Bishop Guertin ;players celebrate a second period goal en route to a 4-0 season-opening win over St. Thomas of Dover at Skate 3 in Tyngsborough Mass. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. – Don’t challenge the Bishop Guertin High School boys hockey players to a speed skating race.

You’ll lose.

That’s what happened to the St. Thomas Saints in Monday’s inter-division season opener at Skate 3 Arena. The Saints, who don’t bear much resemblance to their senior-filled 2024-25 title predecessors, were outskated to the tune of a 4-0 Cardinals victory. Yes, speed kills.

“We’ve got a couple of kids who can really skate,” Cards coach Gary Bishop said after career win No. 499. “We’re quick, and that helps … It’s all about puck movement. … Happy with the speed. And the first two lines are going to get some goals for us.”

Guertin, in fact, did some of its best work shorthanded, with two shorthanded goals, one by Owen Murphy for the season’s first tally at 3:44 of the second, and another in the third by Jordan O’Hearn, who had two goals – both in the third – and an assist. Murphy assisted on O’Hearn’s shorty, the final goal of the game, returning the favor from O’Hearn in the second period.

BG’s other goal in the second was by Dominic Trepanier, assisted by Jack Stone. Anthony Dobrutchi assisted on O’Hearn’s first goal.

After the first period, it was tidy win, with the exception of six BG penalties. The Saints, as Bishop noted, were gassed in a third period in which they had just two shots on goal, making it 12 saves on the day for BG netminder Nico Scaparotti, a transfer from Central Catholic in Lawrence, Mass. Saints netminder Zack Pattow had 22 stops.

Whenever the Saints might have a breakaway, at least one of BG’s veteran defensemen – be it Gavin Santos, Luca Ferreira, Cam Auger or Jack Menici would turn on the jets and get back in time. In other words, they’d win the race.

Bishop Guertin’s Owen Muprhy watches his shot go past St. Thomas goalie Zack Pattow during Monday’s 4-0 season-opening win at Skate 3 in Tyngsborough, Mass. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Let’s see if that continues next Monday night here, which will be an interstate game vs. Billerica (Mass.) High School. It will be a special one, because if BG wins, it will be Bishop’s 500th career win, and will come vs. his alma mater.

But the season overall is a process.

“This whole season is getting ready for February (and March),” Bishop said.

And like the BG skaters, it’ll be here before you know it.