Colton Magne latest St Malo Warriors record-holder

Advertisement

Advertise with us

St Malo Warriors players just keep breaking records.

Just months after Ashton Dubios became the Capital Region Junior Hockey League’s all-time leading scorer, teammate Colton Magne followed in his footsteps, becoming the league’s highest scoring defenseman.

Magne, who grew up in St Malo, has played four seasons with the club and is enjoying his best offensive season yet, notching 32 points just 24 games into the season. He’s on pace to crush his previous high of 23, set last season in the Warriors championship campaign.

Magne joined Ashton Dubios as a league record-holder. Dubois earned the all-time points record for the CRJHL earlier this season. Neither record holder was able to find the scoresheet in a 7-1 victory over Selkirk Jan. 19. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)
Magne joined Ashton Dubios as a league record-holder. Dubois earned the all-time points record for the CRJHL earlier this season. Neither record holder was able to find the scoresheet in a 7-1 victory over Selkirk Jan. 19. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

“I feel like I’ve been getting better and better every year,” Magne said.

“Winning the championship really helped everyone’s game, mine as well.”

Of the 81 points that made up the record, Magne said none especially stand out.

“Playoff points matter the most to me,” he said, laughing.

The record breaker came on the powerplay, with Magne setting up Damon Johnson in the slot on the powerplay early in a 4-3 overtime victory over Beausejour Jan. 12.

The breakout season came as no surprise to Warriors assistant coach Patrick Trudeau, who was filling in for a sick Ralph Collette on the presentation night.

“He’s learned throughout the years how to be a true number one defenseman in our league, and now he gets the benefit of the work that he’s put in throughout practice,” Trudeau said.

“We can trust him in any situation.”

Trudeau noted a major adjustment in the playoffs for the Warriors was to encourage their defensemen to become more involved offensively. Those adjustments not only helped St Malo erase a 2-0 series deficit in the final, but also have Magne lighting up the scoresheet this year.

Magne was presented a stick noting his accomplishment before the start of a game against the Selkirk Fishermen Jan 19. The Warriors earned a hard-fought victory, scoring six times in the third period to turn a 1-0 margin into a blowout against the Fishermen.

The victory showed the Warriors have incredible depth, with neither Dubois or Magne finding the scoresheet. Instead it was this season’s leading scorer, Teagan Fillion, who stood out, picking up two goals and two assists in the victory.

Colton Magne is presented with a stick marking his achievement as the Capital Region Junior Hockey League's all-time points leader for defensemen by St Malo Warriors president Ken Hassan. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)
Colton Magne is presented with a stick marking his achievement as the Capital Region Junior Hockey League's all-time points leader for defensemen by St Malo Warriors president Ken Hassan. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

It’s a new playoff format this season, with only the CRJHL’s top team earning a first-round bye. St Malo has already nearly locked up a bye, leading the league by nine points. That impressive record comes despite dropping two early-season games to second-place Beausejour, which make up 2/3 of their regulation losses on the season.

“We’ve went on a run late in the year the last three years now,” Trudeau said.

“We’re not going to be satisfied with finishing first place in the standings or if we finish second in the worst case scenario. We know this team is going to be judged on what we do in the playoffs. (The players) are aware of it and ready for the challenge.

The Warriors have been building a culture of excellence in the last few years, falling in the league final in 2023 and winning the championship in 2024 with a similar, experienced team taking to the ice this season as well.

“More experience every year gains so much leadership in the room and better ways to drive our team to win,” Magne said.

Playoffs, including the expansion La Broquerie Habs, will begin on Feb. 18, with three best-of-five quarterfinal series. If the season were to end this week, St Malo would earn the bye and La Broquerie would play Selkirk.

The CRJHL is a young league, only starting in 2018 when five teams split from the Keystone Junior Hockey League to form their own loop.

Report Error Submit a Tip

Local

LOAD MORE