Minto 81’s take two-game lead in OEHL finals with Tavistock

MINTO – The Minto 81’s have taken a two-game lead over the Tavistock Royals in the first-ever Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) final.

The series will began on March 23 with a 3-1 Minto win in Tavistock, followed by a 6-5 81’s victory in Palmerston on March 24 at 6:30pm.

The series continues:

March 29th at 6:30pm in Palmerston; and

March 30  at 7:30pm in Tavistock.

If needed, game five will be April 5 at 8:30pm in Palmerston; game six on April 6 in Tavistock and game seven on April 7 at 3pm in Palmerston.

The winning team will claim the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Senior “AA” Championship and take home the historic OEHL Cup, which was first awarded in 1935 as the J.F. Paxton Cup.

Series results will be posted on the OEHL playoff page at oehlhockey.ca/2024-playoffs.

The 81’s joined with 10 other teams from the former Western Ontario Athletic Association (WOAA) Senior AA loop this season to form the OEHL.

The Georgian Bay Applekings, who play out of Thornbury, and another Wellington County entry, the Erin Outlaws, joined as expansion teams in the league, which plays under the OHA banner.

Minto reached the final by winning a quarter-final series with the Seaforth Centenaires four games to two and by besting the Creemore Coyoties in the semi-final, four games to one.

The Erin squad was eliminated in four games straight in a quarter-final series with the Ripley Wolves.