DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard NORTH DURHAM/KAWARTHA LAKES: A handful of young hockey players, from North Durham and Kawartha Lakes, took a major step toward their junior hockey dreams, over the weekend, as the Ontario Hockey League held its 2026 Priority Selection, in Kingston. While no local players were selected, during Friday night's opening round, several area standouts heard their names called, throughout rounds two through 15. This highlighted the strength of local hockey

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard A season filled with success, growth and memorable moments was celebrated recently, as the Uxbridge Bruins gathered for their annual awards banquet at the Uxbridge Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. The evening provided an opportunity to recognize individual achievements, while also marking the end of an era, for several key members of the organization. Among those saying goodbye was Bruins president, Jay Simmonds, who announced he is stepping awa

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: The future of the Blackstock Arena took a significant step forward, recently, as Scugog Council approved the purchase and installation of a new permanent refrigeration plant for the historic facility. The issue dominated discussions, during the Monday, May 25th council meeting, when members of the newly formed Blackstock Community Arena Development Committee presented a five-year vision for the arena

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Growing demand for remote viewing of local hockey games and arena activities has prompted Brock Council to approve a new partnership, bringing LiveBarn streaming services to all three municipal arenas. During its meeting, on Monday, May 25th, Council authorized staff to enter into an agreement with LiveBarn, a subscription-based streaming platform, widely used in arenas across North America. The servic

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Girls hockey continues its rapid rise in Kawartha Lakes, with hundreds of young athletes taking to the ice, in recent weeks, including a busy tryout weekend, of April 25th and 26th, and sessions continuing into May, for the Lindsay Lynx girls hockey program at the Lindsay Recreation Complex. In recent weeks, girls aged 9 to 17 have been showcasing their skills, in hopes of earning a spot on one of the

DARRYL KNIGHT, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard A season defined by resilience and a raucous home crowd came to a close, in dramatic fashion, for the Uxbridge Bruins, on Tuesday, April 14th. Backed by more than 800 fans, at the Bear Den, the Bruins battled until the final horn, but fell, 4–3, to the Frankford Huskies, in Game 6 of the Provincial Junior Hockey League Eastern Conference championship series, ending their playoff run one step short of the fin

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Uxbridge Bruins opened their Provincial Junior Hockey League quarterfinal series in strong fashion, over the weekend, skating to a 5-2 Game 1 victory, over the Frankford Huskies. From a field of more than 60 teams, the Provincial Junior Hockey League has been narrowed to the final eight, with Uxbridge travelling east, along Highway 401, over the Easter weekend, to face the Tod Division champion Huskies, in a best-of-seven East Conference champi

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Uxbridge Bruins are back on top of the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Orr Division, capturing the Cougar Cup, with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Clarington Eagles, in Game 6 on Sunday, March 29th, in Bowmanville. The championship marks the eighth in franchise history for Uxbridge and their first since 2019, capping off an impressive playoff run which saw the Bruins win four of the final five games in the series. After splitting the opening

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: The Little Britain Merchants and the broader community are mourning the passing of, founder and longtime volunteer, Art Field, a man whose impact on local sport and labour advocacy spanned more than five decades. Born in 1934, Mr. Field devoted his life to building opportunities for others, whether at the rink, on the ball diamond, or through his work supporting working-class families. Best kn

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: The dream of a national title came to an end for Blackstock, on Saturday night, but the pride and momentum built, through the 2026 Kraft Hockeyville campaign, will carry on, long after the final votes counted. During the live broadcast, on the evening of Saturday, March 21st, it was announced, Taber and Tumbler Ridge had been selected as the Top two communities in this year’s competition, leaving Blac

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) Orr Division championship series is off to a fast and physical start, with the Uxbridge Bruins and Clarington Eagles splitting the opening two games of the Cougar Cup final over the weekend. Uxbridge drew first blood on Friday, March 20th, at the Bear Den, skating to a commanding 6-1 victory on home ice. The Bruins wasted no time setting the tone, striking twice in a 12-second span early in the first perio

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: The small North Durham community of Blackstock is celebrating national recognition, after being named Ontario’s provincial winner in the 2026 edition of the Kraft Hockeyville competition. The announcement was made during the March 14th broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada, placing the Blackstock Arena among 13 communities across Canada selected as provincial and territorial winners. The recognition mea

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Uxbridge Bruins have advanced to the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) Orr Division finals, eliminating their arch-rivals, the Port Perry MoJacks, in a hard-fought five-game Battle of North Durham series. After storming to a 2-0 series lead last weekend, Uxbridge faced a resilient LumberJacks squad in Game 3 on Tuesday, March 10th, in Uxbridge. Port Perry struck first in the third period with a power-play goal from Parker Lemay, assisted by

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard NORTH DURHAM/KAWARTHA LAKES: The community is grieving, following the tragic passing of Woodville youth Rowen Greening, whose life touched countless people both on and off the ice. Rowen, a Grade 6 student and a member of the North Durham Warriors Under-12 AA hockey team, passed away, following an ATV accident, on Thursday, March 5th. In the days since, an outpouring of love and support has spread throughout

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) playoffs shifted into the divisional semifinal round over the weekend, and one of the most anticipated matchups is the Battle of North Durham between the Uxbridge Bruins and the Port Perry Lumberjacks. Through the first two games of the best-of-seven Orr Division semifinal, the Bruins have seized early control of the series. Nearly 800 boisterous fans packed the Bear Den in Uxbridge on Friday night (March 6

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The hardware is heading back to Sunderland. Uxbridge Bruins forward, Ryan Shier has been named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Orr Division, for the 2025-26 season, capping off a dominant campaign for the first-place Bruins. The 20-year-old Sunderland native led Uxbridge in scoring, with 22 goals and 31 assists, for 53 points in 40 games, playing a key role in the club’s run to the top of the division standing

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard A North Durham rivalry will take centre stage this weekend, as the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL)’s Orr Division semifinals open, with a familiar and heated matchup. The first-place Uxbridge Bruins will square off against the fourth-place Port Perry LumberJacks, in what promises to be another intense chapter in the Battle of North Durham. Uxbridge enters the series as the clear favourite, having dominated the regular season rivalry. The Bru

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: Long-anticipated repairs at the Blackstock Recreation Complex are moving a step closer to reality, with council approving a design assignment which could lay the groundwork for major roof and structural upgrades at the community facility. At a recent meeting, council received a report from Grant Taylor, Director of Public Works & Recreation, recommending the Township retain Sense Engineering (GTA) I

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard Opening weekend of the Provincial Junior Hockey League playoffs delivered exactly what local fans have come to expect, dominant performances at the top and high drama in one of the league’s fiercest rivalries. The first-place Uxbridge Bruins wasted no time showing why they were among the elite teams in the entire PJHL this season. Uxbridge set a new club record with 35 wins and finished with 71 points, second overall in the league, trailing only th