If you’re allowing these three Cape Breton West U18 AA Islanders to enter your zone unchallenged, then you’re asking for trouble, as the Northside Vikings found out on Saturday. Crossing the blueline together in Saturday’s 9-1 win are Brady MacKinnon, Brock Tatum, and Jayden Aucoin.
November 5, 2025
-by Bill Dunphy
When it’s 10-2-11 on the ice and you’re playing the Cape Breton West U18 AA Islanders, it’s time for lights out.
The 10-2-11 (in reference to their sweater numbers) line of Brady MacKinnon, Brock Tatum, and Jayden Aucoin were dominant Saturday in giving the Islanders a 9-1 win over the Northside Vikings.
Played at the Cabot Trail Arena in Cheticamp, it was the opening game of the North Conference Hockey League’s regular season.
For some reason, the Vikings thought they could come with 10 skaters and beat a team that went 6-0 the weekend before to win the Fall Faceoff tournament in New Waterford.
The Islanders had other ideas.
Heath MacDonald, on a play with Landon Morrison and Nolan LeBlanc, scored Cape Breton West’s first goal at 3:43 of the first. Tatum scored what would be the winning goal a minute later, one-timing a nice pass from behind the net by Aucoin on a dump-in by Jack MacIver, and the Islanders were on their way to a 9-1 win.
“We are a team that plays with a lot of pace,” said Islanders coach Kevin Tatum.
“We practice with a lot of speed and emphasize getting the puck north and our players have done an excellent job implementing that in game situations.”
Nathan Crighton made it a 3-1 game by the end of the first, getting a look at a half-empty net thanks to a passing play by LeBlanc and Jase Hillier.
The Islanders took complete control of the game with four unanswered goals to start the second period.
At times the Vikings were penned in their own end through multiple shifts by the Islanders.
“We get a ton of first touches on loose pucks which is something our group takes a lot of pride in. We have a group of forwards that can put the puck in the back of the net if they are given an opportunity and our defensive core and goaltending do an excellent job at keeping it out of ours,” said coach Tatum.
Starting the second period, Aucoin scored from the right-wing half-wall at 1:20, assisted by Tatum and MacKinnon
Hillier scored two minutes later, picking up a rebound on a shot by Crighton, also assisted by Jace Whitty.
Thirty seconds after that and Drew Beaton had a goal with LeBlanc picking up his third assist of the game.
Tatum’s second goal of the game made it 6-0 at 9:08, assisted by MacIver and Aucoin.
A defensive lapse at 10:59 allowed a Northside shooter to walk in and score, spoiling a shutout bid by Islanders goaltender Callum Courage.
Whitty (Crighton and Hillier) and Owen Fraser (Hillier and Crighton), closed out the scoring for the Islanders.
The Islanders travel to Membertou this Friday for a 7:30 p.m. against the Sydney Steelers.
The next home game is Nov. 15, when they host the Strait-Richmond Pirates in a 2 p.m. game at the Cabot Trail Arena.
