Spirit players collected two truckloads of winter clothing during their second annual Coats for Kids blitz with the Stouffville Lions Club Sunday. Donations can be dropped at Stouffville Honda.

Michael Derbidge made his Stouffville Spirit debut a memorable one.

The Holland Landing product scored two goals and added an assist as the Spirit took the top-ranked team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, to double overtime at the Stouffville Arena.

The Spirit would lose 5-4 – their own ‘game-winning goal’ bounced off a post before Toronto scored with 30 seconds left in the second and final period of OT.

Ryan Russell and Michael Di Santo had the other Spirit goals. Odaro Ewere added two assists.

Derbidge, who signed with the Spirit during the summer of 2021, made the Sudbury Wolves that fall and played the entire 2021-22 season with the Ontario Hockey League team. The Wolves released Derbidge to the Spirit Monday.

The big 17-year-old is a graduate of the York Simcoe Express AAA program.

He joined a young and talented roster in Stouffville already loaded with 2005 and 2004-born players.

THE SKED

The Spirit homestand continues with games:

Saturday, Nov. 26, vs Aurora Tigers*

Thursday, Dec. 1, vs St. Michael’s Buzzers

*Youth hockey players wearing their team jerseys admitted free.

NOTEBOOK

Look for the Spirit entry in the Stouffville Santa Claus Parade Dec. 1. The parade travels along Main Street beginning at 6 p.m. at Ninth Line. The route heads east through downtown Stouffville, ending at Park Drive.

The 50 participants in the Stouffville learn-to-skate program will be special guests of the Spirit at its game Dec. 10. Spirit players have been assisting at the weekly sessions.

Spirit This Week is sponsored by Farmer Jack’s in Stouffville and Sharon