TORONTO—Manitoulin’s Michael Laidley has been forced to cheer on his Aurora Tiger teammates from the stands during the fourth round series playoffs of the Buckland Cup against the Toronto Patriots due to an injury sustained earlier in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) playoffs against the Kingston Voyageurs.
The Tigers dominated the Northeast Conference finals against the Voyageurs winning the series 4-0, but Michael was left with a middle finger fractured in three places.
“I’m disappointed to be watching from the stands,” Michael told The Expositor on Monday, “but I’m hoping we’ll make it to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup and that I’ll get the go ahead to play.”
As of press time on Monday, the Tigers were 1 and 2 in the series against the Patriots, having lost their first two games, but winning Monday night’s game 4-3.
With four more games still left in the series the Tigers still have a chance to claw their way to the top and take home the Buckland Cup.
If the Tigers win the championships they will move on to the OJHL Dudley-Hewitt Cup hosted by the Wellington Dukes beginning Tuesday, April 29.
The Aurora Tigers have won the Dudley-Hewitt Cup twice in the past 10 years, first in 2004 and then again in 2007.
Eighteen-year-old Michael of Little Current got his start playing locally for the Manitoulin Panthers before moving on to the Sudbury Wolves bantam AAA, minor midget AA Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves and finally on to the Aurora Tigers last fall.
The 5’11”, 170 lb forward is one of Ontario’s rising hockey stars having recently accepted a full scholarship to St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY for 2015.
The Tigers faceoff against the Patriots again tonight, Wednesday, in Game 4 at 7:30 pm.
