Jason La Rose
The Ottawa Jr. Senators got hot when it mattered most, closing with an 11-game unbeaten streak – including a season-high nine straight wins – to edge Pembroke by a single point and claim the HEO regular season title. The Jr. Senators were a middle-of-the-pack team on offence – their 139 goals were good for seventh in HEO, and leading scorer Will Fitzsimmons (27-25—52) was 16th in the league scoring race – but Ottawa was dominant defensively. It allowed only 90 goals in 45 games, giving up a goal or less on 20 occasions behind goaltenders Jacob Osborne (1.82 GAA, .932 SV%, 5 SO) and Felix Schnell (2.16 GAA, .913 SV%, 4 SO).
PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS ROUND 1 (SINGLE GAME) 9) Carleton Place Canadians vs. 12) Cornwall Colts 10) Navan Grads vs. 11) Brockville Braves
ROUND 2 (SINGLE GAME) 7) Kanata Lasers vs. Lowest-seeded Round 1 winner 8) Smiths Falls Bears vs. Highest-seeded Round 1 winner
QUARTER-FINALS (BEST-OF-THREE) 1) Ottawa Jr. Senators vs. Lowest-seeded Round 2 winner 2) Pembroke Lumber Kings vs. Highest-seeded Round 2 winner 3) Rockland Nationals vs. 6) Nepean Raiders 4) Hawkesbury Hawks vs. 5) Kemptville 73’s
FINAL STANDINGS (W-L-T) Ottawa – 63 points (29-11-5) Pembroke – 62 points (28-11-6) Rockland – 57 points (25-13-7) Hawkesbury – 53 points (23-15-7) Kemptville – 53 points (21-13-11) Nepean – 49 points (19-15-11) Kanata – 43 points (17-19-9) Smiths Falls – 37 points (15-23-7) Carleton Place – 33 points (11-23-11) Navan – 29 points (12-28-5) Brockville – 25 points (11-31-3) Cornwall – 18 points (7-34-4)
LEADING SCORERS Mason McTavish (Pembroke) – 47G 32A 79P Connor Lockhart (Kanata) – 30G 49A 79P Vincent Labelle (Rockland) – 31G 33A 64P Jérémie Payant (Hawkesbury) – 23G 38A 61P Tyson Tomasini (Pembroke) – 34G 26A 60P
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE 2013 (Ottawa Jr. 67’s – silver medal)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES (since 1984) 3 (1984, 2008 (host), 2013)
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP none (best finish: silver medal – Ottawa Jr. 67’s, 2013)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS none