Game six of the 2024 BC Hockey Junior A Championships featuring the Revelstoke Grizzlies and the Kimberley Dynamiters was for many fans the most anticipated game of the tournament.
Following their Teck Cup Championship win, the Dynamiters were entered into last year’s Cyclone Taylor Cup, where they ultimately lost to the Grizzlies who hosted the tournament.
Adding to this, because the Ridge Meadows Flames had won two games and lost one so far this weekend, the Dynamiters didn’t just need to beat the Grizzlies in game six, they needed to beat them by four goals in order to punch their ticket to the championship game.
Revelstoke was always going to be a formidable opponent; they won the Teck Cup, and came into this tournament and won their first two games.
The first period went without a goal, but there was a palpable grudge between the two teams and the penalties started right from the get go and persisted throughout the game.
The Grizzlies were the best penalty killers in the regular season and the Dynamiters were unable to take advantage of any, including two five-on-threes.
Then the first goal of the game came in the second period. As the Grizzlies were killing a penalty, Brady Schwab got the puck and sailed into the Dynamiters end, got knocked to his knees and still managed to get the puck to Alexander Bronswyk who put in his third goal of the tournament.
Ten minutes later the Dynamiters’ got on the board as a blistering shot deflected into the Grizzlies net.
With the game tied and six minutes left in the third period, Dynamiters head coach Derek Stuart made the call to pull Ryder Ponto from the net. A controversial decision in the eyes of some fans in the stands, but it was clear he didn’t want to just win the game, the goal was still to win by four.
The Grizzlies quickly capitalized as Bronswyk popped one into the empty net. Revelstoke rode that momentum and a minute later Jaylen Forsyth scored a highlight-worthy goal on a breakaway, assisted by Jaylen Forsyth.
The Dynamiters will now face the Saanich Predators in the bronze medal game on Sunday at 10 a.m. The Grizzlies will battle the Ridge Meadows Flames at 4 p.m. to decided who will hoist the Mowat Cup.
