Chatting it up for Chatham
Reigning Greater Ontario Hockey League champion Chatham Maroons will plan their 2026 playoff path as the no. 1 seed in the Western Conference and a first round showdown with the eighth place St. Thomas Stars.
The best of seven series begins on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Chatham Memorial Arena.
Chatham edged out the Elmira Sugar Kings for first place in the Western Conference by a mere two points from a record of 37-8-5.
To be sure, the Maroons are an assorted unit of high performance and role players with a top GOHL level goalie in Sammy DiBlasi. DiBlasi, an Ontario Hockey League draft pick of the Saginaw Spirit who has a 2007 birth date, was in the net for 23 of Chatham’s 37 regular season wins.
Offensively, the Maroons are led by 36 goal scorer Trevor Zanutto, a 2007 birth year forward who hails from the Essex County town of Tecumseh. Another Tecumseh product is 2009 birth year forward Alex Lisi, an OHL prospect of the Owen Sound Attack who was a point per game plum as a rookie with the Maroons during the regular season.
The Maroons also feature a pair of northern Ontario products in 2007 birth year forward Ian Lachance (a point per game producer from Timmins) and 2008 birth year defenseman Carter Kucher, who is from Sault Ste. Marie.
Kucher, a 6 foot 4, 225 pound hombre, is an OHL draft pick of the Flint Firebirds who has become a fan favourite in Chatham due to his hard rock style of play.
Carter Kucher, in photo above.
