Miners Spoil Knights' Home Opener with 6–3 Victory

Miners Spoil Knights' Home Opener with 6–3 Victory

October 9, 2026 | Cape Breton Division

The Glace Bay Miners got their 2026–27 Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League season off to a winning start Friday night, picking up a 6–3 victory over the Cape Breton West Blackstone Knights at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre.

Jacob Wolodka led the way offensively for the Miners with a pair of goals and an assist, while Robbie Harroun and Connor MacIntyre each chipped in with a goal and an assist.

Glace Bay wasted little time getting things going, jumping out to a 2–0 lead on goals from Harroun and Wolodka. Matthew MacNeil answered for the Knights, but Wolodka's second of the period restored the two-goal advantage, sending the Miners into the first intermission ahead 3–1.

The Miners extended their lead early in the second period when MacIntyre found the back of the net to make it 4–1.

However, the Knights weren't going away quietly.

Craig Ryan scored twice in the middle frame, including a power-play marker, to pull Cape Breton West back within a goal at 4–3. Just over a minute later, Branden Dauphinee responded for Glace Bay, giving the visitors some breathing room heading into the third.

Kyle Bleau added a power-play goal in the final period to round out the scoring and secure the 6–3 victory.

Despite the loss, the Blackstone Knights held a commanding 46–24 advantage in shots, including a 22–5 margin in the second period, but were unable to overcome the Miners' offensive production.

Cody Smith was outstanding between the pipes for Glace Bay, turning aside 43 of 46 shots to help the Miners secure the victory despite being heavily outshot.

Ryan finished with two goals for the Knights, while Matthew Raike collected a pair of assists.

For Glace Bay, it was an impressive start to the new season, capitalizing on their opportunities offensively while getting a strong performance in goal to spoil the Knights' home opener.

Final Score: Glace Bay 6, Cape Breton West 3.