Coaching Career Ends For Kilrea

((HT: CP))

Andrew Agozzino's overtime goal ended the Ottawa 67's season, and coach Brian Kilrea's storied career ((pictured, thanks Dave Sandford/Getty Images)).

Agozzino scored 13 seconds into overtime to give the Niagara IceDogs a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the 67's Tuesday night to win their best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League opening-round series 4-3. His goal came as he took a centring pass from Freddie Hamilton and beat Adam Courchaine low stick side.

The 67's were eliminated after forcing Game 7 with a 4-0 win over Niagara Monday in Ottawa.
It was the final game behind Ottawa's bench for Kilrea, who retires with 1,193 wins, a Canadian junior hockey record. He will remain as the team's general manager.

"It's not so much the coaching as the fact that we lost the series," the Hall of Fame coach. "I wasn't thinking about anything else. I learned a long time ago that when you get beat with your best players on the ice you learn to accept it."

Kilrea took the time to congratulate his team on what he said was a season that produced much better results than he had imagined.

"If someone had said to me at the beginning of the year that we were going to win 40 games and take a team to seven games, I wouldn't have thought it. So it's not like this is a major disappointment," said Kilrea who has coached teams to three OHL titles and two Memorial Cup championships.

"I'm proud of them. We saw a lot of young kids improve this season and in tonight's lineup we had five 16-year olds who played well."

There wasn't a dry eye and barely a whisper to be heard from the 67's following the game. Owner Jeff Hunt said it was the most emotional 67's locker-room he had ever seen. Overager Thomas Kiriakou had to reject a few interviews as he was unable to compose himself.

"I can't take this jersey off," a tearful Corey Cowick said after the game. "Everything I owe in my career I owe to Brian Kilrea and to have it end like this is horrible. I would give anything to drop that puck again for him."

Here's the tribute that ran the night of Kilrea's last regular-season game in Ottawa for the 67's.

((HT: Ottawa 67's))