After a frustrating 3–1 loss Friday night, the Bonnyville Pontiacs came out flying on Saturday — and never let up — crushing the Grande Prairie Storm 9–1 in one of their most dominant efforts of the season.

Coach Mercier x Menzies Interview October 24, 2025

The Pontiacs came out strong in the opening frame, trading chances with the Storm but unable to solve goaltender Gill, who turned away everything Bonnyville threw at him early.

Discipline became a storyline midway through the second, with both teams exchanging unsportsmanlike penalties as emotions boiled over.

Grande Prairie capitalized on the momentum, striking twice in the middle frame — first from Doherty and later from Walsh — to take a 2–0 lead.

Bonnyville fought back in the third when Ethan Hoshowski buried a rebound off a setup from Bronzo and Emigh, cutting the deficit to one. But the Storm answered quickly, sealing the win with a goal from de Haas just minutes later.

Goaltender Trent Salisbury stood tall despite the loss, stopping 20 of 23 shots, while Bonnyville’s penalty kill held the Storm to 0-for-1 on the power play.

Head Coach Chad Mercier said Friday’s loss wasn’t about effort — it was about execution.

“We played hard, but we didn’t finish our chances. You can’t let up for a shift in this league — Grande Prairie capitalized when we didn’t.”

Chris Schidmt x Menzies Interview October 24, 2025

If Friday was frustrating, Saturday was explosive.

Bonnyville wasted no time setting the tone — four goals in the opening ten minutes had the Storm spinning. Harrison opened the scoring just 2:46 into the game, and the floodgates opened from there.

Costantino added one on the power play, Hoshowski kept rolling with his second of the weekend, and Pendy capped off the first-period barrage with a snipe that silenced the Bonnetts Energy Centre crowd.

From there, the Pontiacs never looked back. Baar and Harrison added goals in the second, and the third period turned into a showcase — Wentz, Harrison (completing his hat trick), and Sandhu piled on as Bonnyville cruised to a 9–1 victory.

Goaltender Trent Salisbury once again held his ground, stopping 30 of 31 shots. Bonnyville went 2-for-2 on the power play and killed all four of Grande Prairie’s man advantages — a full-system effort from start to finish.

Mercier said the difference was focus and buy-in:

“We were dialed in. The puck movement was sharp, we supported each other everywhere on the ice, and the energy on the bench was unreal. The guys wanted to make a statement, and they did.”

He also pointed to veteran leadership and the younger players stepping into key roles.

“It’s not just one or two guys driving it — it’s the whole group. When everyone’s pulling the rope in the same direction, you see results like that.”

Evan Schulta x Menzies Interview October 25, 2025

After the game, Head Coach Chad Mercier stood behind the bench with that unmistakable mix of pride and purpose. His voice carried calm satisfaction — not gloating, just confidence that comes from seeing his team live up to its potential.

“That’s the team we know we can be,” Mercier said, still smiling from the win. “Friday stung a little, but good teams use that. The guys came out focused, they trusted each other, and they didn’t let up for sixty minutes.”

He credited leadership in the room — veterans setting the tone and young players like Evan Schulha stepping up physically and mentally in tough moments.

“You can see the growth already. Our older guys are pulling the young ones along, and they’re starting to understand what it means to be a Pontiac. It’s not about one night — it’s about how you respond, how you battle back, and how you play for the guy next to you.”

Mercier emphasized that while he was thrilled with the effort, it wasn’t a fluke — it was a blueprint.

“That’s what we’ve been building toward. Fast, disciplined, connected hockey. If we bring that same compete level every night, we’ll be a tough team to play against — anywhere, anytime.”

Head Coach Chad Mercier x Menzies Interview October 25, 2025

Next Up:

The Pontiacs return home Friday night to host the Whitecourt Wolverines before heading to Fort McMurray on Sunday to take on the Oil Barons.
If Saturday’s statement game was any indication, Bonnyville is starting to hit its stride — and the rest of the AJHL better take notice.