The Huntsville Muskoka Otters, who have for years watched the Aurora Tigers edge them from the playoffs or lost an important contest to the perennial junior hockey powerhouse, used their rivals as a stepping stone to their first title.

The Otters captured the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League’s North Division regular season crown by defeating the Tigers on Sunday in Aurora and winning their 10th straight game in the process.

Huntsville won its last three games, including a 3-2 shootout thriller to the Newmarket Hurricanes on Friday night at the Jack Bionda Arena.

The Otters tied a league record on Thursday with their 10th team shutout in a 4-0 win over the Couchiching Terriers in Orillia.

The Canes and Otters ended up tied with 84 points each, but Huntsville got the nod for first based on winning the season series (four wins in six games). Even if the two teams had been tied at three wins apiece, Huntsville still would have been awarded first because they won more games (42 to 41).

The Otters concluded the season tied with Newmarket for the third-best record in the league behind St. Michael’s and Vaughan.

Huntsville also ended the year with the best defensive mark in the loop with a goals-against average of 1.88, an impressive mark in the high-scoring world of junior hockey.

Goalie Jeff Dawson was tops in the league with a 2.11 average and a .928 save percentage.

Aurora opened the scoring on Sunday and maintained its lead through the first half of the opening period when Josh Vatri scored his 27th goal of the year at 11:29.

His assist on Ron Roger’s powerplay goal less than two minutes later pushed him into the team’s scoring lead past Jon Whitelaw by two points.

Whitelaw closed that gap to one point when he assisted on a Ken Carswell goal late in the second to put Huntsville up 3-1. Aurora countered with a powerplay goal late in the frame to pull within one.  

However, Dawson had other plans as he stonewalled the Tigers in the final period with 13 of his 22 saves on the night for his 31st win of the year.

As strong as he was in the Aurora game, the Bracebridge netminder was brilliant against the Hurricanes, particularly when the game was on the line.

He stopped 12 of 13 shots in the third period and another six in overtime before shutting the door on four Newmarket snipers in the shootout.

Vatri provided the heroics as he potted the winner in the shootout round, sending the 827 Huntsville fans into a frenzy.

Rogers and Aaron Chambers scored for the Otters during regulation.

Defenceman Jake Yard had a big game against the Terriers, potting two goals for the Otters.

Brad Williams and Rogers had the other goals, while Dawson turned aside 26 shots for his fifth whitewash of the year.

Newmarket and the Otters will wait to see the outcome of the first round of playoffs.

The Tigers are taking on the Orangeville Crushers in a best-of-five while with the winner of that series to face Newmarket.

Huntsville will meet the victor of the Stouffville-Couchiching series.