Eagles Set For Home Opener Against The Moncton Wildcats
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for hockey fans in Cape Breton, as the Eagles are ready for home opening weekend against the Moncton Wildcats, the defending QMJHL champions.
Both teams were on the road for opening weekend. Moncton was handed a pair of losses in Newfoundland, while the Eagles rebounded from their opening night defeat with a 6-3 victory over Saint John on Saturday. Eliot Litalien, one of many news faces in Cape Breton last year, led the Eagles attack with four points in Saturday’s win.
Litalien, who will play in his 100th QMJHL game tonight, was one of six CHL veterans acquired by the Eagles in the off-season who could make their home-ice debut tonight for Cape Breton- in addition to eleven rookies in the Eagle lineup (although Jacob Hartlin appeared as an affiliate player for the Eagles last season.)
The Eagles will get a boost on the blueline from a pair of returning players as Tomas Lavoie (Utah) & Will Murphy (Detroit) have returned from NHL training camps. Lavoie, a signed prospect of the Mammoth, is expected to be among the top defensemen in the QMJHL this year, and tonight will play his first game as Eagles captain.
Much like Lavoie & Murphy missed last weekend, the Wildcats were missing a number of players to NHL training camps who have since been reassigned. Despite losing a number of veteran players from last season, Moncton was ranked in the pre-season CHL top ten after drafting some older players and signing a number of free agents. NHL drafted forwards Teddy Mutryn (San Jose) & Grayden Robertson-Palmer (Detroit) along with defensmen Eerik Wallenius (Ottawa) are expected to make their QMJHL debuts tonight. Among the Moncton stars who are returning are overager Alex Mercier, a 30 goal, point per game man who’s coming off of a big opening weekend in St. John’s.
Here’s what else you need to know ahead of tonight’s game!
BUY TICKETS: https://shorturl.at/bTPdd
50/50: https://rafflebox.ca/raffle/cbeagles
Venue: Centre 200, Sydney, NS
Puck drop: 7 PM AST
Web coverage: https://shorturl.at/qvck6
Radio Coverage: 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com
Twitter: @cbehockey
Live stats: https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/gamecentre/31928/
| MONCTON | CAPE BRETON | |
| 0-1-1-0 | RECORD | 1-1-0-0 |
| 0-1-1-0 | CURRENT STREAK | 1-0-0-0 |
| 9GF/12GA | GOALS FOR/GOALS AGAINST | 8GF/6A |
| Alex Mercier (5 points in 2 games) | LEADING SCORER | Eliot Litalein (4 points in 2 games) |
| Friday, Moncton 5 @ Newfoundland 7 | LAST GAME RESULT | Saturday, Cape Breton 6 @ Saint John 3 |
| Colby Huggan (26 points in 32 games) | LEADING SCORER | Jacob Newcombe (33 points in 34 games) |
| 2/7 | POWER PLAY | 1/7 |
| 5/10 | PENALTY KILL | 7/7 |
| Caleb Desnoyers | iNJURY REPORT (PRIOR GAME) | Samuel Kupec |
