BATHURST, New Brunswick – Noah Larochelle had a stellar game, scoring a hat trick and leading the Edmundston Blizzard to a convincing 6-1 victory over the Chaleur Lightning, thereby winning the Eastlink North Division final series 4-2.
The Blizzard thus advances to the Metalfab MHL Cup playoff final. They will face the winner of the Summerside-Truro series. The Truro Bearcats lead the Eastlink South Division finals series 3-2 and will look to clinch the title at home on Sunday, April 12 (7 p.m.).
The undisputed first star of Saturday’s game, Larochelle recorded his first hat trick in the MHL, a perfectly timed moment in such a crucial game.
William Labranche (1G, 1A – 2nd star), Michael Derbidge (1G, 1A), Émile Fournier (1G), and Michael Arsenault (2A – 3rd star) also contributed to the Blizzard’s offensive efforts, as the team advances to the league finals for the fourth time in nine years.
Unlike in previous games, the Blizzard didn’t need a heroic effort from goaltender Cédric Massé to break the deadlock. Massé was beaten only by David Lebel at 12:26 of the first period. The Blizzard then got rolling with three goals in the second period and three more in the third. The game-winning goal went to Derbidge, his second in a row in this series.
Although the game was close until midway through the match, the Blizzard quickly settled the matter. The night ended with the Blizzard outshooting the Lightning 41-19.
NOTES – William Labranche leads the playoffs in goals with 9… In the first five games of the series, the team that scored the first goal went on to win the game. Saturday night was the exception… Elimination is always a difficult moment for a team in the MHL, especially for 20-year-old players wrapping up their junior careers. For the Lightning, this is the case for eight players: captain Tyson Snow, Cohen McCallum (former Blizzard), Easton Adrian, Owen Arnold (former Blizzard), Thomas Hendrickson (drafted by the Blizzard in 2022), Jack Flanagan, Ben Cross, and David Lebel… Let’s remember Tyson Snow (then with Fredericton) who visited Ryan Loveless in the hospital—Loveless was with the Blizzard in 2023–2024 and had suffered a serious injury during a game… And what about Jack Flanagan, who had a knack for playing his best games against the Blizzard… Yes, the MHL is one big family, and that’s why we must show empathy during heartbreaking moments for opposing teams.
Series results:
Tuesday, March 31: Chaleur 3, Edmundston 6
Thursday, April 2: Edmundston 4, Chaleur 2
Saturday, April 4: Chaleur 5, Edmundston 4
Tuesday, April 7: Edmundston 3, Chaleur 4 (2nd overtime)
Thursday, April 9: Chaleur 2, Edmundston 4
Saturday, April 11: Edmundston 6, Chaleur 1
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Photo
Noah Larochelle (24) stole the show by scoring three goals in Saturday’s game against the Lightning. Photo archives Percy Picard
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone