The Boston Gold Kings play hockey in the Power Play Senior Hockey League (PPSHL). The Gold Kings also happen to make Watertown their home, playing their home games at the John A.Ryan Arena. The Gold Kings have worked hard to make a footprint in the community the past few years, making appearances at Faire on the Square, for example. And the Gold King’s sponsor list includes many Watertown businesses.
The Power Play Senior Hockey League, Northeast Region, added a fifth team for the 2025 season, adding Hudson Valley to go along with Salem, Holyoke, Norfolk, and the Gold Kings. In the ’24 playoffs, the Gold Kings swept Holyoke in the semis did the same to top-seed Salem in the finals. On Saturday night, Boston and Holyoke got the ’25 season started, and it was a wild ride indeed, with the Gold Kings prevailing 7-6 on a game-winner with 1:20 to go in regulation.
Now the PPSHL plays three 20 minute periods, just like pro leagues. It’s a full-checking league, and even fighting is allowed. Four officials suit up as further evidence of the seriousness of the competition. Rosters are made up of professionals, as in professionals in other aspects of life, and who love the sport of hockey and want to continue playing in something more competitive than a Tuesday night league that skates for an hour at 10 p.m., fully equipped with cold pucks and cold ones in the cooler.
The Gold Kings suited up four lines and three defensive pairings Saturday night:
Line 1… Tony Dicostanzo, CJ Grinnell and Chritian Baldino
Line 2… Cam Cordio, Joey O’Leary and Brandon Garneau
Line 3… Mike Delisio, Nate Althoff and Jack Doherty
Line 4… Chris May, Brian Bilafer and Brian Cebula
Defense 1… Russ Childers, Shamus Doherty
Defense 2… Shawn Savela, Joel Robbins
Defense 3… Jon Lounsbury, Drew Carney
Goal: Mike Cowell
The first five minutes told you everything you needed to know about how Saturday night’s game was going to play out – wide open and loose. Defense was not much of a priority, and between missed assignments and turnovers, prime scoring chances were there for the taking, leaving goalies Mike Cowell and Holyoke’s Chris Holland to have to make some great saves over the course of 60 minutes.
After missing point-blank twice in the first 90 seconds, Holyoke found themselves behind 1-0 at 3:09 of the first period on a beautiful goal by CJ Grinnell off an O’Leary assist. It was a power play goal. The score stayed 1-0 until 12:53 when the Gold Kings turned the puck over and captain Doug Sattler of the Papermen made them pay to tie it at 1. But, a third penalty on Holyoke in the period, this time for roughing, gave Boston another power play, and this time Mike Delisio cashed in, assisted by DiCostanzo.
The second period — ah, the second period. If the first period seemed active, and it was, it was really just the calm before the storm. The first goal of the period was scored at 1:48 by Brandon Garneau of the Gold Kings to make it 3-1, and the last goal of the period was scored at 17:45 by Cam Cordio of the Gold Kings, his second of the night, a beautiful wrister top-shelf to make it 6-4. That’s right, 6-4. In-between, Holyoke scored two to make it 3-3. Then CJ Grinnell scored his second of the night, shorthanded, to make it 4-3 Boston. Then Holyoke tied it at 4, 41 seconds later, just before their power play was over, to tie it at 4. Moments later, an already chippy affair got even more so, and matching two-minute penalties were assessed and teams played 4-on-4. Cam Cordio scored his first of the night during the 4-on-4 play.
Get all of that?: 7 goals scored, 6 penalties handed out, and action galore. Both goaltenders were equal parts protectors of the their universe, making some great saves, and naked warriors left alone to face the onslaught. But, when you put on that goalie equipment, you know the deal. Some nights you are just going to have to stand on your head and do the impossible. And on this night, Mike Cowell of the Gold Kings did just that in the third period.
That’s because somehow, the Gold Kings, who had never trailed in this game, found themselves giving up a two-goal lead in the third, the tying goal coming with only 3:40 left in regulation. Shortly after that, Holyoke had what can only be described as a GOLDEN opportunity to steal a win. In a blink of an eye, though, Cowell, one on one with the Papermen player, sprawled forward and to his left and made an INCREDIBLE save to keep the game tied. This save was so good they should have stopped the game and awarded Cowell the puck to put on his mantel.
Tied at 6, time running out, and Holyoke perhaps thinking about the opportunity they failed to capitalize on, allowed an odd-man rush and Cam Cordio finished off a great night with his third goal at 18:20 to give the Gold Kings a 7-6 lead. Cordio’s hat trick was well-deserved, as he was buzzing around all night and creating scoring chances for himself and his teammates.
Unfortunately, the celebration was muted a bit, as with exactly one minute left in the game, Gold Kings defenseman Joel Robbins, who had pinched in the Papermen zone to keep the puck in their end and run down the clock, took a vicious hit behind the net from an oncoming Holyoke player with a head of steam. Was the hit illegally high or was Robbins’s head down and the hit by a the taller Papermen skater clean? Hard to say, but no penalty was called. More importantly, Robbins went down in a heap and lay still on his back. Help immediately came out to attend to Robbins. A good 10 to 15 minutes later he was able to skate off with assistance.
As a precaution he was taken by ambulance after the game to be checked out. We can report that Robbins indeed suffered a concussion, and had to get some stitches inside his mouth, but he is doing well and at home!
The final minute played out without incidence, and the Gold Kings held on to win 7-6. As I mentioned, those participating in the PPSHL love the sport, and Robbins injury is evidence that the game is played with serious intent. Games occur only on the weekends, 16 regular season games in all, the last on March 7. And then the playoffs. The Gold Kings won’t be back on home ice at the John A. Ryan Arena until Saturday, Nov. 22. Until then, you can follow them by visiting https://www.ppshl.com/ and search Gold Kings.
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1 2 3 F
Holyoke 1 3 2 6
Boston 3 3 1 7
Scoring Summary
Ist Period
Boston 1 Holyoke 0, Boston GOAL, Grinnell (O’Leary)… PPG @ 3:09
Boston 1 Holyoke 1, Holyoke GOAL, Sattler @ 12:53
Boston 2 Holyoke 1, Boston GOAL, Delisio (Dicostanzo)… PPG @ 6:41
2nd Period
Boston 3 Holyoke 1, Boston GOAL, Garneau (Cordio, Robbins) @ 1:48
Boston 3 Holyoke 2, Holyoke GOAL, Moriarty @ 2:57
Boston 3 Holyoke 3, Holyoke GOAL, Hemenway… PPG @ 6:18
Boston 4 Holyoke 3, Boston GOAL, Grinnell (Diconstanzo)… SH @ 8:56
Boston 4 Holyoke 4, Holyoke GOAL, Sattler… PPG @ 9:37
Boston 5 Holyoke 4, Boston GOAL, Cordio (Oleary) @ 11:32
Boston 6 Holyoke 4, Boston GOAL, Cordio… PPG @ 17:45
3rd Period
Boston 6 Holyoke 5, Holyoke GOAL, Moriarty @ 4:04
Boston 6 Holyoke 6, Holyoke GOAL, Loughlin @ 16:20
Boston 7 Holyoke 6, Boston GOAL, Cordio @ 18:40