April 1, 202
TRENTON, ON – MARCH 29: OHA Referee Sean Gray makes the call during the second period at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens on March 29, 2025 in Trenton, ON . (Photo by Amy Wiegel / OJHL Images)
The Trenton Golden Hawks’ 2025–26 playoff run came to a heartbreaking end on March 31, 2026, following a 3–2 loss to the Newmarket Hurricanes in Game 6 of the OJHL East Conference Semifinals.
Series Summary: Newmarket Hurricanes vs. Trenton Golden Hawks
Despite entering the postseason as the top seed in the East, the Golden Hawks were unable to overcome a deep Newmarket squad. The Hurricanes took the best-of-seven series 4–2.
| Game | Date | Result | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 20 | NMH Win | 4–3 | Newmarket leads 1–0 |
| Game 2 | March 22 | NMH Win | 4–2 | Newmarket leads 2–0 |
| Game 3 | March 24 | NMH Win | 5–1 | Newmarket leads 3–0 |
| Game 4 | March 27 | TRN Win | 6–3 | Newmarket leads 3–1 |
| Game 5 | March 29 | TRN Win | 3–2 | Newmarket leads 3–2 |
| Game 6 | March 31 | NMH Win | 3–2 | Newmarket wins series 4–2 |
Game 6 Breakdown: The Final Stand
In a tense elimination game, the Golden Hawks played without star forward Lucas Digiantommaso, who was serving a one-game suspension.
- Early Action: Taeo Artichuk opened the scoring for Trenton with just two seconds left in the first period, assisted by Jamie Darlison.
- Back-and-Forth: After Newmarket took a 2–1 lead, Thomas Kuipers tied the game with his fourth goal of the postseason.
- The Decider: Newmarket broke the 2–2 tie in the third period to secure the victory and advance to the Conference Finals.
Season Reflection
The Golden Hawks had a dominant regular season, clinching their playoff berth on the back of a nine-game winning streak. They opened the postseason with a convincing 4–0 sweep of the Lindsay Muskies in the first round.
While the second-round exit is a disappointing finish for the top-seeded Hawks, the team showed immense resilience by winning two straight elimination games (Games 4 and 5) before falling just one goal short in the finale.