CALGARY, Alta. – Having completed their 50-game regular season schedule, the Maritime Hockey League now shifts their focus on the playoffs.
The top four clubs in each of their two divisions have been finalized and they are set to begin the postseason and the process of determining a MHL champion.
The latest Canadian Junior Hockey League Playoff Spotlight feature’s a glance at the MHL.
SEASON: The first-year Edmundston Blizzard had themselves a really successful regular season campaign by finishing first overall in the 12-team league with a solid 36-10-4-0 record.
Meanwhile the Yarmouth Jr. A Mariners claimed the MHL’s Eastlink South Division crown by going 35-14-1 in 50 outings.
TOP SCORERS: T.J. Shea of the Summerside Western Capitals had a tremendous run offensively for his squad as he was the runaway MHL scoring leader.
His 105 points was 16 more than his closest competitor, in Summerside teammate Brodie MacArthur.
Shea also boasted an impressive 33-game point streak that saw him produce multi-point contests in all but three of those outings.
Shea topped the MHL in goals with 43 as well as assists with 62 while his dozen power play markers also paced all league skaters. He also tied for first in game-winning goals with five.
Campbell Pickard of the defending champion Truro Bearcats was second in MHL tallies with 34 while MacArthur was next in helpers with 60.
TOP GOALKEEPERS: Among those with 1,000 minutes or more of game action in net, the Capitals’ Dominik Tmej led the way in both goals-against average and save percentage at 2.06 and .941. His six shutouts also paced all MHL goalkeepers.
Leif Hertz of Yarmouth produced a MHL-best 26 victories while the Blizzard’s Francis Asselin had 24.
PLAYOFFS: Here’s a look and the MHL’s four divisional semifinal series, which all get underway this week.
Eastlink North Division
No. 1 Edmundston vs. No. 4 Miramichi: A positive initial regular season saw the Blizzard finish 24 points clear of the Timberwolves in the MHL North. … Logan Johnston led Edmundston in scoring with 65 points, including 25 tallies. … Alexandre Jacob was next with 63 points while Kyle Ward’s 31 goals topped the team. … Mitchell Kreiss was Miramichi’s top point-getter with 53 and Dillon Boucher was next with 47, including a club-best 24 markers. … The Blizzard’s Ward was tied for third in MHL markers with the 31 he supplied.
No. 2 Summerside vs. No. 3 Campbellton: Summerside topped the MHL in goals with 213 led by the big offensive years from Shea and MacArthur. … The Tigers had the lowest tally total of the eight playoff teams with 134. … Pierre-Luc Lurette’s 41 points paced the squad. … The Western Capitals’ Dominik Tmej was tops in the league in average, save percentage and shutouts at 2.06, .941 and six respectively.
Eastlink South Division
No. 1 Yarmouth vs. No. 4 Truro: The Jr. A Mariners had the edge on the Bearcats in the 2017-18 standings, but Truro is the defending league champions. … Leading Yarmouth offensively was Matt Barron as he was close to a point-per-game player with 49 in 50. … Campbell Pickard’s 34 goals were the second-most in the MHL. He also led the Bearcats with 69 points. … He finished tied for second in league man advantage markers with 11.
No. 2 South Shore vs. No. 3 Amherst: The Lumberjacks and Ramblers both had 66 points in the regular season with South Shore earning the higher placing by virtue of a tie-breaker. … Logan O’Neill was the top point producer for the Lumberjacks with 55 in 49 games. … As for Amherst, it was Jordan King who led his side offensively with 78 points. … King’s totals placed him third overall in MHL scoring. … With 31 tallies to his credit, South Shore’s Mateo Short ended up tied for third in league markers.
DID YOU KNOW: The MHL’s Amherst Ramblers will host the 2019 Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian Jr. A Championship. … It marks the first time the Nova Scotia community will host the event. … The last MHL side to win the Fred Page Cup was the Truro Bearcats in 2013. … The Woodstock Slammers claimed the title in 2012 while Summerside won in 2009.
FRED PAGE CUP: The 2018 Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian Jr. A Championship goes May 2-6 in Ottawa, Ont.
Hosting the four-team event will be the Ottawa Jr. A Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League. You can learn more on the FPC at fredpagecup.pointstreaksites.com.
CJHL RANKINGS: The MHL regular season winners, the Edmundston Blizzard, were tabbed 19th in the final CJHL Top 20 rankings for 2017-18. Earning a year-end Honourable Mention nod was the Yarmouth Jr. A Mariners.
The MHL
Commissioner: Brian Whitehead
Director of Communications: Will MacLaren
Defending champion: Truro Bearcats
Website: themhl.ca
Twitter: @THEMHL
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
|
NORTH DIVISION |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
|
Edmundston Blizzard |
50 |
36 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
76 |
|
Summerside Western Capitals |
50 |
33 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
67 |
|
Campbellton Tigers |
50 |
24 |
22 |
2 |
2 |
52 |
|
Miramichi Timberwolves |
50 |
23 |
21 |
3 |
3 |
52 |
|
Woodstock Slammers |
50 |
13 |
29 |
6 |
2 |
34 |
|
St. Stephen Aces |
50 |
12 |
36 |
0 |
2 |
26 |
|
SOUTH DIVISION |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
|
Yarmouth Jr. A Mariners |
50 |
35 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
71 |
|
South Shore Lumberjacks |
50 |
31 |
15 |
2 |
2 |
66 |
|
Amherst Ramblers |
50 |
27 |
11 |
6 |
6 |
66 |
|
Truro Bearcats |
50 |
28 |
20 |
1 |
1 |
58 |
|
Pictou County Weeks Crushers |
50 |
21 |
24 |
3 |
2 |
47 |
|
Valley Jr. A Wildcats |
50 |
17 |
31 |
1 |
1 |
36 |
FINAL REGULAR SEASON SCORING LEADERS
| PLAYER | POS | TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS |
| T.J. Shea | F | SWC | 48 | 43 | 62 | 105 |
| Brodie MacArthur | F | SWC | 45 | 29 | 60 | 89 |
| Jordan King | F | AMH | 50 | 28 | 50 | 78 |
| Campbell Pickard | F | TRU | 50 | 34 | 35 | 69 |
| Logan Johnston | F | EDM | 44 | 25 | 40 | 65 |
FINAL REGULAR SEASON GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE LEADERS (Min. 1,000 MP)
|
GOALTENDER |
TEAM |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL/T |
GAA |
SV% |
SO |
|
Dominik Tmej |
SWC |
21 |
17 |
2 |
0 |
2.06 |
0.941 |
6 |
|
MacKenzie Janes |
SSL |
25 |
16 |
8 |
0 |
2.39 |
0.920 |
1 |
|
Kevin Resop |
TRU |
39 |
17 |
19 |
0 |
2.56 |
0.911 |
2 |
|
Francis Asselin |
EDM |
35 |
24 |
9 |
0 |
2.60 |
0.912 |
3 |