Jason La Rose
One win away a year ago, the Cantonniers de Magog are ready to take that final step at the 2019 TELUS Cup.
The Cantonniers, who dropped a 5-1 decision to Notre Dame in the 2018 gold medal game in Sudbury, Ont., repeated as Ligue de hockey midget AAA du Québec champions with an impressive romp through the playoffs; they lost just two of 15 postseason games, including a four-game sweep of Lac St-Louis in the final.
And while it was overshadowed by Lévis and its record-setting campaign (the Chevaliers were an LHMAAAQ-best 41-1), Magog wasn’t too shabby in the regular season, either.
The Cantonniers won 34 of 42 games and lost only three times in regulation, marks that leave them in the top 10 all-time in Quebec, and they handed Lévis its lone loss.
They were dominant at both ends of the ice, outscoring their opponents by 108 goals (other than Lévis, the next best mark was +50) while icing eight skaters who cracked double-digits in goals, and six who hit the 30-point plateau.
Like most returning teams, Magog is led by experience – nine players are back from 2018, including goaltender Olivier Adam and three of its top four regular-season scorers: Alexandre Doucet (55 points), Jacob Dion (50) and Isaac Belliveau (40).
The Cantonniers are once again out to break Quebec’s longest-ever gold medal drought; despite reaching the final five times in the last seven years, a team from La Belle Province has not claimed Canada’s National Midget Championship since the Gouverneurs de Sainte-Foy in 2001.
HOW THEY GOT TO THUNDER BAY
Ligue de hockey midget AAA du Québec Preliminary round: defeated Amos 3-0 (3-2 OT, 5-0, 5-2) Quarter-final: defeated Châteauguay 3-1 (5-1, 9-0, 3-7, 1-0 4OT) Semifinal: defeated Gatineau 3-1 (4-1, 2-1, 0-1, 5-2) Final: defeated Lac St-Louis 4-0 (4-3 OT, 6-3, 2-1, 4-3 OT)
REGULAR SEASON
Record (W-L-OTL): 34-3-5 (2nd in LHMAAAQ) Goals for: 196 (2nd in LHMAAAQ) Goals against: 88 (2nd in LHMAAAQ) Longest winning streak: 9 (Aug. 31-Sept. 30) Top 3 scorers: - Alexandre Doucet – 29G 26A 55P (4th in LHMAAAQ) - Justin Robidas – 28G 25A 53P (8th in LHMAAAQ) - Jacob Dion – 15G 35A 50P (12th in LHMAAAQ)
PLAYOFFS
Record: 13-2 Goals for: 58 Goals against: 27 Top 3 scorers: - Alexandre Doucet – 21G 5A 26P - Justin Robidas – 7G 15A 22P - Jacob Dion – 2G 19A 21P
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
1995 – Cantonniers de Magog | 5th place | 2-3-0 | 7GF 12GA 2000 – Cantonniers de Magog | gold medal | 6-1-0 | 46GF 16GA 2018 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 3-3-1 | 24GF 25GA
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ISAAC BELLIVEAU puck-moving defenceman … contributes at both ends of the ice … can skate puck out of trouble … strong on his skates
JUSTIN ROBIDAS great skater … tremendous hockey sense … loves to create offensively … plays a 200-foot game … good bloodlines
TRISTAN ROY power forward … uses size to his advantage … very good hands in tight … hard, accurate shot … loves to play physical
QMJHL DRAFTED PLAYERS
Jérémy Lapointe – Baie-Comeau 2018 (2nd round, 24th overall) Isaac Belliveau – Rimouski 2018 (2nd round, 25th overall) Jacob Dion – Drummondville 2018 (4th round, 68th overall) Olivier Picard – Val-d’Or 2018 (5th round, 74th overall) Karl Vaillancourt – Cape Breton 2018 (5th round, 79th overall) Olivier Adam – Blainville-Boisbriand 2018 (6th round, 91st overall) Alexandre Doucet – Val-d’Or 2018 (6th round, 93rd overall) Kaylen Gauthier – Drummondville 2018 (7th round, 111th overall) Gabriel Fontaine – Baie-Comeau 2017 (7th round, 115th overall) Zachary Barabé – Shawinigan 2018 (9th round, 146th overall) Édouard Cournoyer – Quebec 2018 (9th round, 155th overall)