Photo by Janet Schultz/NY Hockey Online
Buffalo, NY – The Scotty Bowman Cup returned to the Key Bank Center Friday night. The annual event is the culmination of the high school hockey season, showcasing the best players from western New York and Rochester.
Now in it’s 18th year, the evening included three games playing two periods each.
Game 1 featured the best junior class players from Buffalo and Rochester. The Buffalo team is made up of both private and public school players. Rick Brooks from Clarence was the Buffalo teams head coach.
Team Rochester won the Tim Horton Memorial 8-6 with Ivan Milovidon (Batavia) leading his team with two goals. Anderson Cornwell from St. Joe’s led Buffalo with three goals. The St. Joe’s Marauder completed the hat trick in the final minute of regulation.
“It was exciting playing again at Key Bank,” Cornwell said. “I’ts an honor to play.” Last month Cornwell played a prominent role in the Marauders win over Bishop-Timon on this same rink, helping St. Joe’s capture the Monsignor Martin Title.
Also playing for Team Buffalo was German foreign exchange student
. Brettner is only here for one year. “We don’t have high school hockey in Germany,” Brettner said after the game. Brettner played the final 10 minutes of the game surrendering just one goal.
In the middle game, The Scotty Bowman Cup, Team Buffalo came out on top winning 9-2. Kenmore East seniors Austin Turnbull and Owen McKinney played prominently with Turn bull recording a goal and an assist while McKinney had two helpers. Friday’s game was the last high school athletic competition either will participate in.
“It was a lot of fun,” Turnbull said. Both seniors played last year in the junior game but also played here last month winning the Section VI Division 2 championship against West Seneca West.
“Against West Seneca it was tight for the most part but this one was fairly easy,” McKinney said.
McKinney will attend trade school next fall for welding. Turnbull is looking at Brockport and considering playing hockey there. He wants to become a cop and is also considering joining the ARMY.
In the late game, the best Junior/Prep level players took the ice with two former Buffalo Sabres coaching against one another. Patrick Kaleta coached Team Hasek while Cody McCormick commanded the bench for Team Perrault.
Team Perrault took home the win 5-1, Cole Peters (Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16u) had a goal and two assists.
Scotty Bowman had an opportunity to talk to players before the senior game and preached teamwork as the blueprint for success. “You have to work together in order to be successful in team sports,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “There are a lot of players across the Country playing at a high level that were developed here in western New York.”
Bowman added that next year they are looking to add a girls game to compliment the boys.
Last year Section V (Rochester) iced a high school team for the first time.
Speaking with a number of participating players and coaches, all seemed to relish in the moment of playing on an NHL rink with family and friends in attendance.