St. John’s native Evan Fitzpatrick stopped 28 shots for the shutout and fellow Newfoundlander Adam Holwell scored what stood as the winning goal as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan blanked the host Regina Pats 3-0 Sunday to win their first Memorial Cup in franchise history.
The winning Titan lineup also included forward Jordan Maher of Gander.
Defenceman Zach Bennett of Bay Roberts is on the Bathurst roster, but did not play in the Titan’s run to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title or during the Memorial Cup tourney.
It's the first time since 2013 that a QMJHL team has captured the Canadian major junior championship. Forward Andrew Ryan of St. John’s was a member of the Halifax Mooseheads team that achieved that feat.
The tightness of Sunday’s game stood in contrast to the preliminary-round meeting between the the Pats and Titan, a matchup that Acadie-Bathurst won 8-6.
Howell, a 21-year-old from St. John’s who was playing his last major junior hockey game, opened the scoring at 16:10 of the first period with a wrist shot that got through the legs of Regina netminder Max Paddock.
But that was all the scoring there would be until Samuel Asselin, who would be named the game’s first star, delivered an insurance market. Ethan Crossman, into an empty net, sealed the deal as the Titan won the 100th edition of the Memorial Cup
Paddock turned away 41-of-43 shots for Regina, which was vying to win a fifth Memorial Cup in franchise history.
But despite Pats having the overwhelming support of the home crowd, it was the Titan who dominated the first two periods, outshooting Regina 36-11 through 40 minutes. Only Paddock’s goaltending kept the game close.
Fitzpatrick faced increased pressure in the third as the Pats pressed, but that didn’t faze the 20-year-old who was acquired in a midseason trade to provide just the type of goaltending he delivered Sunday.
Regina's Sam Steel, who was named Memorial Cup MVP after the game, almost tied it midway through the third on a rebound, but Fitzpatrick pushed across to stop the Regina captain.
Howell, who was named the game’s third star, is one of three overagers on Bathurst, meaning his junior career is definitely over. Fitzpatrick almost certainly will be graduating, too; a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2016, he has already signed an NHL entry-level deal and is likely set to turn pro in the fall. Maher, who has spent all four years of his QMJHL career in Bathurst, could remain in the league as an overager in 2018-19, but is also in a position to move on to the professional or collegiate ranks now that he has also turned 20.
Related stories:
Breaking down the Pats and the Titan ahead of the 100th Memorial Cup final
Breaking down the teams competing at the 100th Memorial Cup in Regina
Titan blank host Pats to win first Memorial Cup in franchise history
Whatever happens, the Newfoundlanders on the Titan can claim membership in a pretty exclusive group of players from this province who have won Memorial Cups. They join Bob Dean of Botwood (in 1962 with the Ontario league’s Hamilton Red Wings), Kevin Neville of Corner Brook (1973, OHL’s Toronto Marlboros), Chad Penney of Labrador City (1993, OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Jonathan Boone of Bell Island (1999, OHL’s Ottawa 67s) and Ryan in that fraternity.
With files from The Canadian Press
Twitter: @telysports
