Latest news with #GillesCourteauTrophy
Ottawa Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Wildcats' MacDougall named Canadian Hockey League coach of the year
Gardiner MacDougall, whose seamless transition from coaching university hockey to the major junior ranks resulted in another championship for the Moncton Wildcats, was named the Brian Kilrea Trophy winner as Canadian Hockey League coach of the year Friday in Toronto. Article content In his first year behind the Wildcats' bench after retiring from 24 seasons as head coach at the University of New Brunswick Reds men's hockey team, MacDougall led the Wildcat to a franchise record campaign that resulted in a 53-9-2-0 regular-season record and a 16-3 slate en route to winning the Gilles Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions in May. Article content Article content Article content The impressive credentials produced regular-season franchise records for most wins (53), most points (108), fewest regulation losses (9), fewest goals against (144), and best points percentage (.844). Article content Article content During his career at UNB, MacDougall's teams won nine University Cup titles, including back-to-back crowns in 2023 and 2024, the latter an undefeated season that culminated with the title in Toronto. He earned hi third U Sports men's hockey coach of the year for that remarkable accomplishment. Several months later, he retired from the UNB post and took over the Wildcats team. Article content He led the Cats to their first title since 2010 and advanced to the semifinal of the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. Article content The team's winning percentage was the eighth-best all-time in the QMJHL and 10th-best in the CHL since 2000. As all championship teams appears to accomplish, the Wildcats were staunch defensively, yielding the CHL-best defensive showing with a 2.25 goals-against average, which ranked fifth in QMJHL history. Article content Article content MacDougall is the third coach in CHL history to win the CHL coach of the year award in his first season, joining Craig Hartsburg (Guelph Storm, 1995) and Gerard Gallant (Saint John Sea Dogs in 2010). Article content In additional to his University Cup success, MacDougall also led the Sea Dogs to the 2022 Memorial Cup when the event was held at TD Station. Article content Two other Wildcats were finalists for national CHL awards. Article content Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL was named the sportsman of the year, a category in which Julius Sumpf of the Cats was a finalist. Newly named Wildcats captain Caleb Desnoyers was a finalist for the Top Prospect award, which went to Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters.
Ottawa Citizen
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sea Dogs select top prospect in QMJHL draft with first pick overall
Article content The Saint John Sea Dogs secured a major player for their future and the Moncton Wildcats landed a top hometown prospect as the QMJHL draft unfolded over the weekend in Quebec. Article content Saint John, which finished 17th overall in 2024-25 and then landed the top pick overall in the draft lottery earlier this spring, landed six-foot-four centre Alexis Joseph with their No. 1 pick Friday evening to kick off the annual draft. Article content Article content Article content Joseph was rated at the top of many draft prognosticators' lists because of his size and abilities with College Esther Blodin in Quebec, where he racked up 56 points in 42 games with the Quebec U18 AAA squad. Article content Article content Saint John also secured five-foot-seven-and-a-half speedster Nolann Heroux of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., with the No. 10 pick overall, and six-foot-one-and-a-half inch goaltender Jase MacPherson of Montague, Prince Edward Island, with its third pick, 29th overall. Article content Heroux recorded 50 points in 41 games with St-Eustache in Quebec U18 AAA this past season while MacPherson was 11-7 with a .908 save percentage with the Kensington Wild of the NB-PEI Under 18 Major Hockey League. Article content The Sea Dogs entered the draft with the No. 18 overall pick as well, following a trade with Rimouski that finalized a deal for former captain Eriks Mateiko in January. Article content Article content However, Saint John shipped that pick to Rouyn-Noranda for a series of picks, including a No. 2 and No. 4 on Saturday, a first rounder in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2027. Article content Article content The Gilles Courteau Trophy champion Wildcats waited until the second round to make their first pick and after a trade with Rimouski to drop to No. 24 overall (while gaining additional picks), they landed centre Marc MacPhee of Moncton. MacPhee was also the top New Brunswicker selected in the draft. Article content MacPhee, a five-foot-eight-and-a-half inch centre, racked up 38 points in 33 games with the Moncton Flyers of the NB-PEI Major under 18 league and then added seven points at the Telus Cup national championship.
Ottawa Citizen
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Wildcats eliminated from Memorial Cup after 5-2 loss to Knights
The dream season for the Moncton Wildcats, one of promise and outstanding achievement, came to an emotional end after a 5-2 semifinal loss to the London Knights Friday at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. Article content Article content London's Blake Montgomery and Jessi Nurmi scored 10 minutes apart in the final period to snap a 2-2 tie and the Knights' star forward Easton Cowan clinched the win with an empty net goal late as London advances to the championship Sunday against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Article content Article content For the Wildcats, it was oh so close. Article content Article content 'I am super proud of everyone on our team, the coaches down to the Black Aces who didn't play,' said Wildcats captain Markus Vidicek. 'We knew it was going to be a battle all night long. We threw punches, they threw punches but, in the end, they won a third period, and we didn't.' Article content The Cats set franchise records in many areas, including best winning percentage with a 53-11-2-0 mark in the regular season and captured their third QMJHL title with a victory over Rimouski to claim the Gilles Courteau Trophy on May 19. Article content The 16-3 playoff record was also a franchise best, exceeding the 16-5 slates the team recorded in winning the 2006 and 2010 QMJHL titles. Article content This season proved to be a mammoth improvement from the previous campaign in which lofty expectations were met with a devastating turn in a four-game opening-round playoff sweep to Chicoutimi. Article content Article content But this year was different, with new head coach Gardiner MacDougall behind the bench and new general manager Taylor MacDougall, his son, pulling the strings on numerous high quality player acquisitions to form a lineup that gelled almost from the get-go. Article content They were ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League many times during the year and after clinching the regular season title in March, they were even better in the post-season to earn a berth to their third Memorial Cup tournament. Article content 'It is gut wrenching because of the faith Mr. (Robert) Irving put in us,' said Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall after Friday's loss. Article content 'When you don't win your last game, you are very disappointed as a coach, but the group came so far. You are representing a city, you are representing a province, you are representing our league. There is certainly disappointed feelings but the other part of it is you see the growth of the group and what a difference they made. They set new standards, and we just came a little short.'
Ottawa Citizen
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Moncton Wildcats' father-son magic
It's an embrace Gardiner and Taylor MacDougall will never forget. Article content Article content The Moncton Wildcats had just won the franchise's first Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) championship in 15 years. Players and staff were celebrating on the ice in Rimouski, Que. Article content Taylor rushed to his father, Gardiner, and the two hugged. The emotion of the moment was evident on both of their faces. Article content 'I don't know if you could make up a scene in Hollywood and come out with how everything worked out,' Gardiner told The Guardian in a phone interview on May 20, one day after the Wildcats posted a 3-2 road win over the Rimouski Oceanic to win the franchise's third QMJHL championship. 'We are very, very blessed for sure.' Article content Head Coach & GM. Father & Son. Gardiner & Taylor. What a wild year it's been for the MacDougall pair! 🫂 @monctonwildcats | #QPlayoffs — QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 20, 2025 Article content This marked the MacDougalls' first season with the Robert K. Irving-owned and led Wildcats, who have now won three QMJHL championships since 2006. Taylor is the general manager and Gardiner, who grew up in Bedeque, P.E.I., is head coach. Article content Article content 'It is special, and it is something you try to soak in for a second,' Taylor told The Guardian on May 20. 'To get the win at all is something that is so hard to do, but to get to do it with family is probably even more so. Article content 'That extends into our entire staff. We have such a great staff and group to work with and there were a lot of special moments with them.' Article content 'I'm just happy for the entire organization,' said Taylor, a lawyer who previously worked as a player agent. 'We are so fortunate and so lucky with the people we have involved in the organization, a lot of them have been a part of the organization for a long time. You start with Mr. Irving and I'm so happy for them and the players.' Article content Article content Article content Expectations Article content The MacDougalls took over a Wildcats' team with championship aspirations. With a veteran core returning for the 2024-25 season, the Wildcats finished atop the overall standings in the 18-team league in the regular season with a record of 53-9-2-0 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses), the Wildcats went 16-3 in the playoffs en route to winning the Gilles Courteau Trophy. Article content 'The overall experience has been exhilarating with the group,' said Gardiner, who spent the previous 24 seasons as head coach of the UNB men's hockey program, winning nine national championships and 12 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference titles. 'We were fortunate as a father-son to win two national championships at UNB as a coach-player, and here it's coach-general manager.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Moncton Wildcats break lengthy drought to become QMJHL champions
The Moncton Wildcats are Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champions once again, breaking a 15-year drought. The team won 3-2 over the Rimouski Oceanic on Monday afternoon, taking home the Gilles-Courteau Trophy after six games in the best-of-seven series. Loke Johansson scored one goal, while Gabe Smith scored twice for the Cats, giving the team a 3-0 lead heading into the third period. Jonathan Fauchon and Jacob Mathieu scored for Rimouski in a late attempt to come back, but it wasn't enough. The Wildcats and Oceanic won't have long to rest. Both teams are playing in the Memorial Cup, which starts Friday night in Rimouski. Because Rimouski is this year's host team and they made it to the Q-league finals, it meant the other team playing them automatically qualified for the national tournament anyway. Moncton has won the Q-league title twice before — in 2006 and 2010 — back when the trophy was named the President's Cup and the league name was the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Wildcats' head coach is Gardiner MacDougall of Bedeque, P.E.I. He joined the team this season after coaching the University of New Brunswick's men's hockey team for 24 seasons, which won nine national university championships during his tenure and had a perfect season in 2023-24.
