TRURO, N.S. – A goal by defenseman Tristan St-Gelais on a screened shot with just seven seconds left in the third period broke the 3-3 tie, allowing the Truro Bearcats to win their fifth Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MHL) playoff championship, on Monday, April 27, against the Edmundston Blizzard at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre. The game ended 5-3 with an empty-net goal with three seconds left on the clock, much to the delight of the 1,738 spectators.
The Bearcats thus won the best-of-seven series 4-1 and will represent the MHL at the Canadian Championship, to be held May 7–17 in Summerside. As the host team, the Summerside Western Capitals will also compete in the Centennial Cup.
The Bearcats quickly took a 2-0 lead in the game thanks to goals by Éli Baillargeon (4th at 4:25) and Nathan Curson (4th at 5:43). Alex Thibault (2nd) cut the lead to 2-1 at 14:47.
Just as their opponents had done to start the game, the Blizzard scored two quick goals early in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. Both goals were scored by William Labranche (10th and 11th at 4:43 and 5:38). This first lead of the game lasted only 59 seconds for the Blizzard, as Callum Aucoin (11th) tied the game at 6:37.
In the third period, goaltender Cédric Massé put on quite a show with a series of impossible saves. With seven seconds left on the clock, both teams appeared headed for overtime when a seemingly harmless point shot by defenseman Tristan St-Gelais found its way past Massé, who couldn’t see a thing due to the heavy traffic in front of him.
The Bearcats outshot the Blizzard 32-25. Louca Connolly earned the win in goal for Truro. St-Gelais (1st), Baillargeon (2nd) and Labranche (3rd) were selected the three stars of the game.
The Blizzard has nothing to be ashamed of in the finals, as three of the Bearcats’ wins were by a single goal, including Monday’s decisive game when Truro scored into an empty net. The Bearcats played inspired, highly defensive, and well-structured hockey.
Monday night marked the end of a fine junior career for forward Michael Derbidge and goaltender Cédric Massé, the Blizzard’s only two 20-year-old players. While most of the other 11 teams in the MHL had seven or eight 20-year-old players on their rosters, the Blizzard stood out with a young team that proved many skeptics wrong who didn’t believe Michael Ward’s players would make the playoffs.
Bearcats defenseman Jayden Connors was named the playoffs’ most valuable player. He tied for the lead in scoring among defensemen during the playoffs with nine points.
Blizzard forward William Labranche finished as the playoff scoring leader with 18 points and tied for the lead in goals with 11 (along with Callum Aucoin of the Bearcats).
As the 2025 champions, the Blizzard were attempting to become the first team since the Antigonish Bulldogs in 1993 and 1994 to win the championship trophy two years in a row.
Here are the results of the MHL Metalfab Cup Final games:
Game 1 – Monday, April 20 – Edmundston 4, Truro 0
Game 2 – Tuesday, April 21 – Edmundston 3, Truro 4
Game 3 – Friday, April 24 – Truro 5, Edmundston 2
Game 4 – Saturday, April 25 – Truro 4, Edmundston 3
Game 5 – Monday, April 27 – Edmundston 3, Truro 5
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Photo
Truro defeat Edmundston 5-3 to win their fifth league championship. Photo James Faulkner
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone