Caleb Franklin recorded a hat trick as the Kerry Park Islanders marked Nick Collins Night with a 6-4 win over the Peninsula Panthers last Saturday.
The Isles have honoured the Kerry Park Minor Hockey goalie and Islanders volunteer who died tragically at the age of 15 in November 2007 every year since his death, and his memory serves as a motivator.
“The boys were informed of what the night was about and what he meant to the organization,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said.
Franklin scored in each of the three periods, completing the feat with 4:14 left in the game as he guided the Isles to victory. Each time the team scored, the players saluted Collins’s No. 30, which was marked on the glass in the rink corner.
The Isles also got a goal and two assists from Jacob Malloch, a goal and one helper from Jordan Martin — playing his first junior game since 2015 — a shorthanded marker from Tanner Tiel, and two assists each from Geoff LaMorre and Brandon Wilson, while goalie Rett Rook made 35 saves.
“I expected us to beat them,” Osmond said. “They’re a team below us, who we should beat. We won fairly handily.”
The night before, the Isles lost 6-2 on the road against the Saanich Braves. The Isles were down 5-0 before Dawson Haines got his team on the board midway through the second period. Wilson scored early in the third, but the Braves iced it with a powerplay marker with just over three minutes remaining. Rook started the game and gave up five goals on 24 shots before he was replaced by Chase Anderson, who stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced.
The Isles will host the Westshore Wolves on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and visit the Victoria Cougars on Sunday afternoon.