Ron Valentine is profiling the 10 teams competing in the 2024 Centennial Cup, the national Jr. A championship tournament, in Oakville May 9-19.
BY RON VALENTINE
Representing the Maritime Junior Hockey League are the Miramichi Timberwolves from New Brunswick.
They beat the Summerside Western Capitals at home 5-4 in Game 6 of the league final series.
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick with a population of around 18,000 people. They team plays out of the Civic Centre, which seats 1,800 folks – 2,300 crammed in for their final game of the season. The arena opened in 1986.
The club was founded in 2000. This is their first MHL championship. The Timberwolves reached the league playoff final in 2017 but fell to the Truro Bearcats four games to three.
The Timberwolves finished the MHL regular season in third place in the EastLink North Division with 31 wins and 67 points from 52 games, three points behind the West Kent Steamers and 12 adrift of the Edmundston Blizzard, who were ranked ninth by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. In the EastLink South Division, the Summerside Western Capitals, ranked seventh nationally, were first with 85 points.
In the regular season, LUDOVIC DUFORT, from Laval PQ, who will attend Ontario Tech this Fall led the team with 46 goals and 82 points. He was voted MVP of the league. HUGO AUDETTE, a native of Mercier PQ and JEREMY DUHAMEL, from St. Sabine PQ ended on 58. After arriving from the QMJHL’s Val D’or Foreurs DAVID DOUCET put up 32 points in 20 games. He will attend the University of Moncton in the Fall.
Also coming from Val D’or was ZACHAEL TURGEON who posted 20 points in 20 games played. Turgeon, from Amos PQ, is off to the University of Quebec-Trois Rivieres. JACK FLANAGAN was the go-to goalie with a 3.08 goals against average.
In the postseason, Turgeon was the club’s top point producer with 21 in 15 games and that included three game winning goals. Doucet weighed in with 20 including a team-high 13 goals and Audette also reached 20 including 17 assists. Dufort had 16 points. Duhamel and MITCHELL WAGNER posted 11. COLE FOSTON rounded out the double-digit point producers with 10. All but Wagner are in their final season of Junior hockey. Flanagan posted a 2.86 GAA. ADAM ROULEAU played three games with a 2.25 GAA.
KORY BAKER is in his second season behind the Timberwolves bench. ROSS MARTIN, from Cornwall PEI, is the general manager.
Baker, born in Miramichi, played professional hockey for 10 years in Sweden, Finland and Denmark where he recorded 444 points. He played junior hockey for the Hawkesbury Hawks of the CCHL and Moncton and Val D’or (where he was on their Memorial Cup team) in the QMJHL followed by several seasons in the high minors in the U.S. Martin played for the Timberwolves in the 2012-13 season. He also suited up for two other MHL clubs, the Amherst Ramblers and Yarmouth Mariners.
“We have a fast, skilled team with our strengths being our depth and character,” Baker told the OJHL. “The big ice should suit our skill and speed very nicely. You should expect a hard-working, fast hockey team.”
For more information on the Centennial Cup, click here: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/national-championships/men/national-junior-a/2024
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