Robertson Cup stays in St. Louis

The St. Louis Bandits celebrated their second straight Robertson Cup Championship with a 5-2 win over the Mahoning Valley Phantoms at the Hardee’s Iceplex in Chesterfield, Mo.

Kyle O’Kane, who was named the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player and to the All-Tournament Team, recorded two goals in the championship game for St. Louis.  O’Kane finished the tournament with six goals and two assists in four games.

Mike Merrifield (game-winner), Tom Brooks and Josh Rabbani scored the other St. Louis goals, while goaltender Cal Heeter turned aside 28 shots.

The Robertson Cup is awarded to the playoff champion of the NAHL, USA Hockey’s Tier II Junior A national champion.

This marked the second straight year that the Bandits defeated the Phantoms to win the Robertson Cup Championship.  St. Louis won last year’s finale, 8-4, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan. Chuck Robertson was the owner of the Paddock Pools Saints when they won a record seven straight NAHL championships from 1976-83.

Robertson Cup Championship All-Tournament Team
Defense: Dennis Brown, Topeka RoadRunners
Defense: Robert Harrison, Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Forward: Miles Winter, Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Forward: Kyle O’Kane, St. Louis Bandits
Forward: Mike Leone, St. Louis Bandits
Goaltender: Cal Heeter, St. Louis Bandits