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2023–24 MHL season

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2023–24 MHL season
LeagueMaritime Junior Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationSeptember – March
Number of games52
Number of teams12
Total attendance310,728
TV partner(s)Eastlink Community TV
2023 MHL entry draft
Top draft pickZachary Boudreau
Picked byWest Kent Steamers
Post-season
League championsMiramichi Timberwolves
  Runners-upSummerside Western Capitals
Seasons

The 2023–24 MHL season was the 56th season of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL). The Miramichi Timberwolves won their first league championship in franchise history.

Season highlights

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The South Shore Lumberjacks from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia relocated to Kent County, New Brunswick and were renamed the West Kent Steamers.[1] The Summerside Western Capitals shifted from the North division to the South division.[1]

Former MHL president, Troy Dumville, resigned after one year in the role to take up a scouting position with the Winnipeg Jets.[2] The league appointed Connor Cameron as its new president.[3]

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) mandated the use of certified protective neck guards during all on-ice activities, including games and practices.[4]

The Town of Truro, Nova Scotia, home of the Truro Bearcats, hosted the World Junior A Challenge, an international showcase featuring players from Canada, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.[5][6]

Regular season

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Teams played a 52-game regular season schedule, including 8 matches against each team in their division, and two against each team in the other division.[7]

North division
Team GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA
Edmundston Blizzard 52 39 12 1 0 79 229 136
West Kent Steamers 52 34 16 2 0 70 187 151
Miramichi Timberwolves 52 31 16 3 2 67 211 182
Fredericton Red Wings 52 22 25 2 3 49 209 218
Campbellton Tigers 52 18 32 2 0 38 175 229
Grand Falls Rapids 52 15 33 1 3 34 150 214

Source: "2023-24 MHL standings". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024.

South division
Team GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA
Summerside Western Capitals 52 38 5 3 6 85 274 170
Amherst Ramblers 52 27 20 3 2 59 204 216
Yarmouth Mariners 52 26 20 3 3 58 178 186
Weeks Crushers 52 27 21 4 0 58 223 217
Truro Bearcats 52 25 21 4 2 56 212 193
Valley Wildcats 52 10 40 2 0 22 179 319

Source: "2023-24 MHL standings". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024.

Individual awards

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Individual awards are voted on by the general managers of each team, except the leading scorer award which is based on overall points scored during the regular season. General managers may not vote for their own team.[8][9]

  • Player of the year - Ludovic Dufort, Miramichi Timberwolves (52 games, 82 points, 46 goals, 36 assists, second in power-play goals with 13, nine multi-goal games, 14 games with at least three points).
  • Goaltender of the year - Nicholas Sheehan, Edmundston Blizzard (2,383 minutes played, 40 wins, 2.29 goals-against average, .926 save percentage, five shutouts).
  • Defenceman of the year - Olivier Beaudoin, West Kent Steamers (49 games, 12 goals, 37 assists).
  • Rookie of the year - Spencer Caines, Valley Wildcats (50 games, 67 points to finish atop the rookie scoring race).
  • Character player of the year - Will Chisholm, Yarmouth Mariners (recognized for community involvement, work with minor hockey program and the Mariners Icy Knights group).
  • Coach of the year - Phil Fife, Amherst Ramblers (27-20-3-2 record after taking over a team that missed the playoffs last season).
  • Top goaltending tandem - Nicholas Sheehan and Samuel LeBlanc, Edmundston Blizzard (136 goals in 52 games).

Source: "League Awards". themhl.ca. Retrieved 6 December 2024.

Post-season

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2024 League championship
Metalfab Cup
Tournament details
Dates20 April – 26 March
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsMiramichi Timberwolves
Runner-upSummerside Western Capitals
Tournament statistics
Games played36
Goals scored247 (6.86 per game)
Attendance63,504 (1,764 per game)
Playoff MVPJack Flanagan

The top 4 teams from each division advanced to the playoffs. The Miramichi Timberwolves emerged as league champions despite their middling finish in the regular season.[10] It was the Timberwolves's first league championship.[11]

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
      
Edmundston 4
Fredericton 0
Edmundston 0
Miramichi 4
West Kent 1
Miramichi 4
Miramichi 4
Summerside 2
Summerside 4
Yarmouth 1
Summerside 4
Amherst 2
Amherst 4
Weeks 2

Source: "2023–24 MHL playoff results". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024.

Centennial Cup

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Main article: 2024 Centennial Cup

The 2024 national championship tournament took place at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario from 9 to 19 May 2024. The competition included all nine CJHL championship teams and hosts the Oakville Blades. The format consisted of a 4-game round-robin with two groups of five teams, followed by a six-team single-elimination play-off. The top team from each group of the round-robin had a bye to the semifinal round.[12]

The Miramichi Timberwolves won 3 of their 4 games in the round-robin. In the quarterfinal round, they defeated fellow first-timers, the Navan Grads of the CCHL by a score of 8-4. The Timberwolves then lost to the Collingwood Blues of the OJHL by a score of 5-2 and thus were eliminated from the competition. The Collingwood Blues went on to win the competition after defeating the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL in the final by a score of 1-0.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Simmonds, Jason (3 July 2023). "Summerside Western Capitals' home opener is Sept. 23". saltwire.com. Postmedia. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Troy Dumville steps down as MHL president". saltwire.com. Postmedia. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Connor Cameron named new president of Maritime Junior Hockey League". saltwire.com. Postmedia. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  4. ^ "CJHL announces mandatory use of neck guards". themhl.ca. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Schedule announced for 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Truro". themhl.ca (Press release). 16 October 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Hockey Canada confirms hosts for seven events". hockeycanada.ca (Press release). Hockey Canada. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Pictou County Weeks Crushers playing in 2023-24 MHL opener on home ice". saltwire.com. Postmedia. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  8. ^ "MHL constitution" (PDF). themhl.ca. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  9. ^ Simmonds, Jason (2 April 2024). "McGuigan voices displeasure about Caps being shut out of MHL individual awards". saltwire.com. Postmedia. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  10. ^ Price, Melanie (3 May 2024). "Miramichi Timberwolves earn franchise's first MHL title with game 6 win over Summerside Western Capitals". CTV Atlantic. Bell Media. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  11. ^ Healey, Pat (3 May 2024). "Historic moment: Foston, Wagner play key role as Timberwolves capture first-ever MHL championship". The Laker. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  12. ^ Bernasiewicz, Lukas (7 May 2024). "Centennial Cup ready to hit the ice". Oakville News. Village Media. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Collingwood Blues edge Melfort Mustangs to win Centennial Cup". TSN. Bell Media. Canadian Press. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  14. ^ Robinson, Peter (21 May 2024). "'Amazing feeling': Collingwood Blues score first Centennial Cup". BarrieToday.com. Village Media. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

Sources

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