CALGARY, Alberta – The Edmundston Blizzard’s dream season came to an end after an 8-2 defeat at the hands of the host Calgary Canucks in the final game of the Centennial Cup Canadian Championship round robin played on Tuesday night.
The Blizzard needed a win to keep going, but the Canucks were not considering this option. They, too, were fighting to advance to the next round.
The Blizzard finished the preliminary round in fourth place, with a record of two wins and two losses. Only the three teams in each group qualified for the quarterfinals and semi-finals.
Edmundston got off to a good start when Carl-Anthony Massé shook things up at 6:27 with his 3rd goal of the tournament. From that point on, the Canucks took control of the game with five straight goals, including four in the first period, and went into the dressing room with a 4-1 lead.
Marco Martin restored hope by narrowing the gap to three goals when he made it 5-2 at 19:07 of the second frame. Early in the third period, the Canucks quickly took the wind out of the Blizzard players’ sails with a goal just 13 seconds into the game. With a comfortable 6-2 lead, the Canucks closed the books with two more goals.
Jack Plandoswki (3g, 1a), Nathan Maloney (1g, 2a), Bowden Singleton (1g, 2a), Gavin Schmidt (1g, 1a), Hayden Fechner and Riley Bracko beat goalkeeper Frédéric Cousineau, who faced 35 shots before giving way in the final ten minutes to Austin Caley, who made 5 saves. For the home side, Lukas Renaud faced 32 shots.
Jérémy D’Astous (Blizzard) and Jack Plandowski (Canucks) were named players of the game.
The Blizzard’s elimination marks the end of the Junior A hockey journey for eight 20-year-old players: Marco Martin, Mathieu Pigeon, Fabrice Bourgeois, Carl-Anthony Massé, Jérémy Fortin, Zachary Lessard, Jérémy D’Astous, and Raphaël Denis.
The 2024-2025 season will be one to remember. The Blizzard reached the 90-point plateau on the season with a 44-6-1-1 record. They won 12 of their 13 playoff games to claim the MHL playoff championship trophy for the second time in their history.
Perhaps most impressive of all is the love affair Blizzard fans have with their favorite team.
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Photo
20-year-olds Marco Martin (93) and Carl-Anthony Massé (27) scored both Blizzard’s goals in Calgary on Tuesday night. Photos archives Percy Picard
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, Communications VP for the Edmundston Blizzard