AMHL - Headlines

Welcome to the Almonte Men's Hockey League!

Tag Lines - Let's see what the media is saying about the teams this week!

Almonte, ON - This Writers Note: Boys, as time goes on, responsibilities add up and over the off season that's exactly what happened. This writer had a baby over the off season (Well he didn't have a baby but he was close by) which means that he won't have the time dedicated to misspelling compelling story lines throughout the season. So in large part he will be helped by AI unless the story is to good, in which case he'll take over. Sorry in advance for these much better storylines. Most of these stories will not be as the game happened as AI has to guess, so basically the format will stay the exact same.

Loop 3 OUTLOOK

BML

Brian Metcalfe Landscaping comes back from the dead. Wins the Keg Cup.

8 wins. That's all Brian Metcalfe Landscaping could mustard throughout the regular season. Although at the beginning of the year, the team looked solid and in a bad game could find themselves salvaging at least 1 point.

Those times didn't last long however; injuries, work and overall attendance dipped in the middle of the season and things got ugly. They would find themselves on massive stretches between wins. Captain Jordan McCabe who was a valued fordward for the team, played defence pretty much every game of the season. At one point, the team had more back injuries on the season (3) then games played with the entire team (2). Despite the losses and the unfortunate end to 2025, captain Jordan McCage still believed. He kept telling the team to just hang in there and when we get our guys, things will turn around. This message wasn't hitting for everyone in the dressing room and the losing started hitting it's boiling point. Late in the season after the team had a few regular season games left and were firmly going to finish the season in 4th. BML's goalie decided that this wasn't for him and decided to leave the team a shocking turn in a men's league. But this may have started a chain reaction that turned this whole operation around. Seemingly overnight attendance increased and to near perfect attendance, a "team crack" was implemented. No that doesn't mean that team went and got a chiropractic adjustment (something that may have also helped looking back), after a win or tie the boys would pass their drinks around and crack the first one at the same time. Creating an eco if it was done correctly. This seems silly, but the action of cracking a beer with 13 guys at the same time was so addicting that winning on the ice became mandatory almost. You had to have a good game, to get back in that room and crack that first one with everyone. With new processes found and attendance at an all time high, the team went into the playoffs actually feeling pretty good about themselves. It was clear to the rest of the league that they were not dealing with the same Brian Metcalfe Landscaping they had been throughout the regular season. Rolling with all of their drafted Defenceman, McCabe was able to rejoin the forwards and offensively things got better, league veteran goalie Alex Miotla joined the team to finish the year and had a massive impact. They would go 2-1-1 in the playoff loop and have their biggest test in the Sunday Semi Final. Playing a Bruce's Car Care team who they hadn't beaten all season and handing them a 6-0 loss. Everyone was stunned in that arena, there may have been some guys on BML themselves who were stunned with the result. But they would move onto the finals where they would take it in 2 straight games to win the keg cup.

To summerize, injuries, work, vacations, sleeping in and band practice made it hard for attendance all season. It got so bad their goalie quit on them, they implemented the team crack, attendance increased, Captain Jordan McCabe went forward, the team came together and they would win the Keg Cup. Your 2025/2026 Keg Cup Champions... Brian Metcalfe Landscaping.

Bruce's Car Care

Bruce’s Car Care Does Everything in 2025/2026...but make the Keg Cup Final

What does this writer say about this team? They had a great year, they had a great playoff...they had a bad semi final Sunday. It's about the only critism you can have about Bruce's Car Care's 2025/2026 campaign. The playoff campaign was well played, they started with an unfortunate 1-0 loss to Valley Plumbing but came back and beat ProFoam Insulation inc and Ryno Motors (in the best game of the playoffs, down 4-3 in the last minute, they found a way to score 2 and win the game 5-4), they would tie Brian Metcalfe Landscaping in their final playoff loop game. From there they showed up to Arnprior to see who they would play, they knew that the BML vs. ProFoam game didn't mean anything to them and knew that if Valley Plumbing could beat Ryno Motors that they would play Ryno in the semi final but if Ryno were to tie or beat Valley that they would play Brian Metcalfe Landscaping in the semi final. Ryno Motors would win that game 4-0 and the team had to feel good going into the semi final, playing a team they were 6-0-2 against the season in Brian Metcalfe Landscaping.

That's when disaster would happen. They would get off to a slow start in that semi final game against BML, a very slow start. At the end of the first they would be down 4-0. They knew that they had to score quickly but simply were unable to, they would let another 2 goals go by in that second period and their season would go up in dust. It's an unfortunate end to an otherwise perfect season for the team who came first in the regular season and playoff loop. Captain Luke Martin wasn't thrilled with the result but will look back fondly on this team as one who could have done it if not for one really bad day.

Ryno Motors

Devestation on Semi Final Sunday

Ryno's season didn't start like they had planned, through the first loop of the season they stood 0-4 and the second loop of the season wasn't much better. This was a team full of league veterans though and they knew it would take them a little longer to get gelling and that's exactly what happened. From mid november on, this team was one of the best teams in the league giving trouble to most teams on any given night.

They had one strech at the end of January where they had some key pieces out which hindered their progress but outside of that, they stayed in it throughout the whole season. The danced with Valley Plumbing throughout the whole season to decide who was going to come 2nd or 3rd only lose out by 1 point. Going into the playoffs they came in with 3 points and had a strong start to the playoff loop, winning their first two games, they would have a 5-4 lead going into the final minute of their game with Bruce's Car Care where they would ultimately lose the game. They would enter their game in Arnprior against Valley Plumbing in which their play would decide who they played in the semi finals, if they could tie or win they would play the same Valley Plumbing team the day after in the morning, if they lost they would play a tough Bruce's Car Care team. They would ultimately win that game on that Saturday and finish the season in 2nd after the playoff loop.

On Semi Final Sunday the game would be lot closer than the one that took place just 18 hours earlier. It was 1-1 in the final 10 minutes of the second period before one of the Ryno Motors defenceman would cough up a chance that Valley would ultimatley capitalize on. Although Ryno made the game close, hitting several posts, it would not be enough and they would lose the semi final 2-1 and end their season.

It was a season where Ryno could envision finally getting over the hump after two straight devastation finals loses. Winning the keg cup would not have been a major surprise for anyone watching but it wasn't the way the season ends for this team. They agreed that the season was mostly a success and have to settle with a semi final loss.

Profoam Insultation Inc.

ProFoam ends AMHL Season in Arnprior

The playoff loop was no better to the team in teal than it was in the regular season. This was a weird team admittedly all year. A team who had the pieces but couldn't fit them together all season. Every single goal seemed to have to be earned and just kept getting harder and harder to get them in droves. ProFoam started their playoff run 0-2 and going into a pivitol game against Bruce's Car Care on a Tuesday night in late February they knew that they were down 4 points and needed to win the next two for a chance to play in the Sunday semi final. They would play the game well and close but would be unable to score on this night, falling 3-0 Bruce's Car Care. This was the point where they realized that it wasn't going to be them raising the Keg Cup this season.

4 days later they would travel to Arnprior to offically end their season against Brian Metcalfe Landscaping where they would fall behind 4-0 early in the game. They would bring themselves back into the game by scoring 2 goals straight but it ultimately wouldn't enough. They would fall 5-2 and end their playoff run 0-4.

It wasn't the season of dreams for ProFoam Insulation Inc, they fought hard and would consistently be in games throughout the season but would find themselves at the wrong end of them for much of the year. Unfortunate injuries hindered them from getting valuable points in the regular season but ultimately they were unable to get anything going in the playoffs. Back to the drawing board the team goes as they approach next season.

Valley Plumbing

Stunned Silence. Season ends with thoughts of what could have been

This writer took some time to allow for the team to shake off the bitter loss of the AMHL finals that took place a little over a week ago to a write this. Valley Plubming had a very good season in all aspects. They played well in the regular season and in fact were the only team in the league that gave league leader Bruce's Car Care fits of issues throughout the regular season. They were built to play in and on most occasions win close games and that's exactly what they did for most of the season. They never had long stretches of bad playing, they would lose the odd game but then quickly find their form and keep it rolling. They would finish 2nd in the regular season by narrowing holding off Ryno Motors, holding onto 2nd by just 1 point.

They would enter the playoffs with hopes of taking that number 1 spot heading into the sunday semi final. They would start the playoff loop by holding off Bruce's Car Care 1-0 in a defensive battle that would be talked about long into the night. It felt after that night that it was a preview of the final and Valley was laying out the blue print needed to lift the keg cup above their head in just 3 weeks time. This feeling was momentarily haulted when they would lose to Brian Metcalfe Landscaping 7-4. It was a better game that it seems with BML taking 2 empty netters towards the end of the game. The team was disappointed but knew that they still had a path to first place with wins in their final two games in the loop. They would easily handle ProFoam Insulation Inc and end their season and in their last playoff loop game of the year they would travel to Arnprior to play Ryno Motors. The boys were in an interesting spot heading into this game. With Brian Metcalfe Landscaping already winners the timeslot before, Valley knew that their destiny was in their hands. A win in this game and they would play Brian Metcalfe Landscaping, a loss and they would play Ryno Motors again in 18 hours. The game was played and Ryno Motors would dominate, winning the game 4-0. With 6 minutes left Andrew Killeen would be given a misconduct and would ultimately be out for the Sunday morning game against Ryno Motors. Things were not looking good for the team in white headed into the 8 AM game on Sunday. But with one of their best efforts of the season, Valley Plumbing would find a way to win that semi final game 2-1. 18 hours after a big loss to the same team, they would find a way to end Ryno Motors season and head into the AMHL final, where they would meet Brian Metcalfe Landscaping. A team who they had virtually tied during the regular season in games and plus minus against one in another. They would be in for a battle in the final and would find themselves in a narrow loss to start the finals 3-2. Didn't matter though, Cade Townend wasn't coming to that Saturday game and the boys felt their door was open to win the game and go into overtime and win the keg cup. The game (which is described in depth on the opening page) was a great game but ultimately the team fall 4-3 with an empty netter. They needed a win and although they hit several posts in the dying seconds of the game, were unable to get over the hump. They would lose the Keg Cup final in straight games. Coming second in the 2025/2026 season.

It was quiet after the game this writer has heard. At this point if you have followed the league long enough, you will know that Captain Danny Carroll has lost this game 5 out of 6 years. It's getting to the point of being unprobable at this point. There was a lot of support for Danny after the game, lot of guys in the league telling him that it will come and it was always met with with silence and sip of beer. Danny finds himself in a situation that many of our captains have been in, Jordan McCabe went years of devestating finals losses before breaking through, Captain Luke Martin also went years looking for his first before he started on this dynasty of his. This writer is confident that Danny's days are coming and maybe he'll reflect back on days like last Saturday fondly when he finally breaks through. For now though, he'll stay quiet, drink his beer and wait until he gets another opportunity next year when we get back together and do this again.

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