Dundas Blues president Steve Aglor outside J.L. Grightmire Arena eight months ago, as ongoing delays forced user groups out for a second season. The team is now preparing for its 60th season, back in its upgraded home rink. - Craig Campbell/Metroland

After two years of instability, the Dundas Blues Junior Hockey Club will renew itself with a return to its original name and its upgraded home in J.L. Grightmire Arena, in time for the club’s 60th anniversary.

To top it off this season, Blues president and past player Steve Aglor will officially be inducted into the Dundas Sports Wall of Fame - which will finally make its permanent home in the new second storey of Grightmire Arena’s addition.

The Blues maintain a two-year-old partnership with the Hamilton Huskies. Mike Spadafora, general manager of both organizations, asked Aglor what he thought about changing the team’s name back to Dundas Blues from Hamilton Huskies Junior Blues - after one season.

“I’ve had a big smile on my face ever since,” Aglor said.

Spadafora said the highly anticipated return to J.L. Grightmire Arena this September after two difficult seasons away, and the 60th anniversary, were key reasons for a step back on last season’s name change. The City of Hamilton has taken over part of the arena from the contractor and just a couple of projects remainto be completed.

“Feedback I’ve received convinced me the team should be called the Dundas Blues,” he said. “The partnership won’t change.”

Aglor said the only reason the six-decade old club is able to return to the refurbished and improved arena on Market Street is that very partnership which started two seasons ago.

Aglor and Spadafora agreed the completed facility will be the best hockey arena in Hamilton, and across its entire junior league.

“Everything will be top notch,” Aglor said.

City of Hamilton public works staff say the municipality took over part of J.L. Grightmire Arena from contractor Century Group at the end of April and removed most of the construction fence surrounding the Market Street construction site as the project finally achieved partial occupancy.

City spokesperson Jacqueline Durlov said the city and contractor are now working together to complete the long-delayed addition and renovation project. Completion is now nine months past the original Sept. 7, 2018, deadline.

“The contractor’s work will be complete on site by end of June, at which time the city will completely take over the site to finish up some minor works leading up to ice-making and fall 2019 hockey,” Durlov said.

Among the work still required is installation of a new flood-proof Zamboni door required by Hamilton Conservation Authority and new concrete stairs and wheelchair ramp in the area between the arena and Garstin Centre for the Arts building.

“The contractor’s work will be complete on site by end of June." — Jacqueline Durlov

Durlov said the new flood-proof barriers arrived on-site several weeks ago and both key remaining jobs are scheduled to be completed by the end of June, but apparently aren’t required for occupancy and won’t delay reopening the arena.

Flood proofing the arena’s Zamboni entrance, either by raising the entire structure at considerable cost or finding a waterproof door, was a major early stumbling block to the original expansion and renovation application more than five years ago.

Peter Lloyd of Dundas Little Theatre said the organization has not heard when the new concrete steps and wheelchair ramp will be completed.

The group lost access to its main public entrance for the entire past seasonand part of the previous season.

“I seem to remember that the ramp has to be finished before we can open the (main) doors again,” Lloyd said.

The project tender stated that concrete stair and ramp work was to be completed by July 31, 2018.

The Blues were eliminated from the playoffs last night by the Glanbrook Rangers by the score of 2-1 in overtime.  
The Blues short handed due to injuries left every ounce of energy they had on the ice.  Jake Fleming once again in net came up with some big saves giving his team the chance to win. Then with just over 3 minutes gone in overtime the Blues season came to an end.  
It also marks the end of junior hockey for the three overage players, defenceman Jamieson Buck and Carter Franks and forward Colin Kijowski. 
The Blues would like to thank the fans and sponsors who have stuck with them playing out of Olympic Arena and other rinks this past season.  They look forward to their support again next season when they will be back in JLGrightmire Arena. 

Work for next season starts today!!!

The Hamilton Huskies Jr Blues advanced to the second round of the playoffs after knocking off the Niagara Riverhawks.

The Riverhawks won the first two games then the Blues woke up and won four straight to take the series 4 games to 2.  The first four games were all one goal games with Niagara winning the first two 3-2 and 2-1. Game three was 5-4 for the Blues then game four was 3-2.  Game five and six the Blues started to figure out the Riverhawks goalie putting 6 by him each game for scores of 6-2 and 6-4.  Blues goaltender Jake Fleming was solid in net for the Blues and was definitely the player of the series.

The Blues now move on to round two against the Glanbrook Rangers who finished the season in first place. The schedule for the best of 7 series is as follows:

Wed. Feb. 20th Blues @ Glanbrook 7:30pm
Thurs. Feb. 21st Glanbrook @ Olympic 8:20pm
Sat. Feb. 23rd Glanbrook @ Olympic 7:30pm
Sun. Feb. 24th Blues @ Glanbrook 7pm

if necessary 

Wed. Feb. 27th Blues @ Glanbrook 7:30pm
Thurs. Feb. 28th Glanbrook @ Olympic 8:20pm 
Sun. Mar. 3rd Blues @ Glanbrook 7pm

Come out and cheer on the Blues, your local junior hockey team!

Round 1 Play Off Schedule vs. Niagara Riverhawks 

Thurs. Feb. 7th Niagara @ Olympic 8:20pm
Sat. Feb. 9th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 8:00pm
Sun. Feb. 10th Niagara @ Olympic 6:30pm
Tues. Feb. 12th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 7:30pm
Thurs. Feb. 14th Niagara @ Olympic 8:20pm
Sat. Feb. 16th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 8:00pm
Sun. Feb. 17th Niagara @ Olympic 6:30pm

Come out and cheer on your local junior team!

Blues finished off the regular season schedule with 2 wins and a tie in the final week giving them 4th place.  They will now get home ice advantage against 5th place Niagara Riverhawks.  The Blues and Riverhawks played each other six times during the regular schedule with each team winning three games, it’s sure to be a good series.  The series starts this Thursday at Olympic Arena in Dundas, game time is 8:20pm.

Tentative Round 1 Play Off Schedule vs. Niagara Riverhawks 

Feb. 7th Niagara @ Olympic 8:20pm
Feb. 9th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 8:00pm
Feb. 10th Niagara @ Olympic 7:30pm
Feb. 12th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 7:30pm
Feb. 14th Niagara @ Olympic 8:20pm
Feb. 16th Hamilton Huskies Blues @ Niagara 8:00pm
Feb. 17th Niagara @ Olympic 7:30pm

The Blues earned two of a possible four points this past week.
At home against the Hespeler Shamrocks on Thursday night it took the Blues into the last minute of overtime to beat the Shamrocks 3-2.  Connor Noonan scored with 24 seconds left in OT for the win with Jamison Buck and Brandon Waterhouse earning assists.
On Saturday night the Blues went to Niagara to face the Riverhawks. The Blues looked liked they showed up to play and went up 1-0 early in the game, but that was it. Lots of selfish penalties cost the Blues allowing the Riverhawks ten power plays on which they scored six times and handed the Blues an 8-3 loss.
The way the Blues played in Niagara you would never have known they were fighting for a third place finish going into the playoffs.  Right now Hagersville sits in third place with 44 points with 3 games left in which two are against the Blues who have 42 points with 3 games left. Niagara sits in fifth with 41 points and four games left so it’s going to go right down to the wire to decide from 3rd to 5th place.  The top four teams get home ice advantage in the first round.
With the situation of the ice being scarce in Dundas the Blues are hoping for a 3rd or 4th place finish.
Blues last home game is this Thursday at 8:20pm when they host the Hagersville Hawks.  Come on out and support your local junior team as they prepare for the playoffs.

Chris Cudek’s 4 goals lead the Blues to 6-5 overtime win over the first place Glanbrook Rangers. The Blues trailing 4-1 early in the second period never let up and it paid off.  It was the first full lineup for the Blues in over two months and every player showed up to play and it was definitely an exciting game for the fans.
The Rangers scored just over a minute into the game on a PP.   Then about the 10 minute mark of the first period Cudek scored his first of the game to tie it up with Patrick Vulgan earning the assist.  This was followed by the Rangers scoring three straight goals to go up 4-1.  Before the 2nd period was over the Blues got two back, the first one buy Colin Kijowski from Brandon Waterhouse, then Cudek from Vulgan and Jamison Buck. 
In the 3rd period the Rangers went up by two in the first minute, but not for long as Vulgan set up Cudek for his 3rd goal of the game. Then with three minutes left in the game and Glanbrook on a power play Jeff McDonough scored a short handed goal to tie up the game with Buck and Stephen Bell earning assists sending the game into overtime.
The overtime is a seven minute period of 3 on 3 and it was only fitting that at 4:30 of the overtime Cudek scored the winner for his 4th goal of the night and Vulgan earned his fourth assist of the night and Buck his second.
The shots in the game were 42-36 in favour of the Rangers with each team having five shots in the OT period.
Jake Fleming earned the win in net for the Blues.
Blues next action is Thursday Jan. 17th at 8:20pm when the Dunnville Mudcats come to town.

The Blues although still playing short handed started the new year right earning 4 of a possible 6 points. 
Wednesday the Blues were in Glanbrook to take on the first place Rangers and after three periods the teams were tied at 3-3 sending them into OT. Half way through the 7 minutes of 3 on 3 overtime period the Rangers scored for a 4-3 win. The Blues earned a point.
The following night in Dundas the 2nd place Grimsby PeachKings came to town and after three periods the two teams were tied at 1-1. Just like the night before midway through the overtime period the Blues got scored on to give the PeachKings a 2-1 win and the Blues once again earned one point for the OT loss.
It was positive for the Blues taking the top two teams into overtime considering the Blues chose to take a Christmas break not skating for two weeks while Grimsby and Glanbrook chose to keep playing.
On Saturday night the Blues traveled to Hespeler to take on the Shamrocks.  Short handed the exhausted Blues skated to a 2-1 win. The Shamrocks goalie was the only reason the game was close as the Blues outplayed them all night long.
The Blues host the first place Rangers this Thursday at Olympic Arena, puck drop is 8:20pm.

Short handed Blues left everything on the ice this past week earning 6 points winning all 3 games.
The Blues went to Port Dover today with 11 skaters to face the Sailors full bench of 18 skaters. After a scoreless 1st period Patrick Vulgan scored the only goal of the 2nd period. The Sailors tied it up right away in the 3rd period then Carter Franks and Dan Attridge scored to put the Blues up 3-1.  With the Blues running out of gas the Sailors took advantage and scored 2 late goals to tie the game up with a minute left in the game forcing OT.  Half way through OT Attridge got a breakaway and made no mistake to give the Blues a 4-3 win finishing off a perfect weekend.
Friday night the Blues were in Dunnville with 14 skaters and beat the hometown Mudcats 6-3.  Franks, Vulgan, Conor Pilon (on a penalty shot), Connor Fillon, Aidan Robitaille and Brady Vulgan were the Blues goal scorers.
Thursday night at home the Blues also faced the Sailors from Port Dover and led by Chris Cudek’s 2 goals beat the visitors 5-2.  Connor Noonan, Bannon and Vulgan also bent the twine for the short staffed Blues.
Goaltenders Connor Ogg and Jake Fleming played solid between the pipes. Ogg earned the wins Thursday and Friday and Fleming today.
The Blues next action is this Thursday at home against the Dunnville Mudcats at 8:20pm.