The Nest Is Ready: Clarington Eagles Set for 2026-27 Season

A new season is almost here, and the Clarington Eagles are getting ready to take flight. The Eagles return to the ice with a mix of familiar faces, exciting newcomers and unfinished business as the club prepares for the 2026-27 PJHL season.

Twenty-one regular-season home games await at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, along with three home exhibition games and several special events that will make this season about much more than what happens on the ice. And when the regular season begins, there may be no better opponent waiting for the Eagles than the Uxbridge Bruins.

A Rivalry Renewed on Opening Night

Circle Thursday, September 10 on the calendar. The Eagles will officially open their 2026-27 home schedule at 7:25 p.m. against the Uxbridge Bruins, the same team that brought Clarington’s 2025-26 season to an end in the Orr Division Final.

That playoff loss ended an incredible run of four consecutive division championships for the Eagles. Now the two rivals won’t have to wait long to see each other again. The September 10 matchup will offer the first opportunity for this year’s Eagles to step onto home ice in a game that counts — and an early opportunity to renew one of the division’s most compelling rivalries.

A new season. A returning core. New Eagles looking to make their mark. And a little unfinished business. It’s difficult to ask for much more from a Home Opener.

Familiar Faces Return to the Nest

Every Junior C season brings change, but Eagles fans will recognize plenty of familiar names when the team hits the ice this fall. Among the players returning to the Nest are Christian Sokoljuk, Nolan Winter, Jairus Ford, Gianluca Meli and Ben Stycuk. That group brings valuable experience from a team that once again played meaningful hockey deep into the spring last season.

Several of those returning Eagles delivered in big moments during last year’s playoff run. Ford produced some of his best hockey when the stakes were highest, while Winter, Meli and White were among the players who found the back of the net during the Eagles’ battle with Uxbridge. That playoff experience should be valuable as Clarington begins another chase for the Orr Division title.

There will be some familiar faces returning in new circumstances as well. Caleb Bidgood is back in an Eagles sweater, while newcomers including Owen Thake, Ben Hansen and Oliver Gaglietta will get their opportunity to become part of the tradition in Clarington.

Familiar Leadership Behind the Bench

There will also be plenty of continuity behind the bench. Dean Baumhauer returns as Head Coach and General Manager, continuing a connection with Eagles hockey that stretches back decades. A Bowmanville native, Baumhauer grew up playing in Clarington before spending four seasons with the Eagles in the late 1980s. After coaching in the OMHA and serving as an assistant with the OJHL’s Whitby Fury, he eventually returned to the Eagles as head coach.

Since then, Baumhauer has helped oversee one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. He’ll once again be joined behind the bench by assistant coaches David Fairey and Neil Taylor, providing continuity for a team with championship aspirations. There will also be an addition to the coaching staff this season, with Jimmy Kellachan joining the Eagles as an assistant coach. Together, the group brings a combination of familiarity, experience and a new voice as the 2026-27 Eagles take shape.

More Than Hockey

While winning hockey games will always be the goal, some of the most important nights at Rickard this season won’t be measured only by the final score. The first comes on Thursday, October 1, when the Eagles welcome the Scarborough Knights for a 7:25 p.m. matchup and the team’s Food Drive. It’s an opportunity for Eagles fans to fill the stands while also helping support people in our community.

Then, on Thursday, November 12, another Eagles tradition returns when Clarington hosts its annual Toy Drive. The Uxbridge Bruins return to the Nest for the 7:25 p.m. game, giving fans an opportunity to support a great cause while watching another chapter of the Clarington-Uxbridge rivalry. The Food Drive and Toy Drive are reminders that being part of the Eagles means representing the community off the ice as well as on it.

Celebrating Eagles Past and Present

One of the most unique dates on this year’s schedule arrives during the holidays. On Sunday, December 27, generations of Eagles will come together at Rickard for the Clarington Eagles Alumni Game. The puck drops at 12:00 p.m., welcoming former players back to the Nest and providing an opportunity to celebrate the people who have worn the Eagles sweater over the years.

Then the focus shifts from the past to the present. At 2:25 p.m., the current Eagles will take the ice against the Little Britain Merchants, creating an afternoon that celebrates where Eagles hockey has been and where it’s headed next. For a franchise with roots stretching back generations, it should be a special day at Rickard.

A Proud Championship Tradition

Expectations are nothing new in Clarington. The Clarington/Bowmanville Eagles have reached the Schmalz Cup Final 10 times in franchise history, including three consecutive appearances from 2022 through 2024.

Add four consecutive division championships before last season’s loss to Uxbridge, and a standard has been established. The challenge for the 2026-27 Eagles is to begin another chapter.

It Starts in August

Fans won’t have to wait until September to get their first look at this year’s team. The exhibition schedule begins Thursday, August 27 at 7:25 p.m. when the Eagles welcome the Orillia Terriers to Rickard B. Two days later, Clarington meets the Napanee Raiders on Saturday, August 29 at 1:25 p.m. at South Courtice Arena.

The preseason concludes at home on Thursday, September 3 at 7:25 p.m. against the Lakefield Chiefs. Then the countdown begins. Seven days later, Uxbridge comes to town, the puck drops on the Home Opener and the 2026-27 season officially begins.

One Team. One Town. One Goal.

There will be 21 regular-season home games, old rivalries renewed and new ones developed. There will be returning players and new Eagles pulling on the sweater for the first time. Along the way, fans can look forward to the Home Opener on September 10, the Food Drive on October 1, the Toy Drive on November 12, and a celebration of generations of Eagles hockey at the Alumni Game on December 27.

And, if everything goes according to plan, there will be plenty more hockey after the regular season ends. The players are getting ready. The coaches are getting ready. And soon, the Nest will be full again.

The 2026-27 Clarington Eagles season is almost here. One Team. One Town. One Goal.

2026-27 Clarington Eagles Home Schedule

September 10 — 7:25 PM vs. Uxbridge Bruins
September 17 — 7:25 PM vs. Schomberg Cougars
September 24 — 7:25 PM vs. Little Britain Merchants
October 1 — 7:25 PM vs. Scarborough Knights
October 10 — 2:55 PM vs. Scarborough Knights
October 15 — 7:25 PM vs. Schomberg Cougars
October 22 — 7:25 PM vs. Uxbridge Bruins
October 29 — 7:25 PM vs. Georgina Ice
November 5 — 7:25 PM vs. Port Perry Lumberjacks
November 8 — 1:25 PM vs. Schomberg Cougars
November 12 — 7:25 PM vs. Uxbridge Bruins
November 26 — 7:25 PM vs. Georgina Ice
December 3 — 7:25 PM vs. Scarborough Knights
December 10 — 7:25 PM vs. Uxbridge Bruins
December 17 — 7:25 PM vs. Port Perry Lumberjacks
December 27 — 2:25 PM vs. Little Britain Merchants
January 7 — 7:25 PM vs. Little Britain Merchants
January 14 — 7:25 PM vs. Port Perry Lumberjacks
January 24 — 1:25 PM vs. Schomberg Cougars
January 28 — 7:25 PM vs. Little Britain Merchants
February 11 — 7:25 PM vs. Georgina Ice