The Memorial Marauders captured the Panther Classic high school hockey tournament championship on Sunday, defeating the Riverview Ravens 4-2 in the final game at Miners Forum in Glace Bay. Members of the team, not in order, Jasper Allain, Jackson Devoe, Andrew Forrest, Jackson Gerrow, Parker Gillam, Owen Giorno, Owen Gracie, Hayden Hawkins, Levi Hull, Nolan Jessome, Landen Leyte, Maxx Morrison, Nole Murray, Eric Power, Marcus Rendell, Noah Tremblett, Colby Viva, Jack Viva, Tristan Walker and Maddox Carey (affiliate player). The team's staff include Jacob Jessome (head coach), Adam Daye (assistant coach), Scott MacInnis (assistant coach and equipment manager), Will Lawless (assistant coach and trainer), Kevin Stairs (goaltender coach), Bernice Osmond (manager) and Teddy Coleman (teacher liaison). CONTRIBUTED CONTRIBUTED For the first time in 10 years, the Memorial Marauders are the Panther Classic champions. Article content   Article content Memorial defeated the Riverview Ravens 4-2 in the high school hockey tournament’s championship game at Miners Forum in Glace Bay on Sunday. The contest was a rematch of the championship game of the Memorial-hosted Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold Hockey Tournament, which saw the Ravens beat the Marauders 3-2 at Emera Centre Northside in North Sydney last month. Article content To make the championship even more special, it was the Marauders’ third game of the day on Sunday after the club finished the round robin portion of the tournament in the morning, before playing in the semifinal and eventually the championship games in the afternoon. Article content The reason the Sydney Mines-based team had to play three games in one day was because of the postponement of Panther Classic games on Friday due to weather conditions, which forced organizers to make a new schedule on Friday afternoon. Article content COMEBACK WIN   Article content In the final, Memorial scored four unanswered goals after trailing 2-0 in the first period on their way to winning the tournament title for the first time since 2015. Maxx Morrison, Owen Gracie, Colby Viva and Jackson Gerrow netted goals for the Marauders. Ryan MacQueen and Cohen MacIsaac buried goals for the Ravens. Article content Memorial’s Levi Hull made 33 saves and was named the team’s player of the game. Riverview’s Kayden Mollons stopped 13 of 17 shots. Article content The Marauders advanced to the championship game with a 4-2 win over the Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars of Truro in the semifinal. As for the Ravens, they knocked off the host Glace Bay Panthers 2-1 in a shootout in their semifinal game. Article content Memorial posted a 2-1 record in the round robin with victories over Riverview 4-2 and the Halifax West Warriors 4-3. The club’s lone loss came to the Avon View Avalanche of Windsor 5-2 on Sunday morning.   Article content With the championship appearance, Memorial has been to the final game of each of the first three local high school hockey tournaments this year. Along with their own, the team also played in the championship game of the Blue and White Challenge last month, losing to Glace Bay. As for the host Glace Bay Panthers, they posted a 3-0 record in the preliminary round with victories over Sydney Academy 10-1, Strait Area Education Recreation Centre 4-0 and Cobequid Educational Centre 3-1, before their loss to Riverview in the semifinal game on Sunday. Article content The annual Panther Classic will return to the ice at Miners Forum next December. The official dates for the 2026 event were not confirmed at publication time.   Article content The next local high school hockey tournament will be the Red Cup Showcase, Feb. 5-8, at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath. PANTHER CLASSIC RESULTS Article content Sunday Article content Championship: Memorial 4, Riverview 2Semifinal: Memorial 4, Cobequid Educational Centre 2Semifinal: Riverview 2, Glace Bay 1 (SO)Avon View 5, Memorial 2Cobequid Educational Centre 5, Strait Area Education Centre 2 Article content Saturday Article content Glace Bay 3, Cobequid Educational Centre 1Riverview 4, Avon View 2Strait Area Education Recreation Centre 5, Sydney Academy 4Memorial 4, Halifax West 3Cobequid Educational Centre 11, Sydney Academy 0Halifax West 3, Avon View 2Glace Bay 4, Strait Area Education Recreation Centre 0 Article content Friday Article content Riverview 4, Halifax West 0 Article content Thursday   Article content Glace Bay 10, Sydney Academy 1Memorial 4, Riverview 2

'It takes an army to be successful’ Brody Walker of the Glace Bay Panthers keeps a close eye on the play during Cape Breton High School Hockey League action at Miners Forum in Glace Bay last Sunday. Walker and the Panthers will host the Panther Classic high school hockey tournament this week in Glace Bay. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST Jeremy Fraser It’s not very often a player can say they played their first game with a new team during the school’s most important tournament of the year. Article content   Article content In the case of Brody Walker, the Glace Bay Panthers forward made his high school debut last December in the first game of the annual Panther Classic tournament in Glace Bay. “It’s really hard to describe the crowd and how the whole community came together for it,” said Walker. Article content The Glace Bay product had just joined the Panthers program after starting the 2024-25 season with the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush of the Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League before electing to return to high school hockey. Article content “I remember the first game well as we won big but the highlight of the night for sure was the crowd. I knew I made the right choice coming home to play after that game.” Article content While this year’s Panther Classic will be his second and final host tournament, it will be extra special for the 17-year-old Walker as he was named the team’s captain last week, wearing the ‘C’ on his jersey for the first time last Friday night against Riverview.   Article content “It means a lot to me to be named captain of the team and to be able to be a leader and a guy that the team can rely on and look for anything,” said Walker. “When you’re the captain of your high school team, it’s a lot more of a job than just your time at the rink. “You need to be there for your guys at all times and set an example. I’m proud to represent the school and be one of many great captains Glace Bay High has had.”   Article content Brody Walker of the Glace Bay Panthers was named the team’s captain last week. He’s currently second in Cape Breton High School Hockey League scoring with seven goals and 25 points in 10 regular season games. Photo by Jeremy Fraser /Cape Breton Post PANTHER CLASSIC OPENS THURSDAY Article content This year’s Panther Classic will kick off on Thursday and run until Sunday at Miners Forum in Glace Bay. Article content Along with the host Panthers, the four-day event will feature the Sydney Academy Wildcats, Riverview Ravens, Memorial Marauders, Strait Area Education Recreation Centre Saints (SAERC) of Port Hawkesbury, Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars (CEC) of Truro, Halifax West Warriors and Avon View Avalanche of Windsor. Article content Halifax West, Avon View and CEC were also in the Panther Classic last December. The Warriors defeated the Cougars 5-2 in the championship game to claim the tournament title. Article content Halifax West is in sixth place in the Halifax Metro High School Hockey League with a 6-6-0-0 record while Avon View is in first place in the Valley High School Hockey League with a 6-0-0-0 record and are coming off winning the Birthplace of Hockey tournament title last month. CEC is in first place in the Northern Nova Scotia High School Hockey League with a 6-1-0-0 record. SAERC, a Division 2 team, is first overall in the six-team Cape Breton West High School Hockey League with a 4-0-0-0 record. Article content Glace Bay will open the tournament against Sydney Academy on Thursday at 8 p.m. The Panthers and Wildcats played last Sunday at Miners Forum with Glace Bay winning the game 9-1. Article content Panthers head coach Ken Tracey has been pleasantly surprised with his team early in the season, given the fact that most of the players are new to the program.   Article content “We’re relatively new and young but the guys are buying into what we’re trying to sell here in terms of structure and systems and to date we’ve had pretty good success,” said Tracey, who served as an assistant coach with the program in the early 2000s before returning to the program’s bench this year. STRONG SEASON SO FAR Article content The Panthers have had plenty of success early in the 2025-26 season. The team sits in first place in the four-team Cape Breton High School Hockey League with a 7-2-1-0 record and captured the Blue and White Challenge title last month in Membertou. Article content Glace Bay also secured a spot in the semifinal game at the Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold Hockey Tournament in North Sydney last month, losing to the host Memorial. Article content The team hasn’t had a problem finding the back of the net in the first half of the year. The club leads the league with 72 goals, 22 of those scored by league leader Carson Hogan. Article content “Carson can certainly put the puck in the net, and Brody (Walker) is the same way,” said Tracey. “We have great leadership in the room, and these guys offensively are certainly a threat for sure.”   Article content Going into the Panther Classic, Walker said the team’s scoring depth will be one of the keys to success. “Last month in the Blue and White Challenge, a lot of people stepped up, and all 19 guys were going,” said Walker. “We realized that it takes an army to be successful and it’s important that we carry that into the weekend.” Article content Brody Walker of the Glace Bay Panthers, left, chips the puck into the offensive zone during Cape Breton High School Hockey League action at Miners Forum in Glace Bay last Sunday. This year’s Panther Classic will be Walker’s last as he will be graduating in June. Photo by Jeremy Fraser /Cape Breton Post Article content ‘COMPETE FOR THREE PERIODS’ Article content Individual-wise, Walker sits second in league scoring with seven goals and 25 points in 10 games, only behind Hogan, who has 35 points in 10 regular season games. Article content “I try not to worry about points and individual success, but it’s always nice to know you’re doing well and being one of the top guys in the league,” said Walker, who prior to being named captain served as an assistant captain to begin the season.   Article content “I’ve felt a lot more confident on the ice this season and I feel in much better shape as it was a hard-working offseason for me preparing for my Grade 12 year. It helps for sure that I get to play with skilled teammates who have no issues putting the puck in the net.” After their tilt against Sydney Academy, Glace Bay will continue the round robin portion of the tournament on Friday at 8 p.m., against CEC before facing SAERC at 7 p.m., on Saturday. Article content “The team needs to compete for 45 minutes and really buy into our systems,” said Walker. “We are a team that has no issues putting the puck in the net, but we need to realize that we have to cover 200 feet of the ice. We need to compete just as hard in all three zones and compete for three periods.” Article content The tournament semifinal games are scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The championship game will be played later in the day at 2:30 p.m. Article content Glace Bay has won the Panther Classic seven times (2023, 2017, 2008, 2006, 1999, 1998 and 1997) since the tournament began in 1997. Article content Article content PANTHER CLASSIC SCHEDULE   Article content Hosted by: Glace Bay High SchoolLocation: Miners Forum, Glace BayTeams: Glace Bay Panthers, Sydney Academy Wildcats, Riverview Ravens, Memorial Marauders, Strait Area Education Recreation Centre Saints, Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars, Avon View Avalanche and Halifax West Warriors Thursday Article content 6 p.m. – Riverview vs. Memorial8 p.m. – Glace Bay vs. Sydney Academy Article content Friday Article content 2 p.m. – Sydney Academy vs. Strait Area Education Recreation Centre4 p.m. – Riverview vs. Halifax West6 p.m. – Memorial vs. Avon View8 p.m. – Glace Bay vs. Cobequid Educational Centre Article content Saturday Article content 9 a.m. – Avon View vs. Halifax West11 a.m. – Strait Area Education Recreation Centre vs. Cobequid Educational Centre1 p.m. – Memorial vs. Halifax West3 p.m. – Sydney Academy vs. Cobequid Educational Centre5 p.m. – Riverview vs. Avon View7 p.m. – Glace Bay vs. Strait Area Education Recreation Centre Article content Sunday Article content 9 a.m. – Semifinal Game11 a.m. – Semifinal Game2:30 p.m. – Championship Game Article content Article content PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS Article content 2024 – Halifax West Warriors Article content 2023 – Glace Bay Panthers Article content 2022 – Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars Article content 2021 – Halifax West Warriors Article content 2019 – Auburn Drive Eagles Article content 2018 – Riverview High School Article content 2017 – Glace Bay Panthers Article content 2015 – Memorial Marauders Article content 2014 – Riverview High School Article content 2013 – Riverview High School Article content Note: The tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as 2016 due to the work-to-rule job action. Article content Article content PANTHER CLASSIC COVERAGE   Article content For daily results and pictures from the Panther Classic high school hockey tournament, visit capebretonpost.com each night.