Trojans finish what they started

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This article was published 17/03/2025 (212 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Vincent Massey Trojans had three goals at the start of the season: win the Husky Classic tournament, earn the program’s first city championship and triumph at provincials.

The Trojans, who won the Husky in October and conquered the Winnipeg High School Hockey League earlier this month, checked their final box on Monday.

Vincent Massey earned a 3-2 victory over the River East Kodiaks in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association men’s hockey provincial championship final at Seven Oaks Arena.

It’s the second provincial banner in program history.

“We’re just a family,” said Trojans captain Trevor Johnston. “We’re like brothers, you know? I mean, brothers fight, but at the end of the day, we love each other. And there’s nothing more I’d rather win than with my family.”

Forward Karst Gruener scored twice, including the game-winning goal at 13:51 of the third period, as Vincent Massey overcame a third-period deficit to win in regulation. Aiden Dilay accounted for the other Trojans goal.

“(Sunday) night, I knew it was going to be my last game so I knew I had to put it all out there,” said Gruener, who was named Most Valuable Player of the provincial championship tournament. “Last game with these guys — maybe I won’t play with some of them even if we do play later in life — but I just knew we had to work hard and that if we did that, we would win.”

Unrau Darvic and Lian Hanzman bulged the twine for the Kodiaks, while goaltender Bjornson Finn stopped 24 of 27 shots. Trojans’ net minder Aapo Tuominen steered 21 of 23 shots aside.

“We’ve just gelled really well. I see other teams, they’re getting mad at each other on the bench. I don’t think we’ve ever had that. Our team, we worked really well, and when you have good chemistry, everything just comes together. I think that just worked out for our team this year, and we had a good year,” said Gruener.

The final featured the province’s most prolific offence in the Kodiaks and the stingiest defence in the Trojans.

A little over two minutes after Gruener opened the scoring in the first period, Darvic replied for the Kodiaks to even the score.

“They stick with it, stick to our system and it speaks volumes of every single kid in that room because they’ve done an amazing job of being productive every game.”– Trojans’ assistant coach Davis Koga

A back-and-forth second frame was highlighted by Hanzman, who intercepted an errant pass from the Trojans in the slot and made no mistake to give the tournament hosts the lead.

Massey, which outpaced River East in shots 27-23, increased its intensity in the third period and had stretches where it came close but had nothing to show for it, including a goal waved off due to the net coming loose. The Trojans finally broke through at 7:14 as the marker from Dilay knotted the score.

Gruener gave the Trojans the lead again off a feed from Sam Kinnear, and the Trojans were able to protect that advantage, just as they had done all season.

“When we put the team together at the start of the year, we picked the best group of guys that were going to gel together. At the end of the day, we knew that if we’re in tough situations that that group’s going to come together and they’re gonna find a way to get things done,” said Trojans’ assistant coach Davis Koga.

“And throughout the year that’s all that’s happened, is we’ve had the right guys, they show up and they learn every day and it shows on the ice. They stick with it, stick to our system and it speaks volumes of every single kid in that room because they’ve done an amazing job of being productive every game.”

Joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca