Cambridge Redhawks celebrate Sutherland Cup win while looking forward to the future

CTV’s Colton Wiens catches up with the Cambridge Redhawks as they give back to their community following a big championship win.

The Cambridge Redhawks have a lot to celebrate.

The Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) team won their first Sutherland Cup title in franchise history with a dramatic 4 - 3 overtime win over The St. Marys Lincolns on Saturday.

It capped off what has been a phenomenal season for the team. They won 45 regular season games, which ties the record for the most in GOHL history, and swept their first three playoff series in the Eastern Conference. Cambridge won the league during the regular season and only lost five times over 50 games. They followed that up with their nearly perfect playoff run where they only lost one in 17 games.

Former NHL player Todd Bertuzzi has been at the helm this year.

“This one’s a proud accomplishment and I was very happy for the kids to win,” Bertuzzi, head coach of the Cambridge Redhawks, said. “It was the long run. Fun season. I’m looking forward to a little bit of rest here. I’m looking forward to watching my son play tonight, Game 7 with Adirondack, and get through the weekend of camp and then get some much needed rest and get ready for next year.”

This was Bertuzzi’s first year as head coach, and he plans to return next year.

“I promised them that if we had a good stretch and a good run, that I’d love to come back. And we’re fortunate that we won and I would like to come back and try to repeat,” he said.

When CTV News caught up with the team while they were giving back to their community by collecting donations during McHappy Day on Wednesday, the players were still glowing from their championship win.

“Unreal. You dream of it when you’re little,” Brandon Balcar, a goalie with the Redhawks, said. “I’m from London, so I used to watch London Nationals and I grew up around them. It’s pretty amazing that I was able to win the Sutherland Cup and have my name etched into it.”

“Awesome. Surreal feeling!” Jake Skuta, a forward for the Redhawks, said. “It’s honestly special. I don’t think it’s really settled in.”

Fans were happy to join in the fun as the team brought the Sutherland Cup to a McDonald’s location at 400 Main Street East Cambridge.

“Can’t miss a day like this,” Owen, a Redhawks fan said.

“I was really happy and I was so excited for them to win it. I knew that they were going to do it. I had no doubt in them,” Jordyn Goldrich said.

The celebration isn’t over yet. The team is planning a parade across the City of Cambridge to celebrate the championship on Saturday, May 16.

“The city embraced this and the parade that’s coming, we’re just humbled by what the experience has been and the support that we’ve got. We see so many of the fans now in the city. They come to everything we do,” Rob McIntosh, president of the Cambridge Redhawks, said.

The parade is expected to begin at 3 p.m. on May 16, starting at the Galt Arena Gardens and finishing at City Hall.

“A very big development year”

From the outset of the season, the team had big dreams in mind.

“We sat down with coaching staff, and we knew the core we had coming back. And we said this has got to be the year. After the start and [Bertuzzi] and our coaching staff, they took care of business. Then it was up to us. The trade deadline was coming, and we said let’s go all in,” Eric Boissonneault, vice-president and director of operations for the Cambridge Redhawks, said.

Bertuzzi is being praised for how he helped bring the team together.

“The way that he shaped the dressing room for the boys on and off the ice, we had such a good family culture in there, and Bert was a big part of that. He cared about the boys very deeply. He loved every one of us and he treated us like his own son,” Balcar said.

Bertuzzi said the role didn’t come without challenges.

“When you don’t have full hands-on deck and can’t control the outcome of a game other than being a coach, it’s a little bit different. But we assembled a terrific team and quality character guys and they pulled it off,” Bertuzzi said. “The kids are going to be a lot more prepared. This year was a very, very big development year, them understanding me and how we’re going to play. I think having so many returning guys is going to be great.”

For now, the team is looking forward to what’s to come.

“I think Todd’s underselling himself. I think he’s got to teach just as much, because now you have to control 25 egos who just won a championship. So, it’s going to be just as much teaching, just a different kind,” Boissonneault said.