Former Cranbrook Bucks goalie Christian Trianni and the Toronto Jr Canadiens begin their championship series in the Ontario Junior Hockey League tonight.
The Jr Canadiens won the South Division and finished first-overall in the OJHL’s regular season standings with a 41-12-1 record for 83 points. They have since gone 7-1-0 in the playoffs, disposing of the Toronto Patriots, North York Rangers, and Coburg Cougars.
Toronto’s league-final opponent will be the Pickering Panthers, who won the North Division and finished second-overall with a 39-11-4 record and 82 points during the regular season. Pickering has gone 7-0-0 in the postseason en route to a date with the Jr Canadiens for the league championship.
Trianni was one of the top goalies in the OJHL this season, after playing just two exhibition games in Cranbrook during a 2020-21 season crippled by COVID-19 restrictions.
In his pair of preseason appearances with the Bucks last fall, Trianni showcased a sparkling 1.90 goals-against-average and a .939 save-percentage. He then left Cranbrook in search of his next opportunity during the COVID-19 shutdown and missed the 2020-21 BCHL pod season.
After a year away from home, Trianni returned to the Toronto Jr Canadiens program which he played a pair of U18 AAA seasons in the Greater Toronto Hockey League from 2018-2020.
His re-emergence with the Jr Canadiens in the OJHL was an immediate success, as Trianni compiled a spectacular first half of the season before a second-consecutive January shutdown due to COVID-19 restrictions.
After his sensational first half, Trianni sat among the top goaltenders in the league with a record of 10-3-1, a 1.78 GAA, a .936 SV% and two shutouts at the January league-wide pause.
Following the COVID-19 shutdown, Trianni missed time with an injury before battling through the final few games of the regular season. He completed the campaign with a 15-7-1 record, a 2.34 GAA, a .915 SV% and three shutouts.
Trianni made his OJHL playoff debut in game three of the league semifinal against Coburg, stopping all five shots he faced in a relief appearance. He then made his first postseason start in game four, stopping 19 of the 20 shots he faced for his first playoff win.
Trianni now carries a 1-0 postseason record with a 0.80 GAA and a .960 SV% into the league final with the Jr Canadiens looking to cap a great season with a championship.
For more on Trianni and his journey from Toronto, through Cranbrook, and back home this season with the Jr Canadiens, check out episode three of the Bucks Network Podcast.
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