ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Canada’s National Women’s Team defeated Finland 15-0 on Friday night to secure a spot against the United States in the gold medal game of the 2010 4 Nations Cup on Saturday, November 13. The game will air on TSN2/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster, at 7:30 p.m. NT/ 6 p.m. ET live from the Mile One Centre.

This will be the second matchup for Canada and the United States at this year’s 4 Nations Cup, with the U.S. Women’s Select Team edging Canada’s National Women’s Team 3-2 in a thrilling shootout in the tournament’s opening game Tuesday, November 9. That game was the first time the two rival teams had met since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

Earlier Friday, the United States blanked Sweden 4-0, making the Americans as of yet undefeated at the 2010 4 Nations Cup in St. John’s and Clarenville, N.L.  Sweden will face off against Finland at 4 p.m. NT / 2:30 p.m. ET in a fight for the bronze medal. The game will air live via webcast for just $7 at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

Limited tickets are still available for both games on the final day of 2010 4 Nations Cup action. Single-game tickets are $10 for the bronze medal game and $25 for the gold medal game, while a championship package featuring both games is just $29. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

Canada’s roster for the 2010 4 Nations Cup includes 14 members of the gold medal-winning team from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 15th edition of the international tournament has been held in St. John’s and Clarenville to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador mark its 75th anniversary. This season’s National Junior Team development camp, held from August 4-8 in St. John’s, and the 2011 TELUS Cup, coming to St. John’s from April 18-24, are also being held in the province as part of this celebration, with support from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

MEDIA INFORMATION: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of media relations and communications, and Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, are on site in St. John’s for the bronze and gold medal games. Please contact Francis at 587-999-5681 or [email protected], and Kristen at 403-826-4819 or [email protected],, for 2010 4 Nations Cup interview requests.

The 2010 4 Nations Cup is taking place in St. John’s and Clarenville to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador celebrate its 75th anniversary, and is generously supported by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The event brings together the top women’s hockey teams in the world – Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden – for the first time since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Both the Canada-Finland game on Friday, November 12 and the gold medal game on Saturday, November 13 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check your local listings for 2010 4 Nations Cup broadcast times in your area.

The other six games will be available via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com on a pay-per-view basis for $7 per game, except for Canada’s opening game against the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9, which is being offered free of charge.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The top four women’s hockey teams in the world have arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador and will start competition at the 2010 4 Nations Cup tomorrow at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s and Clarenville Events Centre in Clarenville.

The 2010 4 Nations Cup starts Tuesday, November 9, with Canada taking on the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT at the Mile One Centre and Finland facing Sweden at 7 p.m. NT at the Clarenville Events Centre, and culminates with the bronze and gold medal games scheduled for 4 and 7:30 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, November 14 at the Mile One Centre. A championship ticket package featuring the bronze and gold medal games is available for just $29 (plus service fees).

Team Canada alumna and 2010 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Angela James will join Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams, Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador president Gerry Evans at the Canada-United States game for the first puck drop of the 2010 4 Nations Cup. The opening game is being broadcast free of charge via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

The 2010 4 Nations Cup is taking place in St. John’s and Clarenville to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador celebrate its 75th anniversary, and is generously supported by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The event brings together the top women’s hockey teams in the world – Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden – for the first time since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

In total, the six-day international tournament features 49 Olympians who competed in Vancouver: 13 on Team Canada, 13 on Team United States, 10 on Team Finland and 13 on Team Sweden. Canada’s 2010 Olympic gold medallists participating in the 2010 4 Nations Cup are Meghan Agosta, Gillan Apps, Tessa Bonhomme, Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Meaghan Mikkelson, Caroline Ouellette, Kim St. Pierre, Cherie Piper, Marie-Philip Poulin, Shannon Szabados and Hayley Wickenheiser.

Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, Ont.) has been named captain of Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2010 4 Nations Cup, while Bonhomme (Sudbury, Ont.), Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) and Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) will serve as alternate captains throughout the tournament.

Sarah Vaillancourt, also a gold medallist at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is not participating in the 2010 4 Nations Cup due to injury.

“Hockey fans in Newfoundland and Labrador are in for a real treat at this year’s 4 Nations Cup,” said Kalli Quinn, director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “The most talented female players in the world are here to compete in St. John’s and Clarenville, including experienced veterans who haven’t faced off against each other since Vancouver and rising young stars who could very well be heading to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.”
Single-game tickets for the 2010 4 Nations Cup range in price from $10 to $25, while packages for games at the Mile One Centre are available at prices ranging from $25 for two games on Friday, November 12 to $75 for all six games at the St. John’s arena. A two-game package is also available for the Clarenville Events Centre for $35. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

Several development activities for minor hockey players are taking place in conjunction with the 2010 4 Nations Cup, including an Esso Fun Day designed for girls who want to give hockey a try in a positive environment, to be held at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s on Thursday, November 11.

Hockey Canada and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador are also hosting an Atlantic Bantam Female Skills Challenge at both the Mile One Centre and Twin Rinks in St. John’s on Thursday, November 11 and Friday, November 12. This event will feature seven of the top female Bantam-level players from each of the Atlantic Canadian branches, along with one coach from each of the four Atlantic provinces. They will participate in on- and off-ice skills testing, and a series of three-on-three games, during the two-day challenge.

Several young female hockey players will also have the chance to take part in unique opportunities before and during 2010 4 Nations Cup games, through Hockey Canada’s Experience a Dream program, the McDonald’s In The Line Up program and intermission mini-games.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Both the Canada-Finland game on Friday, November 12 and the gold medal game on Saturday, November 13 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check your local listings for 2010 4 Nations Cup broadcast times in your area.

The other six games will be available via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com on a pay-per-view basis for $7 per game, except for Canada’s opening game against the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9, which is being offered free of charge.

MEDIA INFORMATION: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of media relations and communications, and Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, will be on site in St. John’s and Clarenville. Please contact Francis at 587-999-5681 or [email protected], and Kristen at 403-826-4819 or [email protected], for interview requests leading up to and during the 2010 4 Nations Cup.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced Sunday that National Women’s Team alumna Angela James will be honoured at the 2010 4 Nations Cup in St. John’s and Clarenville, N.L. for being one of the first two women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On the evening of Monday, November 8, James will be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame along with U.S. Women’s Select Team alumna Cammi Granato, in Toronto, Ont. The following day James will fly into St. John’s, where she’ll join Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams, Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador President Gerry Evans at the Mile One Centre for the opening puck drop of the 2010 4 Nations Cup, prior to the Canada-United States game at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9. This game is being broadcast free of charge via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

The pre-game ceremony will include a special tribute to James and Granato, who were rivals on the ice but off the ice were women’s hockey pioneers who continue to make history as they enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. Granato is unable to attend the ceremony due to prior commitments. James will also accompany the National Women’s Team to Clarenville, N.L. on Wednesday, November 10, when Canada takes on Sweden at 7 p.m. N.T. at the Clarenville Events Centre.

“Hockey Canada is extremely proud of everything Angela has accomplished, both on and off the ice,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “She is a women’s hockey hero who continues to inspire young players across the country, and is most deserving of this prestigious honour by the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

The 2010 4 Nations Cup is taking place in St. John’s and Clarenville from November 9-13 to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador celebrate its 75th anniversary. The event will bring together the best women’s hockey nations in the world – Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States – for the first time since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. The four countries competing at the 2010 4 Nations Cup finished as the top four in Vancouver, led by the gold medal-winning Canadian team.

Single-game tickets for the 2010 4 Nations Cup range in price from $10 to $25, while packages for games at the Mile One Centre are available at prices ranging from $25 for two games on Friday, November 12 to $75 for all six games at the St. John’s arena. A two-game package is also available for the Clarenville Events Centre for $35. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Both the Canada-Finland game on Friday, November 12 and the gold medal game on Saturday, November 13 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check your local listings for 2010 4 Nations Cup broadcast times in your area.

The other six games will be available via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com on a pay-per-view basis for $7 per game, except for Canada’s opening game against the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9, which is being offered free of charge.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, has announced that Canada’s National Women’s Team will play the Midget AAA St. John’s Pennecon Privateers in an exhibition game prior to the 2010 4 Nations Cup.

The game against the Pennecon Privateers, host team for the 2011 TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Midget Championship, is set for 3:30 p.m. NT on Sunday, November 7 at The Glacier Ice Arena in Mount Pearl, N.L. The 2010 4 Nations Cup, featuring the top four women’s hockey teams in the world, starts Tuesday, November 9 in St. John’s and Clarenville, N.L. and culminates with the gold medal game at 7:30 p.m. NT on Saturday, November 13.

In total, Canada’s National Women’s Team played 31 games against Midget AAA teams during the 2009-10 season, winning 22 of them before going on to win gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

“Canada’s many games against Midget AAA teams last season played a pivotal role in helping the team prepare for Vancouver,” said Kalli Quinn, director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “So facing off against the St. John’s Pennecon Privateers will give National Women’s Team members the chance to mesh on the ice before taking on their toughest international competition at the 2010 4 Nations Cup.”

Canada’s roster for the 2010 4 Nations Cup includes 14 members of the gold medal-winning team from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Canada’s National Women’s Team joins the United States, Finland and Sweden at the 15th edition of the international tournament, which is being held in St. John’s and Clarenville to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador mark its 75th anniversary. This season’s National Junior Team development camp, held from August 4-8 in St. John’s, and the 2011 TELUS Cup, coming to St. John’s from April 18-24, are also being held in the province as part of this celebration, with support from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador has not hosted the TELUS Cup  since 1989.

In preparation for its game against the St. John’s Pennecon Privateers and the 2010 4 Nations Cup, Canada’s National Women’s Team is practising at The Glacier Ice Arena in Mount Pearl, N.L. today at 2 p.m. NT and Saturday at 4 p.m. NT. Canada moves to the Mile One Centre on Monday, November 8 for a final practice at 2:30 p.m. NT before the 2010 4 Nations Cup starts.

Single-game tickets for the 2010 4 Nations Cup range in price from $10 to $25, while packages for games at the Mile One Centre are available at prices ranging from $25 for two games on Friday, November 12 to $75 for all six games at the St. John’s arena. A two-game package is also available for the Clarenville Events Centre for $35. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Both the Canada-Finland game on Friday, November 12 and the gold medal game on Saturday, November 13 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check your local listings for 2010 4 Nations Cup broadcast times in your area.

The other six games will be available via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com on a pay-per-view basis for $7 per game, except for Canada’s opening game against the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9, which is being offered free of charge.

MEDIA INFORMATION: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of media relations and communications, and Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, will be on site in St. John’s and Clarenville. Please contact Francis at 587-999-5681 or [email protected], and Kristen at 403-826-4819 or [email protected], for interview requests leading up to and during the 2010 4 Nations Cup.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the host locations for Canada’s 2025 U18 national club championships, with the Esso Cup set for Lloydminster, Alberta, and the TELUS Cup returning west to the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.

From April 20-26, the Lloydminster Steelers of the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) will welcome five regional champions to compete for Canada’s Women’s U18 National Club Championship at the Centennial Civic Centre, marking the fifth time the Esso Cup has been hosted in Alberta and the first in the Border City.

The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) will make their national championship debut at the TELUS Cup from April 21-27 at the Chilliwack Coliseum, with Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship returning to British Columbia for the first time since 2017. 

“Hosting a national championship is a tremendous undertaking, and we are grateful for the local organizing committees, Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey, for collaborating with our staff to host first-class events in Lloydminster and Chilliwack next spring,” said Pat McLaughlin, Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy. “Canada’s U18 national club championships have seen some of the top athletes in our country compete before they’ve gone on to wear the Maple Leaf internationally, and we know hockey fans in Alberta and British Columbia will enjoy watching teams play for gold next spring.”

Fans can sign up now to receive ticket information about the 2025 Esso Cup and 2025 TELUS Cup as it becomes available, or become a Hockey Canada Insider and receive advanced access to tickets and other promotions.

“These tournaments are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the participants, families and fans, and thanks to the generous support of Esso and TELUS, we are excited to build on the legacy of both events in two outstanding hockey markets,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “We thank all communities that expressed interest in hosting one of these national championships next season and look forward to welcoming the best under-18 clubs in the country in the spring.”

At the 2024 Esso Cup, the Regina Rebels won their first national title in Vernon, B.C., while the Cantonniers de Magog became national champions for the second time at the 2024 TELUS Cup in Membertou, Nova Scotia. Both gold medal games were broadcast on TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

MEMBERTOU, Nova Scotia – The Cantonniers de Magog have won their second TELUS Cup after defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-1 to complete a perfect 7-0 week at Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship. 

It’s the fifth medal for the Cantonniers at the TELUS Cup, joining the gold medal won in 2000, and the silver medals from 2018, 2019 and 2022. 

Gabriel Courchesne (Drummondville, QC) netted the game-winning goal on the power play in the final minutes of the opening period. Courchesne, who had five multi-point games and at least one point in six of seven, finished as the tournament leader in goals (10) and points (15).

“This is an amazing feeling. We worked hard all year long for this moment, and we are all so happy to win this tournament. We have 20 players on our team that can do their job perfectly within our system, and that is what makes our group special,” Courchesne said. “We knew about the last three losses [in the gold medal game] this team had at the TELUS Cup, so we wanted to get a win for the coaches that lost those games, our program and ourselves.”

Simon-Xavier Cyr (Sherbrooke, QC) beat Brandon netminder Burke Hood (Brandon, MB) to open the scoring for the Cantonniers 11:58 into the game before Easton Odut (Brandon, MB) evened the score just over three minutes later. The Cantonniers added goals from Marc-Olivier Proteau (Lac-Mégantic, QC) and Antoine Boudreau (Drummondville, QC), who also contributed two assists apiece, in the second period to secure the win.

“I had such a sense of pride watching my players win every game this week, and it was an unbelievable feeling when I was able to rejoin my second family [for the semifinal] on Saturday,” said Magog head coach Samuel Collard (Sherbrooke, QC). “We wanted to bring this trophy back to Magog, and we never took anything for granted this week right up until the last minute. All year, we wanted to be a team that works hard and sticks together, and that is exactly what we did.”

Kyan Labbé (Sherbrooke, QC) made 19 saves for Magog to cap off an impressive tournament, leading all goaltenders in goals-against average (1.71) and save percentage (.942). Hood turned in a stellar performance in net for the Wheat Kings, making 42 saves.

“We worked all season to be national champions, and to be able to say that we accomplished that with people that we have been playing with since we were 10 years old is amazing. When we got the lead, we knew we needed to stay calm and we ended up getting two big goals in the second period,” said Labbé. “This is an incredible tournament, and we only had one thing on our minds here, and that was to win. This is a team that loves each other and we are really going to enjoy this win.”

A full game summary game be found HERE.

In between the medal games, Hockey Canada announced the 2024 TELUS Cup tournament awards:

• Most Valuable Player – Gabriel Courchesne (Drummondville, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Top Forward – Antoine Boudreau (Drummondville, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Top Defence – Liam O’Neill (Calgary, AB), Calgary Buffaloes
• Top Goaltender – Kyan Labbé (Sherbrooke, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Most Sportsmanlike Player – Brady Turko (Brandon, MB), Brandon Wheat Kings
• TELUS Cup Scholarship ($1,000) – Ryan Piggot (Richmond Hill, ON), Markham Waxers

Calgary Buffaloes defeat Markham Waxers 4-3 in shootout to win bronze

Earlier in the day, Calgary rebounded from a 4-1 loss to Brandon in the semifinals to win the bronze medal, defeating the Markham Waxers 4-3 in a shootout to secure its seventh medal at the TELUS Cup.

Brayden Gourley (Calgary, AB) and Rhys Jamieson (Calgary, AB) scored in the shootout to give Calgary its third bronze all-time. Kael Svensson (Calgary, AB) turned aside all four attempts he faced in the shootout after making 36 saves in regulation and overtime, while Eamon Callaghan (Oshawa, ON) stopped 23 shots.

“I just wanted to stay calm and collected, and I trusted our guys to get the job done. The boys battled really hard, and we had to go through a little bit of adversity, but we were able get through it and come away with the win,” said Svenson. “It feels great [to win the bronze medal]. We really wanted to finish the tournament with a win, and although we did not come away with gold, we wanted to leave with something. I could not be more proud of this team.”

The teams traded goals in the opening two periods before Piggott scored on a partial breakaway to give Markham a 3-2 lead midway through the third. Calgary tied it just over four minutes later when Christian Stephanson (Calgary, AB) beat Callaghan for a shorthanded goal. Calgary and Markham traded chances in the 3-on-3 extra frame, but neither team could find the back of the net.

A full game summary game be found HERE. To download game highlights from the bronze medal game, please CLICK HERE.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2024 TELUS Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram, and by using #TELUSCup.

No team spent more time on the Road to the TELUS Cup than the Markham Waxers.

After playing 35 regular-season games across 130 days from October to February, the Waxers grinded through 22 playoff contests in just 57 days, and it was quite a schedule.

Markham played 10 games in 22 days to qualify for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship, which was four games in three days. After a three-week break, it survived a seven-games-in-seven-days marathon at the Central Regional.

And now the Waxers get to do it all over again in Membertou.

Markham finished the regular season strong, winning 11 of its last 12 games to slide into second place in the East Division of the OMHA, and after a loss to the first-place Ajax-Pickering Raiders to open the postseason, it dropped only two of the next 21, with a wild 6-5 win over the Waterloo Wolves the final step towards Cape Breton.

The Waxers got contributions from up and down the lineup, with four players averaging at least a point a game in the regular season and 10 recording at least 20 points, while three hit the point-per-game mark in the playoffs.

Tate Collins and Matthew Johnson were the catalysts up front; they co-led Markham in regular-season scoring with 46 points each before combining for 66 points across 22 postseason games.

It’s the first time the Waxers have qualified for Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship, and the first time the Central representative has come from the OMHA since the Hamilton Reps in 2009.

HOW THEY GOT TO MEMBERTOU

Ontario Minor Hockey Association
Round robin: 2nd in East Group A – lost to Ajax-Pickering Raiders 4-0, tied North Central Predators 2-2, defeated Kingston Jr. Gaels 1-0, defeated Oshawa Generals 7-3, defeated North Central Predators 5-2, defeated Clarington Toros 8-3, defeated Clarington Toros 6-0, defeated Kingston Jr. Gaels 5-1, tied Ajax-Pickering Raiders 5-5, defeated Oshawa Generals 3-2

OMHA Championship
Preliminary round: 2nd in Group 2 – defeated Central Ontario Wolves 9-2, defeated Oakville Rangers 5-1, lost to Burlington Eagles 7-3
Semifinal: defeated Guelph Gryphons 5-3
Final: defeated Burlington Eagles 4-2

Central Regional
Preliminary round: 2nd place – defeated Ottawa Jr. 67’s 5-3, defeated Vaughan Kings 6-2, defeated Timmins Majors 10-1, lost to Waterloo Wolves 4-3 OT, defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 7-2
Semifinal: defeated Vaughan Kings 4-3
Final: defeated Waterloo Wolves 6-5

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-T-OTL): 24-8-1-2 (5th in OMHA)
Goals for: 157 (7th in OMHA)
Goals against: 87 (5th in OMHA)
Longest winning streak: 6 (Jan. 6-28)
Top 3 scorers:
- Matthew Johnson – 25G 21A 46P (15th in OMHA)
- Tate Collins – 19G 27A 46P (18th in OMHA)
- Philip Govedaris – 14G 24A 38P (35th in OMHA)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 17-3-2
Goals for: 109
Goals against: 57
Top 3 scorers:
- Tate Collins – 15G 24A 39P
- Matthew Johnson – 17G 10A 27P
- Philip Govedaris – 11G 16A 27P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

First appearance

OHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Lucas Manikis – Flint Firebirds 2023 (10th round, 195th overall)
Kyle Butt – Windsor Spitfires 2023 (12th round, 240th overall)
Tate Collins – Owen Sound Attack 2023 (14th round, 272nd overall)
Eric Sencaj – Barrie Colts 2023 (14th round, 279th overall)

They’re back.

After a one-year hiatus, the Cantonniers de Magog will once again represent Quebec at the TELUS Cup, making it four appearances in the last five tournaments – 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 (there was no tournament in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

While the regular season was solid but not spectacular – the Cantonniers’ 27 wins in the Ligue de développement du hockey M18 AAA du Québec (LHM18AAAQ) ranked fifth over the last six full seasons, dating back to the start of their title run in 2017-18 – it was the playoffs where Magog was once again at its best.

It swept Châteauguay and downed Lac St-Louis in four before eliminating the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François – the defending TELUS Cup champions – in a semifinal sweep.

The Estacades de Trois-Rivières were the final obstacle between Magog and Membertou, and after a back-and-forth series that went the distance, Mavrik Duhaime scored the Game 5 overtime winner to send the Cantonniers to Cape Breton.

It was scoring by committee during the regular season, with Gabriel Courchesne (24-35—59 – second in the LHM18AAAQ) pacing an offence that featured five players with 30+ points and six who hit double-digits in goals.

Kyan Labbé was terrific in goal, finishing second in goals-against average (1.98) and save percentage (.934) before playing all but 23 minutes of the playoff run.

All that’s left now is to get that elusive final win – the Cantonniers became just the third team to lose back-to-back national finals in 2018 and 2019 (joining the 1994-95 Red Deer Chiefs and 2014-15 Grenadiers de Châteauguay), and made it three in a row with an overtime loss to the Moncton Flyers in 2022.

HOW THEY GOT TO MEMBERTOU

Ligue de développement du hockey M18 AAA du Québec
Tacks semifinal: defeated Grenadiers de Châteauguay 2-0 (7-2, 10-4)
Tacks final: defeated Lions du Lac St-Louis 3-1 (2-6, 4-1, 4-1, 2-1)
Semifinal: defeated Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François 3-0 (4-2, 2-1 OT, 2-1)
Final: defeated Estacades de Trois-Rivières 3-2 (1-5, 4-3 OT, 1-0, 3-4, 2-1 OT)

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 27-9-6 (2nd in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals for: 163 (T-1st in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals against: 111 (3rd in LHM18AAAQ)
Longest winning streak: 3 (Oct. 25-Nov. 1; Dec. 14-Jan. 5; Jan. 12-17)
Top 3 scorers:
- Gabriel Courchesne – 24G 35A 59P (2nd in LHM18AAAQ)
- Antoine Boudreau – 25G 29A 54P (5th in LHM18AAAQ)
- Alexis Toussaint – 14G 27A 41P (15th in LHM18AAAQ)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 11-3
Goals for: 48
Goals against: 32
Top 3 scorers:
- Marc-Olivier Proteau – 7G 9A 16P
- Antoine Boudreau – 5G 9A 14P
- Alexis Toussaint – 6G 6A 12P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2022 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 5-2-0 | 42GF 22GA
2019 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 6-1-0 | 24GF 8GA
2018 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 3-3-1 | 24GF 25GA
2000 – Cantonniers de Magog | gold medal | 6-1-0 | 46GF 17GA
1995 – Cantonniers de Magog | 5th place | 2-3-0 | 7GF 12GA

QMJHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Zachary Plamondon – Charlottetown Islanders 2023 (3rd round, 45th overall)
Antoine St-Laurent – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2023 (4th round, 68th overall)
Kyan Labbé – Saint John Sea Dogs 2023 (4th round, 72nd overall)
Vincent Desmarais – Drummondville Voltigeurs 2023 (5th round, 82nd overall)
Alexis Toussaint – Cape Breton Eagles 2023 (6th round, 99th overall)
Antoine Boudreau – Drummondville Voltigeurs 2022 (10th round, 171st overall)
Alexandre Raymond – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2023 (10th round, 171st overall)
Marc-Olivier Proteau – Shawinigan Cataractes 2023 (11th round, 191st overall)
Anthony Morin – Baie-Comeau Drakkar 2023 (11th round, 193rd overall)
Charles-Antoine Adam – Sherbrooke Phoenix 2022 (11th round, 195th overall)
Colin Brodeur – Halifax Mooseheads 2023 (13th round, 237th overall)
Zack Hansford – Shawinigan Cataractes 2023 (14th round, 245th overall)
Mavrik Duhaime – Cape Breton Eagles 2023 (14th round, 246th overall)

The Kensington Wild will have the shortest trip to Membertou for the 2024 TELUS Cup, but they’ve come an awfully long way to get there.

The post-pandemic years have been tough on the Wild, who won just 18 of 73 regular-season games across three seasons from 2020-23 and suffered a pair of playoff sweeps at the hands of the Charlottetown Knights (there was no postseason in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign).

But then came 2023-24.

Kensington finished second in the New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island U18 Major Hockey League (NBPEIU18MHL) and led the league in goal scoring, earning almost as many wins before the calendar turned to 2024 (13) as it did the previous two full seasons (17).

The Wild got their revenge on Charlottetown in the P.E.I. final, sweeping aside the Knights in four straight, and cruised through the Atlantic Regional with four wins and an overtime loss, capped by a 10-0 romp over the Halifax Macs in the regional final.

Ethan Dickson led the charge offensively, sitting atop the NBPEIU18MHL scoring chart with league-leading totals in goals (31), assists (44) and points (75), 20 points more than the next-highest scorer and 26 more than any other Wild skater. Between the pipes, George Gallant fashioned a league-best .929 save percentage across 17 appearances.

It’s the first time a team from Prince Edward Island has won the Atlantic championship since 2004, and the first time a team from Kensington will play for Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship since 1976.

HOW THEY GOT TO MEMBERTOU

New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island U18 Major Hockey League
P.E.I. final: defeated Charlottetown Knights 4-0 (5-1, 5-4, 6-1, 6-2)

Atlantic Regional
Preliminary round: 1st place – defeated Halifax Macs 3-2, lost to Dartmouth Majors 2-1 OT, defeated Moncton Flyers 6-2, defeated Pinnacle Growlers 7-0
Final: defeated Halifax Macs 10-0

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 21-10-4 (2nd in NBPEIU18MHL)
Goals for: 180 (1st in NBPEIU18MHL)
Goals against: 120 (2nd in NBPEIU18MHL)
Longest winning streak: 5 (Sept. 23-Oct. 14)
Top 3 scorers:
- Ethan Dickson – 31G 44A 75P (1st in NBPEIU18MHL)
- Liam Arsenault – 15G 34A 49P (4th in NBPEIU18MHL)
- Eddy Doyle – 15G 23A 38P (11th in NBPEIU18MHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 8-1
Goals for: 49
Goals against: 14
Top 3 scorers:
- Ethan Dickson – 9G 13A 22P
- Liam Arsenault – 9G 5A 14P
- Derek Andrews – 4G 8A 12P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

1976 – Kensington | 13th place | 0-6-0 | 4GF 47GA

QMJHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Eddy Doyle – Halifax Mooseheads 2023 (4th round, 75th overall)
Michael Arsenault –Drummondville Voltigeurs 2022 (6th round, 102nd overall)
Ethan Dickson –Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2022 (13th round, 234th overall)