Ball hockey, be it on the streets or on the outdoor rinks, is an absolute wintertime ritual in Canada.
But when it comes time to contest the Ontario Ball Hockey Federation Provincial Championships, it is far more than simply a ritual.
Twelve teams gathered at the Garson Arena over the course of the weekend, including three local entries, with the OBHF “B” and “C” banners up for grabs – along with berths in nationals in Mississauga in the summer of 2025.
The field combined to not only treat a good number of fans who wandered in to take in the action to some of the most highly skilled and intense versions of the sport this city has seen in quite some time – but also to a boatload of drama come championship Sunday.
The Sudbury Ball Hogs set the tone in the “C” Consolation final, pulling even with the Cambridge Rink Rats (2-2) on a late goal from Ryan Allick and earning a trip to nationals late in the second overtime period thanks to a short-handed effort from ex-OHLer and current University of Toronto Blues' forward Billy Moskal.
“I only ever scored on OHL winner in overtime and that one was pretty special – but this one was pretty awesome too,” said the four year OUA veteran. “Playing with these guys all summer, we were looking forward to provincials. Then to send the boys to nationals – everyone was so fired up.”
And lest one think that bringing in experienced junior hockey talent constitutes a huge advantage, Moskal (and many others) suggest otherwise.
“Everyone who plays ball hockey will tell you it’s so much running; you can’t glide at all,” said Moskal with a laugh. “Every ball you’re chasing after, you’re sprinting as hard as you can. And it’s a lot harder to get around guys. You can run with so much speed but the ball doesn’t always slide with you.”
Newcomers, even those with Ontario Hockey League experience, need to adjust.
“When I first started, I figured you could just run around and run through guys and you realize that these guys can keep up – and it’s physical,” Moskal continued. “Guys will body you. You learn to move the ball around more and space the floor.”
If his current hockey proved helpful, it was more in wanting to hit the ice in September with his U of T teammates in tip-top shape.
“We were in double OT and the boys were absolutely gassed,” suggested Moskal. “I still had some energy going, maybe from training all summer. I was chasing a guy down and he kind of fumbled it. I had a short breakaway and slipped it five hole.”
“It was pretty awesome.”
David Berthelot Jr has never suited up with an OHL team – yet he and his Sudbury Zambronis' teammates are the epitome of a group that understand the sport of ball hockey. It paid off in the “C” Championship as the locals edged the Scarborough Stingers 2-1.
“We’ve got a couple of silver medals (from provincials) but it feels good to finally not lose in a game for a medal,” said Berthelot.
Truth be told, most of the teams on hand for this event featured lineups that were generally a mix of gentlemen who could lay claim to a pretty decent on-ice resume – as well as others who toiled at the lowest levels of hockey – or below.
“Kevin Brosseau is one of the best defenseman I have ever seen in ball hockey and he’s never played organized ice hockey in his life,” said Berthelot. “And then we have Mike MacDonald, former captain of the Sudbury Wolves. Everyone in the dressing room knew what their role was, they knew what they had to do.”
The Zambronis opened the scoring in period two on a tally from Alex Trottier with Matt Rupoli doubling the advantage on a highlight reel goal, turning a Stingers defenseman inside-out before shelving the ball with a nifty tuck to give Sudbury a 2-0 lead heading to the third.
A late power-play goal by Jason Martin made things interesting, but the Zambronis were not about to disappoint the hometown faithful. “I’ve never seen so many people at a ball hockey game in my life,” exclaimed Berthelot. “To see a bunch of crowd members wearing Zambroni shirts and being so loud, it puts fuel in the tank.”
Daniel Ponce and the Toronto Monsters couldn’t draw upon a large and boisterous crowd. That said, a long-time familiarity with the Toronto Rams, their “B” Championship opponents was likely all the motivation they needed.
“I used to play with them way back when and then I transitioned over to play with my buddies,” explained Ponce, captain of the Monsters squad, fresh off a 5-2 win in a contest that was as tight as they come through the first two periods of play. “It’s like that in the ball hockey world – people move from team to team – but we have lots of respect for them.”
“I know all of those guys and they’ve played high level (ball hockey) with me.”
The game was knotted at 1-1 in the dying seconds of the second when Ponce and long-time linemate Andrew Sisi tapped into some chemistry at a whole other level.
“I had the ball in our defensive end with about 12 seconds left,” recalled Ponce. With many thinking he might simply play out the period, the 34 year old turned and wired a tape to tape pass to hit Sisi in full stride at the opposing blueline.
With less than five seconds showing on the clock, the Monsters had a 2-1 lead that they would never relinquish. “We’ve been playing together for maybe 10 or 12 years,” said Ponce. “We have set plays that we have done throughout the years. I fired it up to see what would happen.”
Though the Monsters have advanced but lost in a national “C” final and were provincial finalists on multiple occasions, this outcome was anything but a given going into the Sunday morning semis.
“We were kind of down on ourselves yesterday, with a loss and a tie and not playing our best,” said Ponce. “But you don’t win championships on Friday or Saturday. As a team, we battled through the adversity and found a way to win.”
Similar story for the Rose City Royals who spotted the Hamilton Outlaws an early 3-0 lead but stormed back to take the “B” Consolation encounter 6-5 as Nik Beaguard and Noah Caperchione scored two goals each for the winners.
