Picton’s Ben Smith had a pair of assists in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Amherstview. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
After stumbling in the late going of Thursday night’s game against visiting Amherstview, things just kept getting better for the Picton Pirates.
The locals coughed on a 3-1 lead late to the Jets and wound up losing 4-3 in overtime. But by the time Sunday evening rolled around, the Bucs had landed a big acquisition to bolster their blue line, picked up a clutch win in dramatic fashion over Frankford and two of their players were the brightest stars at the PJHL All Star game in Trent Hills.
Not a terrible weekend overall for Pirates Coach and General Manager Jamie Lane and his squad, all things considered.
“Considering the injuries and missing bodies we’ve had, we’ve settled in really well and taken points in five out of six games,” Mr. Lane said.
With the regulation win over the Huskies, the Pirates (17-10-7) remain three points back of the Pups with 11 games left in the 2025-26 Provincial Junior Hockey League season.
After vanquishing a two goal lead late in Thursday’s contest at home, Picton was eager to avoid the same fate on Saturday night–although that’s nearly what transpired when the Pirate ship sailed into the Dr. McMullen Recreation Centre in Frankford.
Picton posted the game’s opening tally in the first period. Veteran Colby Leaver went hard to the Frankford net on the forecheck and batted home a loose puck at 3:47 into the frame for a 1-0 lead.
Later in the opening stanza, Picton’s special teams came to life. Rookie blue liner Mathieu Petrut has developed into a dependable rearguard in all situations for Mr. Lane. Tasked with killing penalty killing duties late in the first, the Kingston native moved the puck to Luc Amat who in turn sprang Cole Stevenson for a break away. Mr. Stevenson deposited his 10th of the year past Liam Boyer with 2:39 left in the period to push Picton ahead 2-0.
After a scoreless second where the intensity built to a fever pitch, matters boiled over in the third. Mr. Leaver and Frankford’s Ryan Turney doffed the mitts for a spirited set-to. The Frankford skater had an early advantage but was felled by a barrage of belts from the Picton pugilist. The Pirates howled their approval from the club’s bench area.
Frankford finally solved Nolan Lane in the seventh minute of the third as Nolan Donnelly’s shot from the slot trickled over the goal line to make it 2-1.
The Huskies then closed the gap completely as a late Picton penalty came back to haunt the visitors. Playing with the man advantage, Riley Grimmon whacked home his 22nd of the year from the goalmouth to square the affair at 2-2.
Picton could be forgiven if they had that same sinking feeling from two nights prior when a rash of needless penalties allowed Amherstview to tie the game late and force overtime.
But the Pirates didn’t relent.
With just over a minute left in the contest, Former Husky Keenan Wiles intercepted a lame duck pass at his own blue line and created a partial breakaway. With a Frankford defender hot on his heels, Mr. Wiles rifled a wrist shot to Noah Groenveld’s glove side and pushed Picton ahead to stay.
“We nearly let another one slip away in the third after a bad penalty allowed them to tie it 2–2, but our group didn’t break or buckle,” Mr. Lane said. “Keenan got loose on a breakaway and delivered. Great players deliver in big moments.”
On Thursday, the Pirates took a two goal lead into the late stages of the contest but with a very different outcome. The game against Amherstview was actually three games in one 61:16 portion.
In the first, Picton was badly outplayed. But the hosts were inexplicably up 2-0 at the end of the opening frame. Only sharp play by Mr. Lane kept the Jets from running away with the match early.
The Pirates broke inside five minutes left in the first. Benefiting from a two man advantage, Picton’s power play sprang to life.
Ben Smith made a nice drop pass from the side of the Amherstview net and Tyler Braund had an empty net in which to blast a one timer with 1:53 left to open the scoring.
Picton went hard to the net with fewer than 10 seconds left in the period. Hard nosed rookie Wesley Jackson was rewarded when Gerrit Kempers fired a laser pass to the far post. The Kingston native directed the disc past Tyson Wilcox with just six seconds left in the first.
Despite Picton playing much better defensively in the second, Amherstview got on the board with a Connor Birney goal midway through the second.
But in the last part of the period, Picton started to control the play and the locals outshot the visitors in the back half of the frame.
The Pirates pushed the pace to start the third. Mr. Smith turned in some nice forechecking behind Amherstview’s oblong onion bag and found Mr. Jackson with a quick pass from behind the goal line. Mr. Wilcox made a pad save but Mr. Kempers buried a juicy rebound at the 4:57 mark to make it 3-1.
The Amherstview netminder was left to his own devices for an extended period of time in the third. But Picton couldn’t capitalize on a glut of glorious scoring chances.
And then Picton ran into penalty trouble. Just as the 5-on-3 man advantage giveth in the first, it taketh away in the third. Carter McKee went top shelf with just over five minutes left to draw his Jets to within a goal.
Just under three minutes later, the Jets completed the comeback as leading scorer Brad Wilson had a tap-in at the side of the net to make it 3-3.
In the overtime, Picton controlled the opening faceoff and Keenan Wiles circled around his end with the puck, trying to break loose for a rush. The Jets countered perfectly, waiting for a transition play.
That is exactly what materialized and Andrew Botting and Thomas Elkins converted on an odd man rush at 1:16 of the extra session to give the Jets the extra point.
Strangely, Picton is 1-4 in seven minute overtimes this season but have won both shootouts they have played in.
Picton hosts Port Hope on Thursday and travels to Trent Hills on Sunday.
The Pirates added veteran defender Parker Stewart from Trent Hills at the Hockey Canada deadline. The Frankford native has played previously with Trenton and Pickering of the OJHL and is a veteran of 118 PJHL games. Mr. Lane said acquiring a right-shot defenceman was very important for the club. Picton is overloaded on the left side. “Bringing in a top defenceman with the experience, Stewy greatly strengthens our back end and he will be a valuable mentor for our rookies.”
Both Mr. Amat and Mr. Kempers were key factors at the PJHL regional all star game in Trent Hills January 11. Mr. Kempers had a goal and two assists while Mr. Amat also scored in the Tod Division’s 5-2 win over their Orr Division counterparts. By virtue of the victory, the Tod Playoff champions will have home ice advantage when they face off with the Orr winners in the 2026 Schmalz Cup Quarterfinals. Mr. Kempers earned MVP laurels for his efforts.
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