Road to the 2019 TELUS Cup: Atlantic Regional

Will Charlottetown, Halifax, Kensington, Moncton or Western earn the trip to northwestern Ontario?

Jason La Rose

The defending champions are back. Moncton will go for back-to-back regional titles and look to become the first Atlantic team since the 2006-07 St. John’s Maple Leafs to make consecutive trips to the TELUS Cup.

Unlike a year ago, when the participants combined for 31 appearances at Canada’s National Midget Championship, this year’s fab five is considerably less experienced – Moncton leads the way with its eight appearances, followed by Halifax (5), Charlottetown (3), Kensington (1) and Western (0).

The four provincial champions bring plenty of postseason dominance to Charlottetown, and more than a little momentum – the Flyers, Macs and Wild combined for just two playoff losses in 23 games, while the Kings erased a 3-1 deficit in the NLMMHL final to book their spot.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)
2018 – Moncton Flyers (fifth place)
2017 – Cape Breton West Islanders (gold medal)
2016 – Dartmouth Major Midgets (fifth place)
2015 – Newbridge Academy Gladiators (sixth place)
2014 – Halifax McDonald’s (fifth place)

CHARLOTTETOWN PRIDE
HOST

Regular season record: 17-17-1 (4th in NSMMHL)
Goals for: 97
Goals against: 130
Leading scorer: Declan MacEachern (15G 9A 24P)

Playoff record: 0-4
Goals for: 7
Goals against: 20
Leading scorer: Nick Reeves (2G 1A 3P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
P.E.I. championship: lost to Kensington 4-0 (1-4, 2-6, 1-5, 3-5)

Last national championship appearance: 2006 (sixth place)
Total national championship appearances: 3 (1977, 1997, 2006)

HALIFAX MACS
NSMMHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 24-7-5 (2nd in NSMMHL)
Goals for: 166
Goals against: 95
Leading scorer: Cameron Brown (22G 19A 41P)

Playoff record: 9-1
Goals for: 44
Goals against: 20
Leading scorer: Mitchell McLeod (7G 6A 13P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Quarter-final: defeated South Shore 3-0 (5-0, 3-2, 7-0)
Semifinal: defeated Dartmouth 3-0 (6-4, 6-4, 5-1)
NSMMHL championship: defeated Cole Harbour 3-1 (4-3, 0-3, 2-1, 6-2)

Last national championship appearance: 2014 (fifth place)
Total national championship appearances: 5 (1980, 1983, 1994, 2011, 2014)

KENSINGTON WILD
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 27-6-2 (2nd in NBPEIMMHL)
Goals for: 199
Goals against: 87
Leading scorer: Colby MacArthur (21G 35A 56P)

Playoff record: 4-0
Goals for: 20
Goals against: 7
Leading scorer: Colby MacArthur (2G 3A 5P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
P.E.I. championship: defeated Charlottetown 4-0 (4-1, 6-2, 5-1, 5-3)

Last national championship appearance: 1976 (13th place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (1976)

MONCTON FLYERS
NEW BRUNSWICK CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 31-3-1 (1st in NBPEIMMHL)
Goals for: 184
Goals against: 75
Leading scorer: Patrick LeBlanc (22G 52A 74P)

Playoff record: 8-1
Goals for: 56
Goals against: 18
Leading scorer: Cole Cormier (17G 7A 24P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated Northern 4-0 (5-1, 5-0, 9-1, 7-1)
N.B. championship: defeated Saint John 4-1 (10-1, 2-6, 7-2, 7-5, 4-1)

Last national championship appearance: 2018 (fifth place)
Total national championship appearances: 8 (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 2009, 2012, 2018)

WESTERN KINGS
NLMMHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 21-9-2 (2nd in NLMMHL)
Goals for: 133
Goals against: 86
Leading scorer: Drew Langdon (16G 11A 27P)

Playoff record: 8-5
Goals for: 40
Goals against: 36
Leading scorer: Drew Langdon (3G 10A 13P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated St. John’s 4-2 (3-1, 3-5, 5-1, 4-2, 2-3, 2-1)
NLMMHL championship: defeated Tri Pen 4-3 (1-4, 2-4, 4-3 OT, 3-6, 3-2 OT, 4-1, 4-3)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none