The second annual Colemans Cup will mark the start of hockey season for St. John’s IceCaps fans.
Newfoundland and Labrador will once again treat hockey fans to some pre-season competition by playing host to the AHL Colemans Cup, a three-game exhibition series taking place during the IceCaps training camp.
Like last year, they’re starting it off with a bang with the IceCaps squaring off against their long-time rivals, the Toronto Marlies. This will be the first taste of the IceCaps versus the Marlies for the 2016-17 season, and anyone who’s a fan of this epic rivalry will be happy to know these two teams will compete 12 more times during the regular season.
The series will begin Thursday, October 6 and wrap up on Sunday, October 9 with the IceCaps looking to hold onto their bragging rights. It promises to be an intense battle between prospects from both the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs farm teams, each looking to claim a roster spot for the season that begins the following weekend.
| Game Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Time (NDT) | Location |
| Thursday, October 6 | 7:30 | Stephenville Dome |
| Friday, October 7 | 7:30 | Corner Brook Civic Centre |
| Sunday, October 9 | 2:00 | Gander Community Centre |
Training camp began on Monday, October 3rd, so the IceCaps will get in three practices and a pre-game skate before the tournament begins. Thirty players were invited to training camp with an interesting mix of familiar faces, newbies and one local boy to help mind the nets during the series.
With a few more cuts still to come from the Montreal Canadiens training camp, additional players will be added to the roster as camp week continues.
| Goaltenders | Forwards | Defensemen |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Fucale | Tim Bozon (LW) | Justin Baker |
| Charlie Lindgren | David Broll (LW) | Jeremie Blain |
| Bradley Dyke | Mathieu Coderre-Gagnon (LW) | Josiah Didier |
| Connor Crisp (LW/C) | Joel Hanley | |
| Philip DeSimone (C) | Ryan Johnston | |
| Markus Eisenschmid (C/RW) | Brett Lernout | |
| Mark MacMillan (RW/C) | Thomas Parisi | |
| Stefano Momesso (LW/RW) | Dalton Thrower | |
| Yannick Veilleux (LW) | *Philip Samuelsson | |
| Daniel Audette (C) | ||
| Jacob De La Rose (LW/C) | ||
| Jeremy Gregoire (C) | ||
| Nikita Scherbak (RW/LW) | ||
| Charles Hudon (C) | ||
| *Stefan Matteau (LW) | ||
| *Chris Terry (LW/RW) | ||
| *Max Friberg (RW/LW) | ||
| *Bobby Farnham (LW/RW) |
* Farnham, Friberg, Samuelsson, Matteau and Terry cleared waivers before being assigned to the IceCaps.
If the contest is anything like last years, it’s not to be missed. Two out of three games were a sellout, pucks found the back of the net with mere seconds left on the clock, and the cherry on top – a classic Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
To kick off the competition last October, goaltenders Eddie Pasquale and Zachary Fucale split netminding duties. Both Morgan Ellis and Jeremy Gregorie notched a goal for the IceCaps and it looked as if they were heading past regulation to break the 2-2 tie. That is, until the Marlies slipped one past Fucale with a mere 22 seconds left on the clock.
With Fucale letting in all three goals the night before, it was no surprise when it was Pasquale who got the nod for Game 2. The first line was moved around, with McCarron keeping his spot and joined by Daniel Carr and Christian Thomas.
After giving the Marlies a false sense of security, the IceCaps came back with a vengeance with a 5-2 victory to tie the series. Carr didn’t take long to prove he belonged on the top line with a two-goal performance. Stefan Fournier and Markus Eisenschmid each notched a goal and along with the game winning goal, Connor Crisp rounded out it out with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
As last season progressed, the IceCaps were becoming pros at pushing games into overtime, closing the season with 14 overtimes and five shootouts. The final game of the series was the start of this trend.
With the best-of-three tied at one game apiece, the final game was a real nail-biter. Down 4-3 in the third, Fucale headed to the bench. With just 1.9 seconds left on the clock, Captain Gabriel Dumont scored a powerplay marker, sending the the game into overtime.
With no decision made during the extra time, off to a shootout they went. Stepping up once again was Carr, who scored the lone goal that was needed to give the IceCaps the win, and raise the Colemans Cup.
Last year was the first time the IceCaps won an exhibition tournament title in the franchise’s five-year history, and the they’re looking to make history once more.
You can buy tickets to the event on the IceCaps website.
