Aidan Stanwick prepares to take a shot on goal during Cape Breton High School Hockey League action earlier this season at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath. Stanwick and the Ravens will host the 44th annual Red Cup Showcase high school hockey tournament this week. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST

COXHEATH, N.S. — Sitting in the stands at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre, Aidan Stanwick watched as his brother won the Red Cup Showcase high school hockey tournament with Riverview in 2019.

He hoped that would be him one day, celebrating with his teammates as fans at the jam-packed arena cheered for their school and community. 

Four years later in 2023, Stanwick was on the ice for his first Red Cup tournament after the event was cancelled in his first year in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“You have the whole crowd and the whole school into it and everybody is behind you,” said Stanwick, noting he watched the tournament for more than a decade and recalls past Riverview teams win in the early 2010s.

“My brother playing in it and winning it was great, but to finally get to play, it was a really cool experience.” 

Unfortunately, the Howie Centre resident was forced to watch as the Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals of Antigonish celebrated winning their first Red Cup title since 2007 after beating the Ravens 3-2 in the final last February. 

This year, Stanwick, a graduating defenceman, will get one final opportunity to join his brother Ethan as a Red Cup champion when the 44th annual tournament kicks off at the County Recreation Centre on Thursday.

Stanwick, the captain of the Ravens team, is grateful to have the chance to play in the tournament in his Grade 12 year and to get another crack at the title. 

“I know when I was in Grade 10, we didn’t get the Red Cup experience and all the grads were really bummed out about it and it really sucked at the time,” said Stanwick. “To finally get to play in the tournament last year and now this year, to get two Red Cup experiences is obviously really special.” 

Riverview will be joined in the John Hanna Division by the Sydney Academy Wildcats, Lockview Dragons of Fall River, N.S., and Central Kings Gators of Cambridge, N.S.

The Bill McLellan Division will feature the Memorial Marauders, Glace Bay Panthers, North Nova Gryphons of New Glasgow and defending champion Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals.

The Ravens will open the tournament on Thursday against longtime rival Sydney Academy. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. following the opening ceremony at 5:50 p.m. 

Riverview has won the tournament nine times (1985, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2019). 

Last 10 champs

• 2023 – Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals
• 2020 – Northumberland Nighthawks
• 2019 – Riverview Ravens
• 2018 – Halifax West Warriors
• 2016 – Glace Bay Panthers
• 2015 – Glace Bay Panthers
• 2014 – King’s-Edgehill
• 2013 – Riverview Ravens
• 2012 – Riverview Ravens
• 2011 – Riverview Ravens

Note: The Red Cup Showcase was cancelled in 2022 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also cancelled in 2017 due to work-to-rule job action

Riverview head coach Jordan Moss, who played for the team from 2012 to 2015, believes his club is solid throughout the lineup.

“We’re deep all the way through with our forwards, defence and goaltender, it’s all been good, but the biggest thing is I think we need to find our consistency,” said Moss. “We’ve been really good at times and we’ve been bad at times, so it’s trying to get that good consistency going into the Red Cup and playoffs.” 

The Ravens, who finished in second place in the four-team Cape Breton High School Hockey League with a 10-6-1-0 record, will have 13 players in the lineup who will experience their first Red Cup tournament. 

Moss said the returning players who played last year will play a key role in helping bring a Red Cup title back to Riverview for the first time since 2019.

“The guys who already have a taste of it, we’re going to lean on, especially in that first game,” he said. “They will get everyone into the game and keep them calm and remind them to just play like we normally play and don’t do anything crazy.” 

Kayden Mollons of the Riverview Ravens watches the play during Cape Breton High School Hockey League action at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre in January. Mollons, a first-year player with the team, has carried the workload between the pipes for the Coxheath school this season. JEREMY FRASER/CAPE BRETON POST - Jeremy Fraser

Riverview played in two tournaments in January and found success. They made it to the semifinal in the City of Lakes event in Dartmouth and the championship game of the Blue and White Contractor Cup in Membertou.

“We have to take care of the defensive zone and if we take care of our defensive zone, the offence will take care of itself,” said Moss. “There’s times when we get into a little trouble, we get lazy in our own end, so I think if we take care of our own end first, we’ll have some success this weekend.” 

For Stanwick, the message to the first-year players is simple. 

“Just really enjoy it,” said Stanwick. “It’s going to be a great experience for everyone and the whole school, especially the players. There’s nothing to really be nervous about, we know what we have to do and that’s really it. 

“We just have to keep playing the way we’ve been playing recently and keep the ball rolling.”

Ravens roster

• Goaltenders: Kayden Mollons and Max Shaheen
• Defencemen: Alex MacDonald, Gavin Rector, Aidan Stanwick, Dominic Peach, Colton MacDougall and Carter MacDonald
• Forwards: Gahan Rector, Rory Mills, Colby Rudderham, Shamus Lahey, Ryan Beaton, Matthew Burke, Lucas Phillippo, William Brown, Owen Buckley, and Marcus Kelly
• Affiliate Players: Kyle MacDonald (defence), Luke Burman (defence) and Josh Gogan (forward) 

Source: Cape Breton High School Hockey League

Offensively, Riverview is led by 2023 league most valuable player Gahan Rector with 15 goals and 35 points, while rookies Rory Mills has 18 goals and 30 points and Lucas Phillippo has eight goals and 20 points. 

Between the pipes, Kayden Mollons has carried a bulk of the workload and finished tied for the league-lead in wins (8) and had an 8-4-0-0 record with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage. 

Following Thursday’s opener, Riverview will continue the tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. against Lockview, who won the City of Lakes tournament. The team finishes the round robin on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Central Kings.

The semifinal games are slated for Saturday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship game is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Schedule

44th annual Red Cup Showcase High School Hockey Tournament

Teams: Riverview Ravens, Sydney Academy Wildcats, Central Kings Gators, Lockview Dragons, Glace Bay Panthers, Memorial Marauders, Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals and North Nova Gryphons

Location: Cape Breton County Recreation Centre, Coxheath

Thursday

• 5:50 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
• 6 p.m. – Riverview vs. Sydney Academy
• 8 p.m. – Memorial vs. Glace Bay

Friday

• 9 a.m. – Lockview vs. Central Kings
• 11 a.m. – North Nova vs. Dr. J.H. Gillis
• 1 p.m. – Riverview vs. Lockview
• 3 p.m. – Sydney Academy vs. Central Kings
• 5 p.m. – Memorial vs. North Nova
• 7 p.m. – Glace Bay vs. Dr. J.H. Gillis

Saturday

• 9 a.m. – Memorial vs. Dr. J.H. Gillis
• 11 a.m. – Sydney Academy vs. Lockview
• 1 p.m. – Riverview vs. Central Kings
• 3 p.m. – Glace Bay vs. North Nova
• 6 p.m. – Semifinal Game
• 8 p.m. – Semifinal Game

Sunday

• 11 p.m. – Championship Game

For the Cape Breton teams, Glace Bay was the league powerhouse, finishing first overall with a 14-2-1-0 record. 

The team is looking for the local tournament sweep having won the Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold tournament in November, the Blue and White Contractor Cup in January and their own Panther Classic in December. 

Memorial (6-11-0-0) and Sydney Academy (4-13-0-0) finished in third and fourth place respectively in the local league. 

North Nova (5-6-1-0) is in fourth place in the Northern Nova Scotia High School Hockey League, while Dr. J.H. Gillis (1-11-1-0) is in fifth place in the five-team league.

Central Kings (7-7-1-0) are in sixth place in the seven-team Valley High School Hockey League East Division, while Lockview (16-8-0-1) is fourth in the Metro Hockey School Hockey League’s Tier 1 standings. 

Jeremy Fraser is the sports reporter for the Cape Breton Post. Follow him on X (Twitter) @CBPost_Jeremy.