Calumet is all smiles as they pose with the John H. Sherf Trophy after defeating Hancock Saturday in the 50th annual Copper Island Classic held at the Calumet Colosseum. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

CALUMET — This year marked the 50th anniversary of the playing of the Copper Island Classic on the ice at the Calumet Colosseum. This post-Thanksgiving weekend tradition has featured a two-game series against the Calumet Copper Kings and the Hancock Bulldogs hockey teams. The team with the most goals after the series is proclaimed winner of the John H. Sherf Trophy on Saturday night.

This year, the trophy went to the Copper Kings. They won on Friday, 5-1, and on Saturday, 2-1. It was their 32nd victory in the Classic, and their second in a row.

According to coach Dan Giachino, the Calumet squad played better on Friday.

“Tonight (Saturday) we were sloppy,” he said. “Hancock did a real nice job of congesting us in the middle. They had a lot of sticks and bodies there that took away some of our prime scoring opportunities.”

Friday night

Hancock’s only lead in this series occurred in the opening period of Game One.

Lukas Axford found the net at the 5:53 mark for the Bulldogs. However, it was short-lived as the Copper Kings’ Nate Londo tied it with zero time on the clock to close out the first. 
Oskar Loukus helped the Copper Kings take the lead then in the second. He took a pass from Lewis Nagel and scored at the 15:43 mark.

Londo added to his points total with a third-period goal at the 15:50 mark. Ben Anderson got the assist on that one.

An unassisted goal by Dylan Crouch made the score 4-1 at the 9:16 mark, and Anderson scored with less than three minutes to go to close this opening night out at 5-1.

The Copper Kings outshot the Bulldogs 30-19. Beau Jukuri earned the opening night win in the net for Calumet.

Saturday night

While the Copper Kings squeezed out a 2-1 win in Game Two, they had five penalties – three more than goals scored.

“We took too many penalties this weekend,” noted Giachino.

In contrast, the Bulldogs tallied just two all weekend – one in each contest.

“I am obviously happy with the win, but we need to keep working on the little things,” he added. “This means closing out games and not give the opponent the puck with a lead and a few minutes to go in the game.”

The Copper Kings’ two goals on Saturday came in the first two periods. In the first, Luke Hamlin scored in front of the net at the 12:59 mark and was assisted by Oskar Loukus.

In the second, Kaden Cronenworth found the net at the 12:31 mark unassisted.

The Bulldogs avoided the shutout courtesy of a power play goal by Connor Helminen with less than three minutes on the clock. He was assisted by Jax Piener.

The Copper Kings outshot the Bulldogs, 27-18, and Jukuri got another win in the net.

“Game puck to goes to Beau (Jukuri),” said Giachino. “He was great in the net particularly as we tallied up penalty minutes. Nate Londo gets the game puck for Friday as he had two big goals for us.”

Up next

The Copper Kings will welcome the Marquette Sentinels to the Colosseum on Tuesday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. That same night and time, the Bulldogs will welcome the Manistique Emeralds to the HoCo Arena.

Calumet’s Nathan Londo battles for a puck with Hancock’s Drew Sturos in Game One of the Copper Island Classic held Friday at the Calumet Colosseum. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)