Lions remain in 7th place with one game to go

Lapier maintains lead in NCJHL points race – Morrisburg Jr. Lions’ captain Ben Lapier maintains his lead in the National Capital Junior Hockey League points race with one week to go in the regular season. Lapier, playing in his final year of junior hockey, has racked up an impressive 22 goals and 52 assists this season, earning 74 points. He is five points ahead of Vankleek Hill Cougars’ forward Sebastien Ouimet in the points title. Lapier leads all players in assists and short-handed-goals (three). The Lions play their last regular season game against the South Grenville Rangers on February 8 and look towards the start of the playoffs the following weekend. Pictured above, Lapier scores against the St. Isidore Eagles in December 2024. (The Leader/Blancher photo)

MORRISBURG – After a weekend off, the Morrisburg Lions remain in seventh place in the National Capital Junior Hockey League standings, and they had a lot of help from other teams to stay there.

The Lions last played to a close 5-4 loss against the North Dundas Rockets on January 25. Morrisburg will close out their regular season campaign February 8 against the South Grenville Rangers.

In the league standings, the Lions have an 11 win, 21 loss, one over time loss, record and 23 points. Sitting in seventh place, the team is tied for points with the eighth place Cumberland Castors – Morrisburg has one more win than Cumberland to break the tie.

Idle since January 25, the Lions needed the Castors and ninth place Almonte Inferno to drop points to keep seventh place and a more preferable first round playoff match. Eighth place will face two-time defending league champions and current first place Gatineau Hull-Volant; seventh place will play NCJHL West division champs, the Westport Rideaus. Morrisburg won the West division in 2023-24.

Over the weekend, the Hull-Volant, Rideaus, St. Isidore Eagles, and the Rockets all played a hand in keeping the Lions seventh. Gatineau handed Cumberland a 7-2 loss January 31, while the Rideaus defeated the Inferno by the same score. February 2 saw the Rockets ending the Inferno’s playoff chances 6-1, and the Eagles swatted the Castors 5-2.

The Castors visit the Metcalfe Jets February 7. A win, tie, or overtime loss will put the Castors ahead of the Lions in the standings.

The Lions’ regular season wraps up with a must-win game. They host the last-place South Grenville Rangers on February 8. Puck drop at the Morrisburg Arena is at 7:15 p.m.

League playoffs get underway February 14.