The Jasper Brewing Co. Barley Kings are keeping their crown at the top of the Jasper Hockey League castle.
The defending JHL champions fended off an impressive challenge by the De’d Dog Outlaws in the final game of Jasper’s “Super Sunday” JHL Triple Header, March 25, claiming the A-Cup in overtime with a powerplay goal by defenseman Brandon Degenstein.
The game was deadlocked at the end of both periods: after a somewhat Brew Pub-titled first frame, the Outlaws came out of their Boxx Modular dressing room, removed their skate guards and opened the scoring with a goal off the rush by Jacob Groulx. Only seconds earlier, before he flipped the puck over the pad of Brew Pub goalie Jeremy Johnson, the Marmot Basin snowboard instructor was dubbed “Rapunzel” in honour of his flowing locks by local Latino and sportscasting sensation, Paco Artiaga.
Less than two minutes later, the Outlaws scored another on the power play, after Barley King Chuck Barker took a penalty for an illegal body-check on Outlaw Victor Vassallo. The goal scorer was none other than power forward Ryan Ewald, who won the A Championship last year as a Barley King but who opted to be an Outlaw in 2023/24.
Ewald’s smooth skating and quick release helped his team surge to the top of the regular season standings, and many JHL watchers had the Outlaws pegged as early favourites to knock off the champs.
And with 18 minutes left in the A Final, up 2-0, it seemed like they were poised to do just that.
However it didn’t take long for the Barley Kings—who this year bolstered their aging roster with the addition of three high-flying high schoolers—to start to close the gap. First, Travis Chorley, sporting a cage after spittin’ chiclets in a first-round loss to the pesky Sun Dog Beavers, galloped down the left side and snapped a blistering wrist shot past Cassi Allin’s glove. Five minutes later, ageless defenseman Kevin Russell dished a pass to Justin Melnyk, who slung a shot from the high slot through a screen and past the sprawling netminder.
As the underdogs, Allin and the Outlaws were the clear crowd favourites (see also: The Barley Kings: The Empire Snipes Back, Jasper Local 2018) and as the Brew Pub poured on the pressure in the latter half of the second period, chants of “Cassi, Cassi” reverberated through the rink.
By the sound of the thundering applause one would never have imagined the Jasper Arena was at half capacity due to renovation restrictions, and it should be noted that the volunteer security guards commissioned by the JHL did have to turn back one school group and several clusters of tourists who wanted a glimpse of the JHL action (hopefully head of security Brian Ewald directed them to Artiaga’s Facebook Live feed).
Unlike the B-Final, where the Royals handed the Bonestars a 6-1 drubbing, backstopped by keeper Duncan McLeod’s 44 saves, the A was a nailbiter from puck drop.
The tension was ratcheted up further when game went into overtime, because just as the buzzer sounded, Royd Irwin received a roughing penalty, potentially jeopardizing his chance to win his first A Final while playing on the same team as his kid, Jackson. The Outlaws couldn’t capitalize, however, and inevitably, officials Donovan Fawcett and Brad Derbowka—who refereed a great game—gave the Barley Kings a powerplay.
During that man-advantage, a botched clearing attempt bounced off of Ewald’s backside and onto the stick of Brandon Degenstein, who fanned on his first shot but hit the back of the net with his second. The overtime winner sealed the 2024 championship for the Brew Pub and (with apologies to wives of the Barley Kings goal scorers sitting behind me) broke the hearts of 240-odd faithful in attendance.
If past history is any indication, the Barley Kings will display their reclaimed trophy on a high shelf in the Jasper Brew Pub and will take pains to let their fellow JHLers know they’re still the Kings of the castle.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
