparked debate but ultimately did not change the outcome, as the Whalers went on to clinch the series.
“I think we showed in that last game it wasn’t about the boardroom, it was about showing up every night and being accountable,” Dool said. “At the end of the day, everyone has a job to do, and if you show up and do it, you hope you get the result you want.”
Despite the attention the overturned game received, Irwin insisted it had no impact on the Barons’ preparation.
“To be honest, we just set that aside,” he said. “We worried about our own team. We knew we were going to be in tough whether it was Mount Forest or Fergus.”
Irwin recognizes similarities between the Whalers’ current trajectory and his own team’s climb to the top.
“They started out in a very good spot,” he said. “They recruited well, finished fourth last year, and took us to six games in the second round of the playoffs. They’ve only built from there.”
Hanover’s depth and experience could be key factors. Irwin highlighted several players who have been instrumental in the team’s success this season.
“Mark McIntosh was a huge addition for us,” Irwin said. “You don’t win an Centennial Cup without being a great player and leader. He’s brought so much to our locker room. Ryan Colquhoun, our captain, is another guy you can’t say enough about. We’ve got Alex McGillivray, Kyle Maloney...the list goes on.”
The Barons also made key acquisitions throughout the season to bolster their lineup.
“At the trade deadline, we picked up Austin Waite, who’s been a cornerstone defenseman in this league for years,” Irwin noted. “We also got Aaron Dukeshire back in December and added Wyatt Connelly to strengthen our blue line. We brought in Logan Bromley from Goderich to add depth in goal. It takes a full roster to win, and we feel we’ve built a complete team.”
Fergus made key acquisitions at the trade deadline of their own, including defenseman Ben Power, forward Jake DaSilva, and Patrick Brown, while dealing away their captain, Henry Turner. Dool said those additions have helped deepen the lineup.
“We’re not just a one or two line team anymore,” he said. “We can rely on four lines and 20 guys instead of just 10.”
With a championship mindset, Irwin emphasized the challenge of winning in the PJHL.
“In my opinion, the Schmalz Cup is one of the toughest trophies to win in sports,” he said. “You have to be a complete 200-foot hockey team. Our division is one of the toughest, and just getting out of it is a battle.”
The full Pollock Division Final schedule is as follows:
-Game 1: Friday, March 21 – Hanover, 8:00 p.m.
-Game 2: Sunday, March 23 – Fergus, 3:00 p.m.
-Game 3: Tuesday, March 25 – Hanover, 8:00 p.m.
-Game 4: Wednesday, March 26 – Fergus, 8:30 p.m.
-Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, March 28 – Hanover, 8:00 p.m.
-Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, March 30 – Fergus, 3:30 p.m.
-Game 7 (if necessary): Wednesday, April 2 – Hanover, 8:00 p.m.
The winner of this series will face the Alliston Hornets or the Orillia Terriers in the PJHL North Conference Final.