CFHL 2026 Cherry Cup

 CFHL Cherry Cup

The Alex Assassins are the 2026 Cherry Cup Champions after a close battle with the California Raisins!  The Assassins held on to defeat the Raisins 3-3-1 winning the matchup by being the higher seeded home team.  

This game looked like another Assassins steam roll game as they went up 5-2 earlier in the week.  But the excitement was about to begin on the final night of the NHL season.  With the Assassins up 3-2-2 and the Raisins only having 2 skaters left it would appear the Assassins were heading toward an easy win.  But not so fast my friend.  When you have Macklin Celebrini on the ice, nothing is over!  The game was tied with goals and PPP so a single goal or PPP for the Raisins and they would flip the game and take the lead.

And the Raisins did just that!  Celebrini would notch two points by getting an assist on a power play taking the lead in PPP and tying the game 3-3-1!  Then out of a very unusual place, the Raisins get a goal from Lawson Crouse, who they just picked up before this week!  That goal gave them lead in goals and the game was 4-3!  Celebrinin would add another goal, to give them some breathing room in goals up 5-3.

Macklin celebrates notching the assist to tie game!

Where did this guy come from?  
Lawson scores the go ahead goal for Raisins

Celebrini celebriniates his goal!

The Raisins would survive the onslaught of Assassin players late in the game with Brock Nelson for the Avs anchoring their power play along with Devon Toews who normally plays on the PK, but with players out, played the point on the power play.  Not to mention Brandt Clake for the Kings on power plays.  

But the real deciding factor became goalies.  Raisins star goalie Karel Vejmelka played only two periods in the Mammoth loss, forgoing a very valuable goalie win.  While the Avs, with several players resting, decided to play their number one goalie for some reason in Scott Wedgewood.  All he needed to do is win the game and the Assassins would tie goalie wins and make the game 3-3-1 sealing the victory.   He not only did that, he stopped all 22 shots for the shut out earning him Cherry Cup MVP honors!

So congratulations to Alex Cherry owner of the Alex Assassins on their second Cherry Cup!  They won just back in 2022 defeating the Greek Empire.  This season they had little trouble all year, but just before the playoffs started they lost their best player Leon Draisaitl.  This didn't stop them however as other players stepped up to fill the gaps and lead the Assassins to the Cup Finals.