St Malo Warriors win back-to-back CRJHL championships

By the narrowest of margins, the St Malo Warriors won consecutive Capital Region Junior Hockey League championships.

The Warriors needed every little bit of advantage they could get, defeating the Beausejour Comets 4-3 in their best-of-seven final, pulling out three overtime wins, including in game six just to force a decisive game seven, which was hosted in St Malo April 4.

Brady Gregoire played the hero in Beausejour April 2, scoring seven minutes into the second overtime period by banging home a rebound after a Teagan Fillion rush chance, setting up what might have been the hottest ticket in town a couple nights later.

Fans were so eager to get a good seat for the game, they arrived at 10:30 a.m. to try and reserve their spots. The players could feel the pressure of a game seven as well.

“Everybody in our room had the nerves all day,” team captain Ashton Dubois said.

“I know a lot of guys didn’t have a great sleep last night. Coming into a game where it’s win or lose, it’s pretty stressful, especially with a lot of guys not having experience in a game seven, but it makes it that much more enjoyable when you do win.”

Head coach and general manager Ralph Collette said those fans were key for St Malo’s 3-1 game seven victory.

“The fans tonight, what can I say,” Collette said in the midst of the celebrations.

“This place was jam-packed. Couldn’t fit anyone else in here… We’re extremely happy.”

After a tense first period which saw both teams look to minimize any mistakes, a quick pair of goals early in the second period were the difference.

Colton Magne started the scoring off. The CRJHL’s highest-scoring defenseman jumped up to turn a two-on-two rush into a three-on-two and when an Ian Friesen shot hit Dylan Liske’s pad, he had a wide open net to pot a rebound into.

Magne said he couldn’t believe he had so much net to shoot at.

“A goal in the finals is crazy, and our team just played awesome,” Magne said.

“I try and give our team as much offense as I can and help them out up front, but it’s all the (other) guys that make it happen.”

Just 30 seconds later, Gregoire struck again, picking off an attempted breakout pass to get all alone with Liske, before blasting a shot past the goaltender.

Both teams had struggled to cleanly break out of their own zone throughout the first period, but Gregoire was the only player who could take advantage.

“I just thought to get to the net as quickly as possible, it was a lucky shot I guess,” Gregoire said.

“We knew their defense would turn over pucks, we just had to get on them hard and force shots and rebounds. (Liske) was playing amazing. It was hard to beat him, but that’s why you crash the net.”

Collete said the team’s perseverance to play through injuries was the difference in the series.

“Let’s face it, the series, obviously with a game seven, could have went anywhere,” he said.

“They poured it hard on us. Our guys were blocking shots, we’re doing all kinds of things to keep that lead. Beausejour is a super team. I’m just happy luck was on our side tonight.”

Magne was one of those players battling injury, showing off some heavy athletic tape on his arm after the game to fans who had joined the team on the ice for the celebration.

“It was all worth it in the end,” Dubios said.

“You’ve got to put your body on the line. You’ve got to do whatever it takes. Beausejour was not easy to play against. They were great competition.”

The Warriors were a founding member of the CRJHL, which formed in 2018 after teams split from the Keystone Junior Hockey League. They hadn’t won a league championship since last season. Beausejour joined the league in 2022, making the finals in the past two seasons.