Hamilton couldn't recover from a three-goal Saint John second period that extended the lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes. Winterton assisted on a Hamilton mid-third period power-play goal. Then Winterton scored his second goal of the night with four minutes remaining to make it a one-goal gap. But the Bulldogs couldn't get the equalizer with Saint John scoring a late empty-goal to make it a 5-3 final.
The team with the least number of standings points is eliminated after round-robin play. If two teams have the least number of standings, there is a tiebreaker game scheduled for June 26. The two teams that finish second and third (the latter perhaps decided by the aforementioned tiebreaker game) play June 27 for the second spot in the title game.
For his part, Winterton has been thinking Memorial Cup since he returned from a five-month layoff due to a shoulder injury. He said as much in an early 2022 interview and admitted in a phone conservation this weekend he was thinking about reaching Saint John when the season started.
"This team is a different group from my priors year here, just a lot tighter and you knew from the start of training camp everyone wants the same goal of winning the OHL championship," said Winterton. "We all had that mindset throughout the playoffs and the last series [winning a Game 7 at home] was special."
Winterton credits his teammates, coaches and front office for making him feel part of the squad even as an anticipated month delay in joining the lineup turned into nearly five months.
"That was a huge thing for me, especially at the start of the season," said Winterton. "I feel like I am not helping the team too much. But Steve (Staios, GM) and the coaches and players did a really great job of making me feel included. I'm thankful for it."
Winterton returned the belief by notching 20 goals and 26 assists in 37 regular-season games and now 19 points (seven goals and 12 assists) in 18 postseason contests. He missed Game 6 - a loss - but otherwise has been a consistent contributor at both ends of the ice.
Team Canada officials have noticed too. Winterton was invited to World Juniors Selection Camp ahead of the tournament Aug. 9 to 20 in Edmonton (postponed last winter due to COVID-19 protocol). But Winterton is solely focused on the Memorial Cup at hand.
"The points and everything are nice," said Hamilton when asked about his offensive improvement this season. "But, you know, it doesn't really matter if you don't win, or you don't go deep into the playoffs. It's all about winning the championship, that's the highlight."
Upon a follow-up comment about his winning puck battles in all zones and starting any number of postseason scoring plays by playing what coaches like to call "hard on the puck," Winterton allowed he is happy people are noticing those details.
"I think that comes with just getting older in the OHL," said Winterton, who won't turn 19 until early September. "I think it becomes a confidence as well. You know, that's one big reason. But, while I didn't think it at the time, but the pandemic might have helped me too. I was skating four or five times a week, just practicing non-stop ... now looking back I think it helped a bit."
With the Memorial Cup and possible spot on Canada's World Juniors roster (he was on the one last winter), Winterton is right where he and teammates visualized he would be this June.
