It wasn’t the ending OP Puck wanted. As the players watched the puck roll past the goal line, in the overtime period versus Cranford, their hearts sank in despair and disbelief. The season was over just like that. Even worse, all of the 8 seniors realized that this would be the last time they would suit up in an Oratory uniform. The team would never be the same again. 

Despite this harsh reality, the Rams have a lot to be proud of from this season. They finished second in the division with a 6-3-1 record. They made it to the semi finals of the Kelly Cup playoffs and were on the verge of making it to the finals but thanks (or no thanks) to some unlucky bounces, their dreams of winning the Kelly Cup were shattered. Many of the players put up impressive stats, including the Moran twins who combined for 45 points in only 10 games. Darren Keaveney and Colby Livingston both put up respectable numbers as Darren had a save percentage of 91.4% and Colby had a save percentage of 92.2%.

The 2021 hockey season wasn’t smooth sailing by any means. The Rams encountered a lot of challenges and had to sacrifice a lot to make sure they would be able to have a season. They had to get dressed in the freezing cold for games and practices since the locker rooms were closed. They had to wear masks at all times except on the ice; they even had to wear masks while doing dryland practice. OP puck also had some of their games cancelled or postponed because of COVID reasons. Because of the pandemic, OP only got to play 10 games which is about half of what they’d normally play. 

Another big bummer was the fact that the rinks didn’t allow fans (outside family), so none of the OP students could come to the games and cheer on the team. As for the seniors, instead of a senior night game, they got a senior night practice. 

All of the players were aware of these unfortunate circumstances. But instead of dwelling on their misfortunes, the Rams adapted to and overcame the challenges and uncertainty that this season brought. They were just happy to play the game they loved with the people they loved. 

The end result wasn’t what the Rams wanted; some might consider the season a failure. But this unprecedented season showed the true character of the OP hockey players; how they overcame so many challenges and how they played their hearts out for each other. They left everything out on the ice. 

So in that sense, the season was a success!