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The community of Etobicoke saw lots of representation in the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) championships, held at several locations across the province this past weekend.

No other community in the GTA produced as many championship winners at the OHF championships as Etobicoke. Fifty teams from across the province in ten divisions laced up for the tournament.

The double-A Atom West Mall Lightning went undefeated in preliminary competition scoring 22 goals while allowing just two, but the Lightning ended up handing over the crown this year to London Junior Knights in a 2-0 final.

The triple-A Atom Toronto Marlies closed their season as runners-up in their campaign, held in Oakville, after going undefeated in round robin play. The Marlies, one of the oldest minor hockey clubs in Toronto, relinquished their final game, however, to Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.

In the Peewee double-A class, Timmins Ont. proved to be a long eight-and-a-half-hour trek north for the Humber Valley Sharks, who won three out of four of their preliminary games before rallying in the final to avenge an earlier defeat to Aurora Tigers 3-1.

The long road trip didn't bare a factor thanks to lots of rest and eats, according to team administrators.

The Tigers, though they weren't the favourite of the two, managed to turn aside all of their opposition until running into Humber Valley Sharks for the second encounter of the series.

With the last two teams standing, it came down to who had more left in the tank. And the Sharks proved healthier.

"Aurora's got a good club and a good coach," said John Italiano, a GM with the GTHL side and a coach with the double-A team. "They play a very sound system of hockey, and we have a pretty strong program," said a coach with the team John Italiano, pointing out that the correct two squads made it through this year. "It ends up being a marathon because you're playing six games, and at the end of it the last man standing was us," said Italiano, who doubles as GM for the Sharks' GTHL rep side. The provincial title is the second for Italiano.

The Sharks' goaltenders and defensive corps made all the difference.

"Our defenders and our goalies played well, especially in the last two games, and our forwards got on the scoreboard."

The Sharks, who gave up just two regular season wins all season and won the city title in each of the last three years, almost didn't make it to the provincial series though. "We were down to Humberview in the West (Division) final 6-2 and fought back, and through adversity, through some injuries and all the setbacks, we beat Humberview."

After taking down Humberview the Sharks then moved on to meet Scarborough Young Bruins, a team they beat in the playoff series two games to one.

"They're just a hard-working group, very focused," said the coach of his charges.

In a heartbreaker at the Juvenile level, the triple-A Humberview Huskies lost their bid for a championship title to crosstown rival Leaside Kings. The Huskies, who this year also took the popular Silver Stick tournament, a warm-up to the championship series, a Carnation Cup league crown and a city title this year, won the provincial title last year.

"That was three feathers in our cap out of the four this year," said Gord Roche, a coach with the Juvenile program for four years, noting that with six returning players this year newcomers to the team fit in quickly and nicely.

Leaside coach Stephen Gregoire said the championship win was vindication for a tremendous group effort after finishing forth in the league this season.

The host Kings squad has been to the provincial finals three of the last five years and lost to the Huskies in the city final earlier this spring.