Tim Ruhnke – Recorder & Times
Welcome back.
In his first game with the Braves in more than a year, Kimani Eccleston scored twice in Brockville’s 5-1 win at home against the Cornwall Colts on Friday night. The victory in their 2026 opener moved the Braves to within two points of fifth-place Cornwall in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) standings. Brockville has a whopping six games in hand on the Colts.
Eccleston gave the Braves a 1-0 lead at 4:11 of the first period. Adam Walker evened the score for Cornwall at 12:20, but Jesse Lumsden’s seventh goal of the season would prove to be the game-winner with five-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening frame.
Dryden Dervish gave Brockville a two-goal advantage at 17:33 of the first; it was also his seventh goal of the year. Eccleston’s second of the night made it 4-1 at 17:32 of the second period.
Ryan McNally capped the scoring on a power play at 3:33 of the third. McNally now has nine goals on the season and leads the team in scoring with 28 points.
Shots were 42-24 in favour of the Braves. Austin Caley picked up the win in net for Brockville; Colton Rheaume was the Colts’ goalie.
Eccleston, Caley and Walker were named first, second and third stars respectively.
Memorial Centre attendance was listed at 322.
Eccleston scored six goals and had nine assists in 18 games with the Timmins Storm of the NOJHL this season. The 18-year-old also saw action in seven games with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. Eccleston had signed with the major junior club in late November 2024.
“We are thrilled to have been able to reacquire one of the most electric forwards in junior hockey,” Braves president Dustin Traylen stated in an email.
Eccleston scored 11 goals and added seven assists in his rookie year with Brockville in 2023-2024. He went on to score nine goals and add nine assists in 23 games with the team last season.
“Our goal is to play Kimani back to the major junior ranks,” said Traylen. “In the meantime, he definitely bolsters our offence and brings leadership and experience back to the Braves”.
Brockville shares sixth place with the Hawkesbury Hawks, although the Braves have three games in hand. Hawkesbury won both of its games on the weekend. In the Hawks’ victory in Renfrew Saturday, former Brockville forward Vital Dinis scored a hat trick and chipped in with two assists. He now has 52 points, good for third in the CCHL scoring race.
Brockville (14-10-1-2) will head up County Road 29 on Tuesday to take on the Bears in Smiths Falls; puck drops at 7:30 p.m. It will be the Bears’ first game of the new year. Smiths Falls (19-7-2-1) is in fourth place.
Brockville will then host the Renfrew Wolves on Friday night at 7:30. Renfrew (13-15-2) is ninth.
The Braves will hit the road on Sunday for a matinee with the first-place Rockland Nationals (29-2), the CJHL’s top-ranked Jr. A team in Canada.
Original Story at Recorder.ca
