Erik Powers’s 42-save performance leads King Junior A Rebellion to 5-0 Home Opener win over Aurora Tigers

By Jim Stewart

Erik Powers's first start of the OJHL season was an auspicious one.
The King Rebellion goaltender, who hails from Edgewater, British Columbia, got the nod from Head Coach Mark Joslin to backstop his hockey club in a historical game for the transplanted Brantford 99ers franchise.
On Sunday afternoon, Powers peered from his goal crease as Junior A Hockey returned to the Nobleton Community Centre for the first time in thirty-seven years as the Rebellion blanked the Aurora Tigers 5-0. Powers might not have been unaware that the Nobleton Devils competed in the COJHL from 1985-1987 and compiled a record of 26-56-8-0-0 before the franchise was moved to Etobicoke. However, the past is the past and the Rebellion's 2-2-1 record bodes well for the upcoming season, especially after the club's big road victory over the CJHL champion Blues in Collingwood. The play of King's goaltending tandem of Carter Bickle and Powers will be critical to the team's success in 2024-25.
It was up to Powers to put the franchise's best face forward on Opening Day in Nobleton and the 18-year-old netminder was clearly up to the task. He embraced the local history, the opening ceremonies, a packed arena, and kicked out 42 shots to earn King's first shutout of the season. Powers was happy about the Rebellion's big win after a disappointing 8-1 loss in Toronto to the Patriots on Saturday night: “It was big team win for us today. We needed a bounce-back win after a tough game last night. We also needed to play great in front of our fans in our home opener. That's the biggest crowd I've played in front of.”
Powers did not disappoint in his home debut in front of hundreds of vociferous fans, many of whom were sporting their local rep hockey jerseys. Especially riveting was his spectacular four-save sequence in the third period when the Tigers were peppering Powers on a four-minute power play with King's star defenseman Simon Wang in the sin bin for slewfooting. The Rebellion netminder described his frenetic penalty-killing moment: “I got the first two – my defensemen got pieces of the third that richocheted, and I dove to the rebound spot for the fourth one.”
Head Coach Mark Joslin noted that Powers's start was part of the team's plan to deal with back-to-back games and he had high expectations of his team to play well in front of the young goalie: “I told Erik that he was going to start in the home opener. I couldn't be happier for him. He is the ultimate team player – the first guy to arrive and the last to leave and he looks after all his rookie duties. Our players went crazy for him on the bench after he made the four saves in a row.”
In addition to commending the play of his rookie goaltender, Coach Joslin applauded the veteran leadership and fine play of his captain Aaron Andrade who contributed two primary assists to King's offence: “He's a man out there who has such a bright future in the game. He wants to be a leader in our great leadership group. We got away from our team culture and chemistry last night in Toronto and we needed to play the right way today. Aaron is accountable to his team and they respect him for it. His pass to McCharles showed his skills.”
Andrade's perfect tape-to-tape pass off the right wing to Marshall McCharles in-stride on the left wing was the finishing touch to the Rebellion's victory. The McCharles lifted the puck in one motion over Tigers goaltender Christopher Thompson to give King a 5-0 lead with 2:18 left in the game. It capped off a fine home debut by the speedy McCharles who contributed a goal and two assists to the Rebellion's attack.
After the red carpet ceremonies, the Rebellion and Tigers fought to a scoreless draw after 20 minutes of play in what amounted to the ‘Battle of the 6'5” Goalies.' Powers and Thompson put forth entertaining efforts for the fans assembled at the venerable arena in Nobleton. In addition to Powers's 42-save, First Star of the Game performance, Thompson kept the 0-4 Tigers in the game by turning aside 41 of the 46 shots he faced to earn Third Star accolades by OJHL staff.
The Rebellion's power play struck twice in the second period to break the scoreless tie. Dylan Coers's blast from the blue line through a maze of red and white jerseys eluded Thompson high glove side at 2:46.
Evin Kojokaro, who scored the Rebellion's only goal in an 8-1 loss to the Toronto Patriots on Saturday night, staked the Rebellion to a 2-0 lead at 8:23 of the middle frame when Thompson got a piece of the puck, but it trickled past him inside the right post.
King opened up a 3-goal lead on a brilliant individual play by Artem Narbekov who burst down the left wing, created a breakaway with a power move to the net, and fired a low shot along the ice that beat Thompson 95 seconds into the third period.
Wang, who rushed the puck brilliantly all game, banged in Andrade's rebound off the left wing to provide the home side with a comfortable 4-0 lead with six minutes remaining. McCharles's conversion of Andrade's perfect pass provided the margin of victory with just over two minutes left in the contest.

Opening ceremonies on the red carpet

Mayor Steve Pellegrini led a delegation of dignitaries on to the red carpet and welcomed both teams and 390 spectators to the first Junior A hockey game in King Township in almost 40 years. He acknowledged the Rebellion's recent win over the CJHL champion Collingwood Blues and invited all King residents to come out and watch the team play: “Enjoy this thrilling season. I encourage all of you to attend all the Rebellion's home games here at the Nobleton Community Centre and at their permanent home at the Zancor Centre. Go out and see them on the road, too. Let's get ready to enjoy some great Junior A Hockey here in King.”
The sightlines in the venerable Nobleton Community Centre were clear and the Rebellion looked resplendent in their home red jerseys with the team logo representing, as Mayor Pellegrini pointed out, “The Rebellion of 1837 in Lloydtown.”