FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Truro, N.S. (May 2, 2022) – The Summerside Western Capitals captured the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) championship, the Canadian Tire Cup, on home ice Monday evening with a 4-1 victory over the Truro Bearcats in Game 5. This is the fifth time the franchise has won the league title, following previous championships in 1997, 2009, 2011, and 2013. Colby MacArthur, the MHL’s leading scorer in the regular season, was named playoff MVP. In fourteen playoff games, MacArthur had eight goals and eleven assists. That tied him for second in playoff scoring with teammate Jacob Stewart and behind fellow Western Capital Aaron Brown.
The Canadian Tire Cup Final began on April 23rd, where Summerside scored goals in both the first and third periods en route to a 4-0 victory on home ice. Felix-Anthony Ethier made 30 saves in the victory and was the game’s 1st star. Colby MacArthur had one goal and one assist in the win. The series shifted back to Truro for Game 2, where the Western Capitals struck early and often in a 6-2 win for a 2-0 series lead. Ten players found the scoresheet for Summerside, including two goals and one assist for Marc Richard who was named the game’s 1st star.
As the series shifted back to Credit Union Place, Truro gained some ground with a 2-1 overtime victory behind 49 saves from Bearcats goaltender Mavrick Goyer. Tanner Humber-Dredge opened the scoring for the Bearcats, who held the lead until late in the game when Connor Keough tied things up at 15:01 of the 3rd period. Ben Diamond scored the overtime winner. Summerside bounced back in a big way in Game 4 with a 5-1 victory. Diamond opened the scoring at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, but the Western Capitals poured another 56 shots on Goyer. They scored three times in the 2nd period and twice more in the 3rd for the win and a 3-1 series lead. William Irvine was named the game’s 1st star with one goal and two assists.
Summerside opened the scoring late in the 1st period of Game 5, at 18:52, as Aaron Brown beat Goyer. Truro would tie the game with a powerplay goal from Luke Munroe at 5:24 of the 2nd period, but Summerside answered with a powerplay goal from Brown at 8:09 and an even-strength marker from Marc Richard at 15:29. From there, Richard scored his second of the night into an empty net to give Summerside a 4-1 win and the MHL championship.
The Western Capitals will now prepare for the 2022 Centennial Cup in Estevan, Saskatchewan from May 19th to 29th. Summerside’s first game in the CJHL’s ten-team national championship is May 20th at 7 p.m. Atlantic Time against the NOJHL’s champion. The full schedule is available on the Hockey Canada website.
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Junior Hockey League
jfaulkner@themhl.ca