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Canadians forward has a night to remember in NOJHL playoffs

Cayse Ton earns $1,000 scholarship, nets hat trickĀ 
240317_Cayse_Ton
17-year-old New Liskeard native Cayse Ton had a night to remember on March 23, receiving a $1,000 scholarship as the RBC Scholastic Player of the Year before scoring a hat trick to lift the Rayside-Balfour Canadians to a 3-2 win over the Blind River Beavers. (Supplied)

Game four of the NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) series between the Rayside-Balfour Canadians and Blind River Beavers was all about Cayse Ton, from start to finish.

Prior to the opening drop of the puck, the 17-year-old New Liskeard native was recognized as the RBC Scholastic Player of the Year, in this league, earning a $1,000 scholarship in the process.

Just over two hours later, the 11th round draft pick of the Owen Sound Attack in 2015, now in his second year with the Canadians, capped off an incredible evening in style. Handling all of the scoring for the homeside, Ton buried the game-winning goal with just 5.2 seconds showing on the clock, as Rayside evened their series with Blind River at two games apiece, thanks to a 3-2 win.

Defenceman Jordan Kreller vaulted the visitors into a 1-0 lead with the only goal of the opening frame, finding the top corner on a blast from the point with his team enjoying the man advantage.

Ton got that one back just 1:31 into period two, finishing off a play that would see Logan Lefebvre and Kyle Liinamaa draw assists. Special teams prevailed later in the frame, as both Zak Lambrecht (Beavers) and Ton, with his second, connected on the power play.

The Chelmsford Arena appeared destined to host a second straight NOJHL overtime classic when Rayside coach Dave Clancy called a timeout with about 30 seconds remaining, and his team setting up for a faceoff deep in Blind River territory.

"Matt Neault was going around the net, I yelled, he puts it out, I reached for it," Ton said. "I knew there wasn't much time left, so it wasn't even that hard of a shot, just a little puck luck tonight."

That was the theme of the night, it seemed, for the sophomore Canadians' forward. 

"It started right off the bat, winning that award, with my parents coming up," said Ton. "It just seemed like things were going my way today, for sure."

With the series shifting back to Blind River for game five on Saturday night, and neither team having lost at home, Ton and his teammates fully understand they will need to break that trend at some point in order to move on.

"I think to start off the playoff series, they really fed off their fans," said Ton. 

"For sure, with us coming back here, I've never heard the Chelmsford crowd that loud - it was awesome. But I think now, later on in the series, it should just be two teams going after each other, the home ice advantage not so much."

The reality is that the final three games will boil down, above all else, to which team can better execute the game plan they need to be successful. 

"The first two games, we were giving them too much time, trying to make too many plays before their blueline," said Ton.

"Coming back here (to Chelmsford), the game became more simple." 

By virtue of their win last night, the Canadians have assured themselves at least one more home game, with the teams in Blind River Saturday and back in Rayside-Balfour for a 6:30 p.m. puck drop on Sunday.


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