Blackstone Knights complete comeback to win Vince Ryan Trophy.

Membertou, NS - The Cape Breton West Blackstone Knights completed a stunning comeback to capture the inaugural Vince Ryan Trophy, defeating the Cape Breton County Islanders 3–2 in a dramatic Game 5 at Membertou Arena on Saturday night.

After dropping the first two games of the series in convincing fashion, the Knights found themselves on the brink early. The Islanders looked dominant, cruising to a 7–1 win in Game 1 followed by an 8–5 victory in Game 2. It was all Cape Breton County until everything changed in Game 3.

CB West responded with resilience and determination, clawing their way back with two straight wins each by a narrow 3–2 margin. Game 4 proved to be the turning point, a thrilling double-overtime victory that evened the series at 2–2 and set the stage for a winner-take-all finale. Along the way, the Knights tightened up defensively, got key saves when it mattered most, and delivered timely scoring to completely shift the momentum.

Game 5 was no different.

The Knights got their dream start on the road when Liam Trenholm struck just over a minute into the first period, giving CB West an early 1–0 lead.

That score held until early in the second period, when the Islanders answered back. Jacob Keagan picked up a puck off the boards and fired it home to even things at 1–1.

The response from Blackstone was immediate.

Just over a minute later, Steven Fox restored the Knights’ lead after a bouncing puck found him alone in the slot, burying it into an open net to make it 2–1.

With just under five minutes to play in the second, the Knights struck again and it would stand as the game-winner. Randon MacKinnon finished off a pass from Chad Wilson on the right side, beating Hooper to give CB West a 3–1 lead heading into the third.

In the final frame, the Islanders pushed back. With just over 10 minutes remaining, Jordan Moss pounced on a rebound to cut the deficit to 3–2, setting up a tense finish.

Cape Breton County pressed for the equalizer late, but couldn’t generate enough sustained offense. Playoff MVP Kenzie MacPhail, the backbone of CB West’s playoff run, once again shut the door when it mattered most.

When the final horn sounded, Cape Breton West stormed the ice in celebration, completing the reverse sweep and etching their names in history as the first-ever Vince Ryan Trophy champions.

Final Score: CB West 3-2 CB County