Canadians sweep pair of exhibition games

A pair of unanswered third-period goals allowed the Rayside-Balfour Canadians to complete a home and home pre-season sweep of the Timmins Rock, as NOJHL action took the spotlight Saturday night at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.

Defenseman Kyle Fransen snuck in off the point to bury the game-tying shot from the slot at 13:07 of the third period, and Joel Lemay jammed home his second of the game, less than two minutes later, lifting the Canadians to a 5-4 win over the Rock.

The former Sudbury Nickel Barons franchise also received goals from Gabriel Rheault and Owen Fransen, while Devin Panzeca countered with a two-goal effort for coach Paul Gagné and company, with Andrew Castagna and Jared Hester chipping in with one marker apiece.

Timmins goaltender Logan Ferrington enjoyed a strong outing, finishing the evening with 36 saves, while Kevin Labelle turned aside 30 shots between the pipes for the Canadians, including a game-saving toe save with less than 15 seconds to play.

The encounter marked a homecoming, of sorts, for local product Ryan Erickson, recording a pair of assists for Rayside after being acquired from the Whitby Fury last week. Erickson has spent the past three years playing junior hockey out of town, the first two with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

Splitting the 2014-2015 campaign between the Hamilton Red Wings and the Fury, both of the OJHL (Ontario Junior Hockey League), Erickson finished the season with 46 points in 54 games, including a dozen goals.

"It's fun to be back home, to be playing with some guys that I've grown up with," said the 20-year-old forward after the game.

Anxious to showcase the skill set he brings to the rink as a veteran of junior hockey, Erickson noted that he's not the same player he was coming out of the midget ranks.

"My game has definitely developed in a couple of ways," he said. "I'm more of a playmaker, but I'm coming home hoping to contribute with goals, and leadership around the room."

While there is sure to be plenty of player shuffling that will occur over the next three to four weeks, Erickson likes what he sees in terms of potential with the relocated local franchise.

"Around the room, all the guys seem like a tight-knit team, and that's just going to get better, as we get to the season and get some practices with a full team, and get used to each other," he said. "We have a great group of guys, and I'm excited to see where we can go from here."

Rayside-Balfour looked even more impressive one night earlier, in Timmins, shelling the Rock 7-1 as rookies Cayse Ton and Mackenzie MacMillan scored two goals apiece. Jackson Gunner, Yanic Hébert and Danny Lepage rounded out the scoring for the winners.

Ton, MacMillan and Ryan Thériault were given the night off in the rematch back in Sudbury. The game also marked the return to the ice of Valley East native Scott Villeneuve, given a clean bill of health recently, following some concerns over an irregular heartbeat last year.

The Canadians will open the 2015-2016 schedule with a two-game set against the Espanola Express, at home Sept. 12, after visiting Espanola the previous evening. Puck drop for the home opener is set for 7 p.m.