A motivated junior hockey team is a formidable force. Exhibit A1? The Picton Pirates.

The Amherstview Jets can testify to that fact.

Picton completed their comeback at the W.J. Henderson Arena Thursday, vanquishing the host Jets 3-2 in Game 7 to move on to the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Tod Division Semi Finals.

It was only the PJHL’s first round in the 2026 Schmalz Cup playoffs.

But what an opening act it was.

Settling Scores

Resetting the stage, most observers assumed the Pirates evened their series at the conclusion of Game 4 with a 5-4 win. But the Jets appealed the game. Picton was found to have dressed an ineligible player. The Pirates owned the mistake — and forfeited the match, leaving the Jets up 3-1 in the series and the Pirates on the brink of elimination.

The Bucs got mad. Then they got even. First, by winning Game 5 on the road 4-0.

In Game 6 in Picton, they were down 3-1 with under three minutes to play but came storming back with a four goal barrage in the final 2:46 to down the Jets 5-3. Series tied 3-3.

That set up Thursday’s finale: the Pirates pushed through to round two with their best 60-minute effort of the season.

Reflecting on the twists and turns of the series, Jamie Lane said his team was inspired through adversity and raised the bar as the series went on.

“(The Game 4 ruling) was the right one but we got hungry. The guys felt gypped,” Coach Lane said afterwards. “It definitely added fuel to the fire.”

The Pirates trailed by a goal after 20 minutes. A botched defensive zone face off by Picton allowed Andrew Botting to tee up Andrew White with 4:06 left in the first.

Picton took control in the second thanks to their power play. Luc Amat made a nice cross-ice pass to set up Colby Leaver alone at the side of the net. Picton’s overage winger made no mistake, beating Tyson Wilcox for his first of the series at 8:20.

Game 7’s attendance was 945 and 60 per cent of them lustily cheered on the County entry. They erupted when Mr. Leaver bulged twine and proved their mass shaded that of the Amherstview loyalists.

Picton gave the travelling fans another reason to hoot and holler under three minutes later.

Afforded another power play, Cole Stevenson’s cross-crease pass found Mr. Amat’s stick on the goal line and the Roblin, ON native had a tap-in for Picton’s first lead of the game.

Up 2-1 entering the third, Picton sailed on and Mr. Amat lit the lamp for the series winning goal. The goal wasn’t one of his patented electrifying tallies. The winger grabbed a puck from well outside the slot and sent it towards the net. The disc took a generous hop off a defender and tumbled past Mr. Wilcox at 11:08.

Carter McKee put the celebrations on hold momentarily with his fourth of the series at 15:59, but Picton sapped the rest of Amherstview’s resolve.

Picton netminder Nolan Lane was brilliant in the first, coming up with several big saves to keep the score 1-0. At the end of the night, he was his calm and collected self as the Pirates dutifully swabbed the deck in front of him.

Up Next

For their efforts, Picton drew the Tod Division regular season champion Lakefield in Round 2. The Pirates played the first two games of the series in Lakefield. Game 1 wasn’t competitive as the Bucs lost 5-2.

On Tuesday, Picton had a 2-1 lead heading into the third period but two Chiefs goals in the opening five minutes of the frame paved the way to a 4-2 loss.

The Pirates hosts the Chiefs for Games 3 and 4 Thursday and Saturday.