Clarington mayor urges residents to cheer on hometown team in Schmaltz Cup

Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster is urging his constituents to cheer on their hometown hockey stars as they open the provincial Junior ‘C’ championships tonight in Bowmanville.

“Toronto couldn’t pull it off, but Clarington did,” Foster said in a statement congratulating the Clarington Eagles for reaching the Schmaltz Cup finals for the third season in a row. “This is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and talent. They continue to make our community proud.”

The Eagles will meet a familiar opponent in the best-of-seven series in the Lakeshore Canadians, who gutted the Clarington faithful with a 3-2 overtime win in the deciding match in 2022.

Clarington was bested in the 2023 final – also by a 3-2 score – by the Wellesley Applejacks, which featured current Oshawa Generals netminder Noah Bender tending the twines.

Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster

“I know that many of us are disappointed by the Toronto Maple Leafs’ early exit from the NHL playoffs,” Foster said, “but we have another reason to celebrate hockey in our municipality – the Eagles soaring! We can come together as a community and cheer the local team on.”

The Eagles will face a tough opponent in the Lakeshore Canadiens, he added, but the team has shown they “can overcome any challenge and rise to the occasion, and I have no doubt they will fight for every inch of ice.”

“They have the support of the whole community behind them. Let’s rally behind our hometown team and let them know we are with them all the way.”

The series will shift to Belle River, ON (near Windsor in Essex County) for game two Saturday night, with game three back in Bowmanville Sunday.

Lakeshore is a five-time winner of the trophy, while the Eagles have won it twice, in 1979 and 1981.