A look back at the 2024 QMJHL Cup Final – Atlantic portion
Abundant talent has been coming out of Atlantic Canada for many years now. Must we bring up the Cape Breton West Islanders’ win at the Telus Cup (the emblem of U18 AAA hockey in this country) in 2017? Or the Moncton Flyers’ championship in 2022?
It was the first time Atlantic teams had won a national title since its inception, back in 1974. The number of players hailing from the Maritime provinces is constantly on the rise in the QMJHL, and that’s no accident.
Further proof came this past Sunday, when the final matchup of the first stage of the 2024 QMJHL Cup presented by FPS Payment was held at the UNIPlex Centre in Dieppe, New Brunswick.
With goals from Will Shearer, Aaron Chipp, Daniel Walters (a pair) and Elliott Mullen, Team Cam Russell (Nova Scotia) recorded a 5-1 victory over Team Luc-Bourdon (New Brunswick) to claim the QMJHL Cup. William Clark was the only player to find the back of the net in the losing effort.
The head coach of the winning side, Kyle McLennan, was proud of his players’ work after the game.
“I think we stuck to our game plan, unlike our first game against them. We played a better game overall. We had a talented group, it was just a matter of playing with the right intensity,” he explained. “To win this kind of competition, you have to work non-stop. And when you do that, the talent eventually rises to the surface.”
Daniel Walters, Nova Scotia’s Player of the Game, was beaming after the convincing victory.
“It’s amazing to be able to experience something like this and wear the Nova Scotia jersey. We had a really good group of guys. It was really special, from start to finish.”
Despite the loss, Francis Rochon, head coach of the New Brunswick prospects, praised his group’s effort throughout the competition.
“The guys executed everything we asked of them very well, especially in the first two games,” mentioned the man who usually coaches the Contendo Northern Moose, in the NBPEIM18HL. “I think [Nova Scotia’s] intensity and competitiveness made the difference in the end. They went out and got a little edge on us in that respect.”
The bench boss added that all the players were proud to wear the Team New Brunswick colors.
“We’re all doing our best to represent our provinces. And for the guys, it’s great exposure to all the QMJHL scouts.”
Defenceman Cameron Leblanc, also a member of the Northern Moose this season, was also happy despite the loss in the final.
“It’s my dream to play at the major junior level. To be lucky enough to be here, and to be able to play in this tournament, is just incredible,” admitted No. 77, “We had a great win against Prince Edward Island (Saturday night) to get to the final. We had our chances, but we just couldn’t finish off our plays.”
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