The rebuild begins – players and fans alike were all looking forward to what the future would hold for the team, and it all started at the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Although the odds were in our favour heading into the draft lottery, the Wildcats would end up selecting third overall that year. First pick went to the Rimouski Oceanic, selecting Alexis Lafrenière, second up was Sherbrooke, adding Samuel Poulin, and with the third overall pick the Wildcats were proud to select Jakob Pelletier! This draft marked the first time since 2011 that the Cats had made a first round selection.
Along with Pelletier in the 3rd overall spot, the Wildcats also drafted a New Brunswick native, Jaxon Bellamy in the 16th position. The QMJHL Draft was set to have an immediate impact on the team, adding some strong long-term players, along with another key pick-up during the summer’s CHL Import Draft. With the 17th overall selection the Wildcats welcomed Alexander Khovanov from Russia. The team’s previous import player from Russia being Ivan Barbashev, a fan favourite and Stanley Cup Champion, the team was very happy to have Khovanov join the group.
The team was on the up swing that year, and although finished the season in the 14th overall position, they made some noise in the playoffs. The first-round match-up would find Moncton taking on the 3rd overall Rimouski Océanic, and what a match it would be. Moncton ended up with a big upset, winning game seven on the road 6-3 and taking the series win against one of the top ranked teams. In round two, the Cats were matched up against the first overall, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and although could not pull off another upset, the team had a strong showing during the beginning of the rebuild.
Jakob Pelletier in his rookie season with the club tallied over a point-per-game, with 61 points in 60 games, while Alexander Khovanov was near the same scoring percentage with 28 points in 29 games played. Jeremy McKenna was the leading scorer for the second year in a row with 36 goals, followed closely by James Phelan with 33.
The trajectory of the team was on the upswing, fans and players alike were excited for what was to come.
The Moncton Wildcats entered the 2016-2017 season coming off back-to-back semi-final appearances.
The club had a wealth of returning players, however, a rebuild was on the horizon. At the Christmas trade period, the team made the decision to begin the rebuilding process and work on acquiring some top draft picks in exchange for many of our players.
During this time fans saw many of their favorites move along to other teams; a difficult decision in hockey, but one that had to be made. Adam Holwell and Zach Malatesta were still in the province, but traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Kevin and Kelly Klima found a new home in Chicoutimi, while Manuel Wiederer and Lane Cormier were off to Rouyn-Noranda. Finally, Will Bower was dealt to Charlottetown, and American, Cam Askew was headed north to Shawinigan. Many of these players long-time Wildcats; the decision was not easy, but the new era was on the horizon.
Following the movement at trade period, the team was left with a very young core group and would have a tough second half to the season. Jeremy McKenna who was in his rookie campaign and ended up being the team’s leading scorer with 16 goals. Other prominent Wildcats who were just starting their career with the team were Mika Cyr and Jonathan Aspirot.
With the difficult trades came some great acquisitions in terms of draft picks. This would allow the team to begin adding those key pieces again to build another contending team.
The Wildcats ended up finishing in 18th place that season, but were looking ahead to the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft in Saint John where they held the best percentage to win that first overall pick in the draft lottery.
The 2015-16 season was a very special one for the Moncton Wildcats organization as they celebrated their 20th anniversary! It was a great season from start to finish, with memories created and a look back over the years with the team’s alumni. It is safe to say there were many exciting moments at the Coliseum during the year.
For much of the season, Moncton held onto the first overall spot in the Maritime Division. Although they would end up finishing second overall with 83 points, the team showed their fight and rallied together to find a way to win when they needed to.
With many returning players from the 2014-15 season, there was a core group of teammates who were not only friends off the ice, but knew each other’s tendencies on the ice. It was a great group of players with veterans who led the team and took some of the newer players under their wing. You could tell by watching them every night that it was a special group on the ice.
Not only will the season be remembered for marking 20 years, history was also made with more records broken by one of the veteran forwards. It was Conor Garland’s fourth season with the team, and he followed up a record-setting 2014-15 season with an even more impressive year, as he continued to shatter records. Garland broke the record for the longest point streak with 28 games, set a new all-time franchise scoring record of 328 points, and set a new all-time franchise record for assists, with 224. He also became the first player to win back-to-back CHL and QMJHL scoring titles since Sidney Crosby, with 128 points. In December, Garland signed a three-year entry level contract with the Arizona Coyotes.
The top line of Conor Garland, Cameron Askew, and a newcomer from Germany, Manuel Wiederer combined for a total of 257 points during the regular season. The season also saw two new faces in the Klima twins, sons of former NHL player Petr Klima. Kelly and Kevin both had impressive rookie years with the Wildcats; Kevin posted 50 points in 52 games, while Kelly recorded 41 points in 62 games. The twins will be a duo to watch in the upcoming seasons as they settle into their new roles on the team.
Zack MacEwen was another big offensive contributor in 2015-16. Towards the latter part of the season and into playoffs he was able to step up for the Wildcats and produce offensively when needed.
After sharing the role of captain the previous season with Taylor Burke, hometown favourite Stephen Johnson wore the “C” on his own. Johnson, who has had the rare privilege of playing his entire junior career in his hometown, was again a key piece to the team’s success. He lead the team off the ice as a role model and on the ice as a points producer, with 45 points in 65 regular season games.
The Wildcats went on a memorable run during their 20th anniversary season going deep into the playoffs. Moncton would end up facing three different Quebec teams in the playoffs and it looked as though nothing was going to stop them. In the first round they defeated Victoriaville, and then went on to beat Gatineau in six games in the second round. Their season would end in round three after pushing Rouyn-Noranda all the way to game six, in what was a heartbreaking loss for the Wildcats. The team’s strong character and determination during the entire season made the city and fans proud. This was the second time in franchise history that the Wildcats would make back-to-back QMJHL semi final appearances.
“Our 20th season was a memorable one,” said Director of Hockey Operations, Roger Shannon. “The team went through some highs and lows, all the time learning the significance of adversity and what it means to go through it and to overcome it. In the end the team had a terrific playoff that was ever so close. We all have reason to be very proud of the entire team this year.”
The Moncton Wildcats battled for first overall in the QMJHL until the final weekend of the regular season. They finished 46-19-0-3, good for first in the Maritime Division and second overall in the league. They earned 95 points, their highest total since 2009-10.
Conor Garland, 18, reached stardom as a third-year veteran and finished with 129 points, including 35 goals, in 67 games. He became the first Wildcat and second American to win the QMJHL scoring title and he was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He went on to become a fifth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL draft.
Ivan Barbashev made his final QMJHL season a special one by finishing second on the Wildcats and seventh in the league with 95 points, including 45 goals, in 57 games. He missed time while playing for Russia in the World Junior Championship. Defencemen Dominic Talbot- Tassi (9-43-52 in 67 games) and Jacob Sweeney (17-29- 46 in 66 games) were third and fourth in team scoring. Talbot-Tassi was a finalist for two league awards, Scholastic Player of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year.
Goaltender Alex Dubeau ranked fifth in the league with a 2.99 goals-against average, .900 save percentage and four shutouts. He set a Moncton franchise record for career wins by a goalie with 101. He also tied the QMJHL record for career shutouts with 16. The league honoured him with a career achievement award.
Moncton posted its first playoff series win since 2009- 10 by defeating the Chicoutimi Saguenéens 4-1 in the opening round, ending the worst stretch in franchise history. With the series tied 1-1, the Wildcats then won the next three games on the road to punch their ticket through to the next round.
The Wildcats lost the next two games at home, but then rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to down the Halifax Mooseheads in Game 7 in the second round. They lost 4-0 to the 2015 Memorial Cup host Quebec Remparts in the league semifinal.
Moncton won the Luc Robitaille Trophy for most goals scored in the regular season, the first time it ever captured this award. Other Wildcats finalists for QMJHL awards were Darren Rumble for Coach of the Year and Roger Shannon for General Manager of the Year.
“It was one thing to have success in the regular season, but there was a hurdle the team had to get over and that was the playoff jinx,” said Shannon. “We needed to break through that. We needed to get the monkey off our back by winning a couple of rounds and we did that. I would’ve felt we only achieved small success if we hadn’t done well in the playoffs. To make it to the league semifinal, it’s a very big accomplishment.”
“We lost to Quebec, the Memorial Cup host, which went all in with trades to load up their team. I have to give a lot of credit to the coaching staff for the tremendous job they did with this group.’’
Rumble’s original two-year contract expired and the Wildcats rewarded him with a new two-year deal soon after the season ended.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished as a team,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with everybody so that we can keep building on that.”
Former NHL defenceman Darren Rumble had a successful first season as head coach of the Moncton Wildcats. The rookie-laden rebuilding club surpassed all expectations by finishing 33-32-0-3, good for third in the Maritime Division and 12th overall in the QMJHL.
Three veteran forwards provided much of the offence. Christophe Lalonde led the club with 69 points, including a career-high 40 goals, in 64 games. Ivan Barbashev had 25 goals and 68 points in 48 games. Conor Garland continued to make a name for himself as a 17-year-old sophomore with 24 goals and 54 points in 51 games.
Free agent forward Christopher Caissy was a significant contributor with 43 points, including 16 goals, in 53 games. After months of paperwork delays, Russian forward Vladimir Tkachev finally arrived and finished with 30 points, including 10 goals, in 20 games.
Tkachev had a flashy QMJHL debut with two goals and two assists in a 7-4 win over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Jan. 23, electrifying the crowd at the Moncton Coliseum. He had a big impact as an 18-year-old rookie with 17 goals and 39 points in 26 games in the regular season and playoffs combined.
Goaltender Alex Dubeau continued to cement his spot among the best in the QMJHL, finishing with a 2.89 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and three shutouts. It marked the second consecutive season that he posted 30 wins for the Wildcats.
Moncton began the season with a 4-0 road win over the defending Memorial Cup champion Halifax Mooseheads.
The Wildcats were surprisingly competitive throughout the season and went 12-3-0-0 during one stretch, including a nine-game winning streak. Their worst slump was a five-game losing streak.
The Wildcats lost 4-2 to the heavily favoured Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the playoffs, the fourth consecutive season they were eliminated in the opening round. That’s the worst stretch in Moncton franchise history, but this time there was a different mood as the club entered the off-season feeling good about itself.
“We accomplished a lot of good things with a young, inexperienced team,” said Rumble. “I’m very proud of this group. The guys bought into what we were teaching, they worked hard and they showed tremendous improvement over the course of the season. The young guys developed nicely and we have some building blocks in place for the future.”
“We were forced to give numerous young guys a lot of ice time because of the inexperience on our roster. We had young players, including many rookies, who were given a lot of responsibility and they responded well to a difficult situation. They held their own, competed hard and showed progress as the season went along. It was very rewarding to see for the coaching staff.”
Wildcats Director of Hockey Operations Roger Shannon was feeling proud at the end of the season.
“I don’t think you would have found many people at the start of the season who predicted that we would finish with a record over .500,” he said. “That’s quite an accomplishment when you look at the youth and inexperience on this team. You have to give the coaching staff credit for the work they did. You also have to give the players credit for listening to the coaches and working so hard as a team.”
“We were able to avoid lengthy slumps. It’s remarkable the consistency that we showed. There were very few games where we left the rink thinking we didn’t show up. We were a team that competed hard. Blainville-Boisbriand was one of the top teams in the league and we came close to pushing them to Game 7 in the playoffs.”
They also made other major trades to acquire defenceman Jonathan Narbonne and forward Phillip Danault, who played for Canada in the World Junior Championship. Other key newcomers were European star forwards Dmitrij Jaskin and Ivan Barbashev.
Jaskin (46-53-99 in 51 games) was the Wildcats top scorer in his only QMJHL season and he played for the Czech Republic in the World Junior Championship. The Wildcats finished third offensively in the league, scoring an average of 4.02 goals per game.
Jaskin finished fifth in the QMJHL scoring race and was so electrifying that he often looked like a man playing against boys. Danault, Veilleux, twins Alex and Allain Saulnier, and Barbashev were other big contributors.
Barbashev, the first overall pick in the 2012 Canadian Hockey League import draft, had a terrific rookie season with 62 points, including 18 goals, in 68 games. He lived up to all expectations during his three-year QMJHL career and was a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2014 National Hockey League draft.
“I wanted to learn the North American style of hockey to help me get ready for the NHL some day,’’ said Barbashev.
“That’s why I came to Moncton. I’m having a lot of fun playing junior in Canada. I like the physical style of hockey here better. It’s more the way I like to play the game.”
“I improved my overall game since coming to Moncton so I’m happy with my decision to come here. The coaches have helped me work on the defensive side of the game so that I can be a more complete player. Moncton is a great place to play junior. We have a great owner and the best fans in the league. I really love it here.”
Conor Garland, a future QMJHL scoring champion, showed his potential as a 16-year-old rookie with 17 points, including six goals, in 26 games. It was a great addition when the Wildcats convinced the highly touted American to join them part way through the season instead of saving his eligibility to go the U.S. college hockey route.
Moncton finished second in the Maritime Division and sixth overall in the league at 42-23-2-1. It was the only club in the league that beat the 2013 QMJHL champion and 2013 Memorial Cup champion Halifax Mooseheads more than once.
The Wildcats had a veteran team built for a deep playoff run, but their season ended in disappointment with a first-round elimination. Change happened quickly after they suffered a 4-1 series loss to the 11th overall Victoriaville Tigres.
It was a hard-fought series with four games decided by a one-goal margin, including two in overtime. The Wildcats had six 20-goal scorers and ve 50-point producers, but they ran into a hot goaltender and their upset-minded opponent outscored them 15-10 in the series.
Danny Flynn was relieved as head coach three days after the final game, but he maintained his role as the club’s Director of Hockey Operations. He was Moncton’s head coach for six seasons, the longest anyone has held that position. He owns the record for career wins for a Wildcats head coach with 219.
Jaskin, Danault, Veilleux, Narbonne and Racine were immediately called up to the professional ranks after Moncton’s elimination, a good indication of the talent level on the roster. It was arguably the most disappointing playoff series loss in franchise history.
The Moncton Wildcats established a franchise record for fewest goals scored in a season with 190, producing an average of 2.79 goals per game. A lack of offensive firepower was the dominant theme as the club scored two goals or less in 31 of 68 games.
It’s remarkable that despite this the Wildcats were almost a .500 team with a record of 30-31-3-4, good for fourth in the Maritime Division and 11th overall in the league. They remained competitive thanks to outstanding goaltending and tight defensive play, allowing two goals or less against in 28 games.
“We were a team that had to work for everything we got,” said head coach and director of hockey operations Danny Flynn. “We only had four players with 40 points and three 20-goal scorers. Once you got past those players, we really relied on scoring by committee. We weren’t the type of team that was going to win a 6-5 game very often. We had to win the tight, low-scoring games.”
Alex Saulnier (31-52-83 in 58 games), Allain Saulnier (30- 49-79 in 66 games) and Marek Hrivik (29-41-70 in 54 games) carried most of the load offensively and combined to score 90 of the club’s 190 goals. They accounted for 47.3 per cent of the club’s total goals.
Patrick Delisle-Houde (15-29-44 in 63 games) was the only other player who reached the 40-point plateau on a club that was shut out seven times that season. The roster also included young forwards Christophe Lalonde and Ryan Penny, who were gaining valuable experience en route to becoming key players in the future. In fact, both would be the Wildcats captain later in their career.
The Wildcats leaned heavily on the brilliant play of goaltender Roman Will, a Czech Republic native who ranked seventh in the league with a 2.77 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout. He carried a heavy workload and led the league with 3,591 minutes played, something that stands as a Moncton franchise record.
“There’s no doubt that Roman Will was our team’s Most Valuable Player,” said Flynn. “He was rock solid and very consistent the entire season. He made the key saves and held us in the vast majority of games. He played with a lot of confidence and the team fed off him. He was our backbone, no question about it.”
“There’s a lot of pressure on you as the goaltender when you know that your team is struggling to score goals. The reality was that if we allowed three goals against our chances of getting a win weren’t good. We needed to hold opponents to two goals or less to have a good shot at winning. Roman Will did a very good job of dealing with that pressure and giving us a chance most nights.”
The Wildcats shipped star defenceman Brandon Gormley to the Shawinigan Cataractes in a blockbuster trade midway through the season as part of the plan to build for the future.
“That was tough to part with a player and person of his quality, but it’s something we needed to do,” said Flynn. “We set a high price for him and we weren’t going to trade him unless someone met our demands. Shawinigan was hosting the Memorial Cup and they were willing to pay the price. Without Gormley, they probably wouldn’t have won the Memorial Cup that season.”
“It was a good trade for both teams. It helped Shawinigan in the short term and it helped us in the long term. We started to feel the benefits with the veterans who joined our team the next season as players to be named later in the deal.”
Moncton lost 4-0 to the Halifax Mooseheads in the opening playoff round, marking just the second time it was ever swept in a series.
The Moncton Wildcats remained surprisingly competitive in their first season of a rebuilding project, finishing third in the Maritime Division and ninth overall in the league. They went through significant roster turnover after winning the championship the previous season, but still finished over .500 at 33-25-3-7.
The biggest departures from the championship club were goaltender Nicola Riopel, defencemen David Savard, Mark Barberio and Alex Wall, and forwards Nicolas Deschamps, Gabriel Bourque, Kelsey Tessier, Randy Cameron and Scott Brannon. Gone were five of the top six scorers from the previous season.
“We made several significant trades in the process of building our championship team in 2009-10,” said Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Danny Flynn. “We acquired a lot of marquee players who were difference makers that pushed us to the top, but there was a price to pay for that. We gave up a lot of good young players and draft picks in those trades.”
“We knew that we would face a major challenge in trying to rebuild our team. We relied on a few key veterans to lead the way, but we were largely a team of young guys trying to prove themselves in this league. We filled a couple of holes with free agents. We held our own this season and finished over .500 so I think we can be proud of that.”
The Saulnier twins from Cap-Pelé had breakout seasons as sophomores, giving the club two homegrown stars. Alex Saulnier (25-60-85 in 65 games) and brother Allain (31-40-71 in 68 games) finished first and third in team scoring. The club’s other big offensive weapon was Marek Hrivik (38-41-79 in 59 games).
Other top scorers were Devon MacAusland (19-30-49 in 68 games), Brandon Gormley (13-35-48 in 47 games) and Daniel Pettersson (24-18-42 in 52 games). Daniel Milan (14-24-38 in 68 games) was a free agent addition who assumed a big role on the defense corps.
Moncton burst out of the gate with a 12-3-2-0 start to the season, but it couldn’t maintain that pace. The club did remain competitive, however, and the biggest slump it suffered was one five-game losing streak.
“I think we caught people by surprise with our fast start to the season and we built confidence from that,” said Flynn. “The guys started believing in themselves. We had some good veteran leaders who set a good example and provided stability and the young guys followed along. If you look at the big picture, we were pretty consistent this season.”
The Wildcats released 20-year-old goaltender Shane Owen part way through the season because they wanted to develop some young prospects at that position. Other goalies who played for the club that season were Philippe Trudeau, Jordan Kennedy, Steve Gleeson and Brandon Thibeau.
Goaltending was a question mark after Owen’s departure. Thibeau got the call come playoff time and the Wildcats were eliminated in the opening round, falling 4-1 to the Lewiston MAINEiacs.
“It was a tough decision to release Shane Owen, a veteran goaltender who was a steadying presence on the team,” said Flynn. “We just felt that since we were in rebuilding mode we needed to develop some young goalies for the future.”
Thirty-seven players suited up for the Wildcats that season. Russian forward Kirill Kabanov, who arrived amidst so much hype the previous season, was traded to Lewiston early in the season.
“We took a look at various guys as part of the evaluation process because we were building for the future,” said Flynn. “The Kabanov trade was part of the rebuilding process.”
It was another year of victory as the Moncton Wildcats fought their way to be President Cup champion for the first time since winning the league title in 2005-06. And while Memorial Cup success was not ultimately theirs, the team was able to overcome numerous obstacles to have a sensational season. During a press conference, head coach and director of hockey operations Danny Flynn said he couldn’t have been more proud of his players.
“We battled through adversity and injury from the start of training camp up to Tuesday night’s loss to Windsor at the Memorial Cup in Brandon,” he said. “When you see the grit and determination shown by the Wildcats this year, it shows the kind players we have been able to attract to our organization and win the respect of teams from both the OHL and WHL.”
Team president and owner Robert Irving also described the team’s season as outstanding.
“For the past seven years, we have consistently been the best team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League,” he said. “We have won two President Cups and have been to the Memorial Cup twice in the past five years and have been the best defensive team two years in a row. For the past two seasons we have averaged 102 points. For the first time in league history, three division champions were eliminated by the Wildcats as they captured the President Cup.”
Helping Moncton this season were several big acquisitions made during the mid-season trade period. None was bigger than the addition of overage goaltender Nicola Riopel, who began the season in the professional ranks before coming back to junior. The other three major moves involved bringing in star forwards Nicolas Deschamps, Gabriel Bourque and Kelsey Tessier in separate deals with Chicoutimi, Baie-Comeau and Quebec. These players were particularly useful as Moncton prepared to face their fierce opposition and take a run at the President Cup.
Moncton finished third overall in the QMJHL, posting a 48-14-2-4 record for a second consecutive season. That was good for 102 points and, although that was impressive, the best was still to come in the playoffs.
In the first round, Moncton handled the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles with ease and took the series in five games. In the second round, the Cats won the first two games on the road and eventually went on to eliminate the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in five contests.
Then came the defending QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs in the league semifinal. Riopel outshone Drummondville’s Jake Allen in a battle of marquee goaltenders and Moncton once again closed out a series early with a five-game triumph.
The biggest test came in the league championship series when Moncton faced the Saint John Sea Dogs in the first all-Maritime final in QMJHL history. The Wildcats won the first two games and the Sea Dogs battled back to create a 2-2 series tie. The Wildcats went on to win the series in six games and capture their second championship.
The Wildcats became the first team in QMJHL history to defeat two 100-point opponents in the same playoffs. The four opponents they faced in the playoffs earned an average of 87 points.
As Moncton prepared for the 2010 Memorial Cup in Brandon, Man., Sportsnet.ca stated: “No team is more worthy of a league championship than the Moncton Wildcats. The Wildcats’ playoff journey was the hardest travelled among the three champions and one of the toughest in recent memory.”
But, unfortunately, Memorial Cup victory was not to be. The Wildcats, however, had an outstanding season.
The Moncton Wildcats had an amazing turnaround in 2008-09, finishing first in the Atlantic Division and putting themselves in a strong position for the next season. Helping the consistent strength of the team was having Danny Flynn as head coach and director of hockey operations for a second year.
When the puck dropped to start the season on September 12, 2008, the Wildcats came storming out of the gate and registered an 8-2 win over the Prince Edward Island Rocket.
The Cats set a new team record for most consecutive road wins at the beginning of a season with 10 and achieved another record by gaining points in each of the rst 20 games. Captain Matt Eagles led the team in scoring with 65 points, including 29 goals, in 68 games.
The big story for Moncton in 2008-09 was the team’s defensive play. With Nicola Riopel providing outstanding goaltending, the Wildcats set a new league record for goals against with 149 for the entire 68-game schedule. The previous QMJHL record had been set by Cape Breton in 2003-04 with 164 goals against.
Riopel also set a league record with a 2.01 goals-against average, surpassing the mark set by Patrick Couture of 2.09 in 1997-98. The Cats very popular goalie picked up a pair of league trophies at the season ending Golden Puck Awards, winning the league’s Most Valuable Player and the Jacques Plante Award as best goaltender.
For his outstanding efforts in directing the team from behind the bench, Danny Flynn was honoured on the same evening, voted as the QMJHL’s Coach of the Year.
In the playoffs, the Wildcats disposed of the PEI Rocket 4-1 in the opening round, but ran up against a powerful Rimouski Océanic club in the quarterfinal and were eliminated in five games.
The season was over, but the groundwork had been laid. Management and coaching staff of the Wildcats prepared for the team’s 14th season in 2009-10 with a strong core of veterans and outstanding rookies that would make the team following the 2009 QMJHL draft in Moncton.
They were “a team that never quit.” That’s how captain Chris Morehouse put it during the annual awards presentations on March 17, 2008.
“Despite the tough season, we gave it all we had every single night we played and showed the opposition and the fans what a dedicated bunch of players we were,” said Morehouse, referring to a season in which the club suffered 27 losses by a one- goal margin.
The Wildcats opened the 2007-08 season at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre on September 14, 2007 with a 6-5 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. They ended the campaign at the Charlottetown Civic Centre on March 16, 2008 with a 3-2 loss to the Prince Edward Island Rocket and for the first time in five seasons missed the playoffs. It was not all doom and gloom, though. They played tough in every game and surprised some of the top teams in the league with impressive upset victories.
Moncton head coach and director of hockey operations Danny Flynn was assistant coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders the previous season. He took over a rebuilding Wildcats squad.
“This was a challenging year,’’ said Flynn at the club’s annual awards presentations. “But one of the things I enjoyed the most was how hard you [the players] competed and worked to be your best. It was a great group of kids here and it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with them all.
Undaunted, Flynn moved forward with his goal to grow and build the team. He prepared for the 2008 QMJHL draft in June with the highest number of early round picks in franchise history.
“We will add good, new talent to the Wildcats roster and we will continue to move forward to the ultimate goal of our owner Mr. Robert Irving and the entire Wildcats organization, that being to capture the national championship,” said Flynn.
True to his word, Flynn made some excellent additions to the team. A maturing cast of returnees and the new additions would combine to enable the Wildcats to experience a strong turnaround the next season.
The Moncton Wildcats were beginning a major rebuilding process after capturing their first QMJHL championship and advancing to the Memorial Cup final in the previous season. Changes surrounded the club everywhere you looked with roster turnover and new faces behind the bench.
The Wildcats lost head coach and director of hockey operations Ted Nolan, associate coach Danny Flynn and assistant coach Daniel Lacroix. Soon after the 2005-06 season ended, the New York Islanders hired Nolan as head coach and he brought Flynn and Lacroix with him to the National Hockey League club.
Wildcats owner Robert Irving did an extensive search for a new bench boss and he eventually signed former NHL coach John Torchetti as head coach and director of hockey operations. Torchetti brought in Tony Martino and Sebastien Laplante to be his assistant coaches.
The Wildcats lost most of the star power from their team the previous season, but through the draft and free agent signings they remained surprisingly competitive in the league’s upper echelon. Torchetti did a masterful job and got the most our of his club, which finished fourth overall in the QMJHL at 39-25-4-2
Matt Marquardt led the club in scoring with 70 points, including 41 goals, in 67 games. Some other key veterans were Andrew MacDonald, Nathan Welton, Randy Cameron and Jérôme Samson. Goaltenders Nicola Riopel and Jhase Sniderman formed the goaltending tandem. Riopel was a rookie just starting what would become a memorable QMJHL career.
While Moncton faltered during the final weeks of the regular season, a gritty, no-nonsense style of play served the club well and allowed it to play well above the expectations of fans. The Wildcats season came to a heartbreaking end with a Game 7 double overtime loss to the Halifax Mooseheads at the Moncton Coliseum in the opening round of the playoffs.
Torchetti only spent one season as Moncton’s head coach, but he certainly left his mark and earned respect around the QMJHL for the job he did here. Soon after the Wildcats were eliminated from the playoffs, he returned to the NHL as assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
There was plenty of reason for the Moncton Wildcats to celebrate in their 10th anniversary season. They finished first overall in the QMJHL at 52-15-0-3, captured their first championship, sat No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League rankings for most of the season and looked like an unstoppable force.
The Wildcats earned 107 points, a franchise record that still stands, and the bandwagon quickly filled up as fans came through the gate in droves. They averaged a franchise record 5,800 fans per game in the regular season and there was plenty of hype with the club hosting the 2006 Memorial Cup.
The hype machine actually got started during the summer when the Wildcats made the high-profile move of hiring Ted Nolan as head coach and director of hockey operations. He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year in 1996-97 when he was behind the Buffalo Sabres bench and then never coached again until coming to Moncton. His return to the game with the Wildcats gained national media coverage.
Nolan didn’t miss a beat despite the long layoff and he pulled all the right strings to give Moncton a winner. He and associate coach Danny Flynn worked long hours in the summer to recruit free agents and make key trades. There were doubts when the season began whether the Wildcats would be a competitive host team in the 2006 Memorial Cup, but the skeptics were soon quieted.
The Wildcats were second best offensively in the QMJHL and they were led by centre Philippe Dupuis, who finished ninth in the QMJHL with 32 goals and 108 points in 56 games. Other top scorers were Stéphane Goulet (51-42- 93 in 67 games), Keith Yandle (25-59-84 in 66 games), Brad Marchand (29-37-66 in 68 games) and Martins Karsums (34-31-65 in 49 games). The club boasted seven 20-goal scorers and nine 50-point producers.
Yandle set franchise records for most goals and most points in a season by a defenceman. The stacked defence corps included other top names such as Andrew MacDonald, Oskars Bartulis, Luc Bourdon and Nathan Welton. The goaltending tandem was starter Josh Tordjman and Jhase Sniderman.
Moncton had a 16-5 record in the playoffs. It posted 4-1 series wins over the Victoriaville Tigres, Halifax Mooseheads and Gatineau Olympiques and then defeated the Quebec Remparts 3-2 in Game 6 of the QMJHL final to capture the championship on May 14, 2006 in front of a capacity crowd at the thunderously loud Moncton Coliseum. The first President Cup came 3,636 days after Robert Irving purchased the franchise.
Moncton had a 2-1 record in the round-robin portion of the 2006 Memorial Cup. It defeated the Vancouver Giants 3-2 and downed the Peterborough Petes 4-2 before losing 4-3 to Quebec. The Wildcats beat Vancouver in the semifinal and then suffered heartbreak with a 6-2 loss to Quebec in the national championship game.
Although the Wildcats fell just short of their ultimate goal, it was definitely a season to remember. Soon after the Memorial Cup, Nolan was on his way back to the NHL as head coach of the New York Islanders.
“I didn’t come to Moncton looking to use this as a launching pad to get back to the NHL,” he said. “I just wanted to get back in the game and have fun again. I can’t thank Mr. Irving enough for the opportunity he gave me. This was one of the most fun experiences I ever had in hockey. I’ll always have great memories of my time in Moncton.”
The Wildcats started year nine as the team to beat in the QMJHL. With a squad of returning veterans and some key rookie additions, Moncton came out of the starting gate on fire. They led the league and were consistently ranked in the top 10 of the CHL up to the Christmas break.
Disaster struck in early January when Martins Karsums injured his ankle in a freak accident in Bathurst and centre Bruce Graham suffered a broken leg. Both players were lost for almost the entire remaining season.
After a slump in January, coach Christian La Rue was let go. Assistant coach Daniel Lacroix took over behind the bench and former Moncton Hawks star Pierre Rioux was brought in as assistant.
Overall, there were many good moments to be proud of. Corey Crawford had an outstanding season in the Moncton net setting a record with a 2.47 goals against average and equaled the record for shutouts in a season with six. Crawford also backstopped the Wildcats to another record, fewest goals against with 175 over the 70 game regular season.
Steve Bernier led the points parade with 71, followed by Stéphane Goulet, Adam Pineault and Bruce Graham.
The Cats licked their wounds and began to look forward to the next season.
Maturing draft picks and management’s patience paid off for the Moncton Wildcats in their eighth season. Ten team records were set during the year and the Cats made it to the President Cup final for the first time in the team’s history.
With 46 wins, 19 losses, 3 ties and 2 overtime losses, the Cats accumulated 97 points. They lost only three games on home ice, had 31 victories at the Coliseum and went on a winning streak of 15 games at home.
Corey Crawford set a team high for goaltenders with 35 victories and Steve Bernier scored four goals in one game, tying another team record.
When the dust had settled after the 70 game regular season schedule, the Wildcats were third overall in the 16 team league behind Gatineau and Cape Breton.
The semifinal round featured the arch rival Rimouski Océanic and the Wildcats. With plenty to prove from the past years, the Wildcats turned on the pressure and stopped the Oceanic, led by rookie sensation Sidney Crosby, in five games. The deciding game brought roars of jubilation from both the management and players. Shouts of “We beat Rimouski, we beat Rimouski,” echoed through the Moncton dressing room and down the corridors of the Coliseum.
The dream of a President Cup and a berth in the Memorial Cup ended at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2004. But the Wildcats were moving ever closer to their goal. Soon they would win the President Cup.
As year seven of the Wildcats franchise began, optimism was in the air.
Added to an already maturing lineup were 20-year-olds Sébastien Strozynski, acquired from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Yannick Searles from the Quebec Remparts. Carl McLean was back in a Wildcats jersey after spending time with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
Steve Bernier became the highest scoring 17-year-old in the team’s history with 49 goals and 52 assists for 101 points. James Sanford, from Alma, New Brunswick, established a new points record for defencemen with 16 goals and 45 assists. Two more team records were established: most ties for a season with 10 and lowest number of road losses with 15.
The Wildcats were strong in goal with Corey Crawford playing in 50 games. He had 24 wins, 17 losses and 6 ties with a 2.73 goals against average and a save percentage of 91.5 which was second best in the QMJHL.
After missing the playoffs for two seasons, Moncton prepared to meet a strong Quebec Remparts squad in the opening round. The two teams were only a point apart during the 72 game league schedule.
At the start of the post season, the Wildcats were traumatized when Bernier was hit with appendicitis and lost for the remainder of the year. Without the high scoring winger, Moncton’s potent offence proved to be no match for the Remparts.
Despite the bitter disappointment, Moncton had gained valuable experience, still had a maturing team and knew that better things were in store for season eight.
The Wildcats’ sixth season was all about rebuilding and reshufling – including the coaching staff.
Midget sensation Steve Bernier was the Cats’ first draft pick. The power right winger netted 31 goals and set a team record for a 16-year-old with 59 points, good for third place in team scoring.
The Wildcats had a second first round pick in the draft and wasted no time picking up netminder Corey Crawford. Along with second-year goalie Matt Davis, Crawford made appearances in 38 games and had a respectable goals against average of 3.74 and an 88.9 save percentage. James Sanford, in his second year with the team, set another record scoring 19 goals, the most ever by a Moncton defenceman. Patrick Thoresen was the European draft pick and set another team record, most points for a rookie with 73.
Free agent, Collin Circelli was a bright light for the team. Over his two years with the Cats, he accumulated 128 points playing in 135 games.
There were negative records as well with 23 losses at home and eight straight losses at the Coliseum. A coaching change was made in mid-November when Tom Coolen was dismissed and long-time assistant coach Christian La Rue took over behind the bench.
A long-range plan for victory was beginning to take shape and a promising future was emerging.
It was a year to rebuild and restructure for the Wildcats in their fifth season and it would be two more long seasons before the Cats would return to the playoffs.
Only five players from the previous year’s team returned to play in Moncton. Jonathan Roy, after undergoing successful cancer treatment, returned just before mid-season.
“I could not have come back for the 2000-2001 season without the support of my family, the fans and of course Mr. Irving. The Moncton Wildcats organization was great with me and I will never forget them,” said Roy.
Trevor Ettinger, Ian Seguin, Patrick Yetman and Olivier Dubuc were the other returnees.
Yetman had an outstanding year, leading the Cats in scoring with 101 points in 71 games. Roy was second with 58 points and only played 45 games.
Heading into the Christmas break, the Wildcats were leading the Maritime Division but collapsed down the stretch going from first to last place, failing to earn a point in their final 10 games. They missed the playoffs by one point.
In a pivotal game with the Titan, with the scored tied, Moncton was assessed a penalty. With a mere two seconds remaining in the game, former Cat Simon Laliberté scored for Acadie-Bathurst, giving his team the win and eliminating the Wildcats from further competition.
In season four, Simon Lajeunesse who was drafted by Ottawa Senators, became the team’s first-string goaltender. It was a stellar year for the young goalie as he recorded six regular season shutouts and was awarded the Jacques Plante Trophy as the best netminder in the QMJHL.
By mid-season, the Wildcats made a series of moves. Joining the Cats were blueliners François Beauchemin, Jonathan Girard and Trevor Ettinger. For offensive power came forwards Jonathan Roy, Mathieu Benoit, Steeve Vandal and Martin Lavergne.
The Wildcats were considered the team to beat for the President Cup and even the Memorial Cup championship. But the chance for league supremacy was unfortunately cut short.
The playoff scene was set with Moncton winning the Maritime Division Championship with a trilling 4-3 win over the Halifax Mooseheads in the final game of the regular season. Attendance was also at an all-time high at 217,259.
Between injuries and the devastating news that Jonathan Roy, who had lead the team with 125 points during the season, was diagnosed with cancer, the team was unable to overcome such insurmountable obstacles.
The Wildcats were beat in the semifinal in five games by the Rimouski Océanic.
But it wasn’t all bad news. The story of Roy’s battle with cancer attracted national attention. The effort of the Wildcats owner to provide the best possible treatment for the young hockey player was reported in hockey media around the world. Roy would return to the Wildcats the next season.
With playoff experience under their belt, the Wildcats launched year three with high expectations. For the first time the team finished over .500 with 38 wins, 25 losses and 7 ties. The team finished in sixth place in the QMJHL with 81 points.
It was the year the “Battle of New Brunswick” began. For the Laval Titan, the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst became the team’s new home. The move set the stage for a New Brunswick rivalry that created intensity, excitement and bragging rights as the best team in the province.
Two Wildcats were selected in the NHL draft. Kensington, P.E.I. native Morgan Warren was picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Jacques (a.k.a. Killer) Larivière went to the New Jersey Devils.
Sébastien Roger added two more personal records to the team’s record book counting six points in one game and six assists in another.
Larivière rewrote the penalty record for the Wildcats accumulating 306 minutes in the penalty box.
In the first round of playoffs the Wildcats were favoured to defeat the Rimouski Océanic, whose most talented player was P.E.I. native Brad Richards. The Océanic surprised the Wildcats sweeping them four games straight and ending the dream of an extended postseason run.
The Wildcats began their second season with plenty of drama and excitement for players and fans. With a new addition behind the bench and the addition of strong new talent, the Cats began to set records in the QMJHL.
Réal Paiement, who had taken Chicoutimi to the Memorial Cup final in Hull, Quebec, was the new Wildcats bench boss. Helping to improve the number of wins were the addition of two new Europeans, Alexei Tezikov and Jan Horacek.
The smooth skating Tezikov became an instant fan favourite and established a team record for goals scored by a defenceman with 15.
Sébastien Roger, a third-year veteran in the QMJHL, set a team point record. Roger scored 53 goals that season, 12 of his counters were game winners. In addition, he added 61 assists for a total of 114 points.
Moncton finished the season with 29 wins, 32 loses and 9 ties.
With a fourth place finish in the Frank Dilio Division of the league, the Wildcats headed to the playoffs. Fans experienced an exciting first round as the Wildcats defeated third place Chicoutimi in six games while only allowing 13 goals. The team was ousted in the second round in a mini round robin against first place Quebec and second place Rimouski.
Part of the success of the year and playoff run was 20-year-old François Cloutier. A mature player with strong leadership skills, Cloutier’s presence provided enthusiasm and confidence to the younger players.
The thrill of winning was now established and new and exciting rivalries were on the horizon.
In the fall of 1996, the Wildcats roared to life with a new owner, new name, new jerseys and a group of new, young players. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Moncton franchise began its premiere season on September 22, 1996 in front of 7,605 excited fans. There was lots for the fans to cheer about as the team won, defeating Victoriaville 9-6.
Unfortunately, the first game victory would not be an indication of things to come as the team managed only 16 wins in the season. But hockey fans in Southeastern New Brunswick took the Wildcats to heart with 188,560 creating an attendance record.
The first edition of the Wildcats was coached by Bill Riley and supported by a scouting staff headed by Peter Nevin. Knowing that goaltending is the last line of defence, Moncton drafted Jean-François Damphousse to be the team’s netminder.
There was a corps of young defencemen including the team’s first captain and Moncton native Mario Cormier along with Weston Fader, Daniel MacLeod, Mathieu Létoureau and Alexandre Vigneault. Promising forwards included Christian Daigle, Rémy Boudreau, Vincent Dionne, Sébastien Roger, Simon Laliberté, David Comeau, Martin Pouliot, Jarrod Thomas and Stephen Quirk.
Roger played all 70 games and was the Wildcats leading point scorer with 37 goals and 32 assists.
In that first year, team management and players created an image that remains two decades later. Being a part of the community became a vital part of the team’s image.
Billed as “your community team,” local charities benefited from player appearances and special events at home games.