10 days before the Screaming Eagles and Moosheads face-off at Centre 200 in Game 1 of the first ever “Hurley Cup”, we will be counting down the Top 10 moments in this heated provincial rivalry…
#10 – THE FIRST GAME
October 7th, 1997. The first game in one of the Canadian Hockey League’s most storied rivalries.
More than 4000 fans came to Centre 200 to see the first ever Screaming Eagles/Mooseheads clash, and they did not leave disappointed. Their new hockey heroes vanquished the Mooseheads by a count of 7-3. The first ever goal in a game between the provinces’s two QMJHL clubs was scored by Cape Breton’s Josh Dill, who hails from Windsor, Nova Scotia- the birthplace of hockey. Dill’s historic marker came just 2:36 into the contest.
A five goal second period pushed the Eagles to they victory, as they raced to a 6-1 lead after forty minutes. Travis Zachary led the attack for Cape Breton with two goals and one assist, and Chad Ryan also chipped in three points for the home squad. Dany Lavoie was the winning goaltender, while Halifax’s Martin Bilodeau was pulled after the fourth goal and took the loss. Jeffrey Sullivan of the Mooseheads and Stephen Douglas of the Screaming Eagles were assessed fighting majors at 16:02 of the third period- the first, but far from the last time- major penalties would be given in a Cape Breton/Halifax showdown.
The Battle Of Nova Scotia had truly begun.
BOX SCORE… http://theqmjhl.ca/gamecentre/16658/boxscore