Two goals in the third period capped a dream playoff run by the Boston Gold Kings, who won Game 2 of the finals 5-4 over the Salem Sasquatch and clinched the team’s first title in its second year of existence.
The Gold Kings lifted the Power Play Senior Hockey League (PPSHL) trophy on home ice at the John A. Ryan Arena on March 29. The semi pro team now seeks to keep improving and hopes to see the league add more competition, said Cameron Labrecque, the Gold Kings’ General Manager & Director of Hockey Operations.
In Game 2, the Gold Kings faced a deficit on the scoreboard and on the bench. The third period of Game 2 began with the teams tied 3-3, but Salem’s Andrew Contrada scored to take a 4-3 lead.
“We went down two (players) by the end of the game, (game misconduct penalties) sent two to the locker room, but the guys who stepped to the plate are the reason that we got to where we are now — champions of the league,” Labrecque said.
The Gold Kings fought back. First, Matt Baldino intercepted a pass and scored unassisted while the team skated shorthanded. With 6:33 left in regulation Joseph O’Leary took a pass from Baldino near his own goal, went through the entire Sasquatch team and scored the championship clincher. The team also got goals from Christian Baldino, Spencer Smith, and Ryan Drizen.
Early on, Labrecque sensed the Gold Kings had a special team.
“After tryouts, you can ask all of our captains and team management how many times I said, ‘You know, I think, I think we’re going to win it all this year,'” he said. “We have an unreal team, amazing guys, and we, fortunately, did it.”
As part of building a team, LaBrecque took a step back from the ice. During the first year he played in most of the Gold Kings’ games, as what he called a “depth player.” This year, however, he focused more on team management.
“My whole mindset this season as GM and director of hockey operations, … we want to put the best players on the ice, obviously, to win games, put up points, but we also want the best locker room in the league,” he said. “You want the best guys, the best personalities, the guys who will pick each other up when you’re down, will put a smile on your face, just kind of create the best atmosphere. And I will always stand by us having the best locker room in the league. And I think that’s definitely a huge, huge part of us winning it all.”
The team had one of the deepest rosters.
“Every single player who came to the team this year got playing time and became playoff eligible. Not every other team can say that,” said Labrecque, adding that players had to play at least five regular season games to be playoff eligible. “That’s a testament to how our team is run and how seriously our guys take it.”
Players come from many different geographic locations, with a few from the area around Watertown, others from the North or South Shore, and some from Central Mass. or even New Hampshire. As a semi pro team, hockey is more passion than a livelihood.
“It’s a semi-professional league. What that really means is you’re playing professional hockey, but only part of the time. That’s where the semi comes into it, where it’s still pay to play, but you can make money from it. None of the teams are at that point, yet,” Labrecque said. “Our guys, they all have for the most part 9 to 5 full-time jobs. So we only practice once a week, and we play one to two games a week on the weekends. So, this is not their lives. They do this strictly for fun and because they love hockey.”
During the day, one of the Gold Kings’ captains is a chiropractor, other players are salesmen, electricians, and one works on a cranberry bog during during that time of year.
“It’s really a good mix of professions,” Labrecque said. “They’re really, really good guys, and they take their full time jobs and lives seriously, and they also take their roles on our team seriously.”
The league made some changes from year one. Both finalists took part in the first year when they were part of the six team conference in the Union Hockey League. This year, the league rebranded as the PPHSL, and there were only four teams. The Sasquatch also underwent changes, changing names from the North Shore Nighthawks and moved to Salem, New Hampshire, from Newburyport.
With a limited number of teams, the team from New Hampshire became a familiar opponent for the Gold Kings. The teams skated against each other a total of eight times in the 2024-25 season — six times in the regular season and two playoff games. During the regular season, the Gold Kings only won once, before winning two in the finals.
Labrecque hopes to see more competition in future seasons.
“I’m really hoping we can grow to at least six teams for next season, I think if you’re looking at short term,” ” he said. “Maybe a little bit longer term, within the next four or five years, I want to be at 8, 10 teams.”
More teams could be added in Connecticut, possibly Maine, and there are some semi pro teams already established in New York. Labrecque said he could envision having a conference made up of teams from New England and another in New York, with the best team from each facing off for the championship.
To grow as a team, the Gold Kings will look to get more established in the community, and to gain more support from local businesses, Labrecque said.
“We want to support them, obviously, as well,” he said. “We just need some more money coming in that will take us to the next level and be more established. Get our name out there.”
One of the community events the team is considering is holding a youth street hockey tournament.
Watch the replay of the Gold Kings’ championship clinching game on Watertown Cable by clicking here. Find out more about the Gold Kings on the team’s Instagram page.