Host Saint John Sea Dogs, who spent 39 days between games after losing in the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, will face the Hamilton Bulldogs, who set a 16-3 record after the season on the road. Ontario Hockey. League championship. It is the first Memorial Cup final since 2019, when the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies won the title at the Halifax tournament. The events of the Memorial Cup of 2021 and 2022 disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sea Dogs won a direct place in the final after scoring two wins and one loss in extra time in the qualifying round, while Hamilton had to beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-2 to get out of the qualifying round and then achieved an exciting 4. – 3 triumphs in overtime over the Shawinigan Cataractes in Monday’s semifinal to qualify. “ We are around. “A month ago, who knows what people were saying about us,” said Saint John Gardiner coach MacDougall, who replaced Gordie Dwyer on May 22 after the Sea Dogs were upset by the Rimouski Oceanic to open the playoffs. “They did not know if we would be a good representative of the tournament, maybe we would only have three games – that was all we were guaranteed. “It’s nice to still be here.” Hamilton survived a series of seven games against the Windsor Spitfires to win the OHL crown and then left consecutive games at Saint John and Shawinigan to open the Memorial Cup. That set the stage for a do-or-die qualifier against Edmonton on Friday, where Anaheim’s Mason McTavish scored two goals for Hamilton in the key victory. In Hamilton’s victory in the semifinals, Montreal draft candidate Ian Misak scored a point from his teammate Nathan Stowis, 10:08 in overtime. “The players have found ways,” said Hamilton coach Jay McKee. “They are a confident team that believes in each other and that is a really strong element you need to have.” Saint John and Hamilton met at the start of the tournament on June 20, when the Sea Dogs led 4-1 in the second period and held on to a 5-3 victory. “The players have won a great opportunity,” McKee said. “We played Saint John once and they certainly did not see the best version of the Hamilton Bulldogs and I expect they will do it (Wednesday) night.” The Sea Dogs later lost 4-3 in overtime to Edmonton. Then, under the leadership of QMJHL’s most valuable player, William Dufour, they won the first-round 3-0 deficit on Saturday in Shawinigan 5-3 and took first place in the qualifying round. “They had a very good mentality and were receptive to everything,” MacDougall said of the Sea Dogs, who finished the regular season with a 15-game winning streak. Hamilton scored 51-12-3-2 in the regular season, led by Logan Morrison with 100 points and 66 points from defender Staio of the year in the OHL. Dufour, a New York Islands contender who leads the tournament with six goals, was named QMJHLMVP after his 116-point season, which included a top 56 goals in the Canadian Hockey Championship. Linemate Josh Lawrence finished the year with 101 points, tying the league for 70 assists, which also set a franchise record. This is Saint John’s fourth appearance in the Memorial Cup, as the franchise wants to add to the 2011 Mississauga Championship. Hamilton makes his second appearance in a tournament after losing in the 2018 semifinal to host Regina Patch. Meanwhile, it was a big night for the Dallas Stars prospects at the Canadian Hockey League Awards on Tuesday. Kamloops Blazers’ Logan Stankoven, who scored 104 points in 59 regular-season games, was named David Branch CHL Player of the Year. Stankoven, a five-legged center selected by the Stars in the second round of the NHL 2021 draft, scored three or more points in 18 games during the regular season, including a pair of five-point games on November 3. and 29 January. Wyatt Johnston, Dallas’ first choice, 23rd overall in 2021, was the CHL top scorer with 124 points in 68 games for the Windsor Spitfires. Kingston Frontenacs ‘Shane Wright won the top draft perspective award, while Moose Jaw Warriors’ Bradyen Yager was named rookie of the year. Charlottetown Islanders’ Jim Hulton won the Coach of the Year award after leading his team to its first appearance in the President Cup in franchise history. Hamilton Bulldogs’ Nathan Staois won the Defender of the Year award. Kamloops Blazers ‘Dylan Garand won Goalkeeper of the Year and Halifax Mooseheads’ Jordan Dumais won Athlete of the Year. Mississauga Steelheads Owen Beck was named Schmidt Player of the Year and Edmonton Oil Kings Luke Prokop was named Humanist of the Year.
