ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Jr. B Canadiens are back home from Flin Flon, Man., where they represented the North Eastern Alberta Jr. B Hockey League (NEAJBHL) at the 2024 Central Canada Cup – winning the tournament in convincing fashion.
The tournament began on April 17 with a round robin. The St. Paul Canadiens defeated Manitoba’s Peguis Juniors 5-2. The Peguis won this year’s Manitoba’s Keystone Junior Hockey League (KJHL).
On April 18, five teams played two games each to determine the top four teams.
The St. Paul Canadiens prevailed against the Current River Storm 6-3. Then they played against the host team – PBCN Selects – where the Canadiens also won 7-0.
On Friday, the Canadiens played the Saskatoon Royals for the number one seed. The winning streak did not stop as the Canadiens won 7-5.
Following their April 19 victory, Corey deMoissac, head coach of the Canadiens, told Lakeland This Week that they were confident about winning the cup.
Heading into the semi-finals on April 20, the Canadiens once again played the PBCN Selects, securing a spot in the Sunday finals after a 4-1 win.
On April 21, the Canadiens played the Royals, who had defeated the Storm with a 6-0 victory.
Unlike the Canadiens’ first game against the Royals, the finals were much closer this time. But the Canadiens prevailed with a 3-1 victory, securing the 2024 Central Canada Cup.
The trip to Flin Flon was quite a memorable one, says deMoissac. The team faced challenges both on and off the ice.
“We had to battle some pretty tough adversity... the bus broke down... we all got food poisoning... and the weather wasn’t great,” says the coach.
“But the boys persevered and found a way to get things done,” he adds. “So, there were a lot of fun, memorable moments for sure.”
He says the team played so well as a group that it is difficult to pinpoint a single individual who stood out.
According to the head coach, five Canadiens players were also named all-stars of the tournament.
This year, the Central Canada Cup’s First All-Star Team includes Canadiens’ William Chemago, Quinn Szpak and Mitch Webb.
Its Second All-Star Team includes Jacob Leroux and Kayden Morrison.
On behalf of the team, deMoissac expressed his thanks the support received from the community.
“I’ve said from day one that St. Paul is a hockey community... lots of people support us throughout the year and we have nothing but our thanks to all those people that make this team run and be successful.”
