By John DeCoste
Horton and Northeast Kings came out on top in Valley High School Hockey League boys’ action on the Dec. 10 weekend, but the big winner was the palliative care unit at Valley Regional Hospital.
The Horton-Central Kings game Dec. 10 in Kentville was a fundraiser in the memory of former Horton student Jordan (Jordie) Brown, who passed away Nov. 13 following a long battle with cancer.
Brown, an active supporter of Horton hockey, was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was eight months old, but he didn’t let it stop him from living life to the fullest. He was 19 years old at the time of his death.
Both teams and those in attendance at the game combined to raise $1,945 (and counting) for the hospital’s palliative care unit in Brown’s memory. Central Kings, the visiting team, contributed a donation of $250.
At the start of the game, Brown’s parents Norm and Sally and brother Taylor (brother Greg is the hockey Griffins’ team captain) took part in a ceremonial face-off, with Taylor dropping the puck.
On the ice, Horton spotted Central Kings an early 1-0 lead, but came back for a 2-1 win. Dryden Schofield scored the game winner on the power play with 2:39 remaining in the second period.
In other weekend action, Northeast Kings, led by Dylan deGraaf’s hat trick, topped West Kings 5-3 in a well-played game Dec. 9 in Kingston.
At the end of play Dec. 10, NKEC held down first place with a 6-2 record.
