Road to the 2024 Esso Cup: West Regional
Majors. Macs. Wild. Flyers. Growlers. Who wins their method to Membertou?
It’ll be a brief journey for whoever comes out on high on the Atlantic
Regional, with 5 groups competing to symbolize the area on the
2024 TELUS Cup in Membertou, Nova Scotia.
The Dartmouth Majors are set to play host, welcoming the Halifax Macs,
Kensington Wild, Moncton Flyers and Pinnacle Growlers to the East Hants
Sportsplex in Lantz. The 5 groups rolled via their respective
playoffs, posting a mixed 37-12 report – and 5 of these losses had been
inflicted by the Majors and Macs on one another in the course of the NSU18MHL last.
There is expertise within the group – the Majors, Macs and Flyers have
mixed for 25 nationwide championship appearances, whereas the Wild are
in search of their first journey to nationals since 1976, and the Growlers for
their first journey ever.
RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)
2023 – Pictou County Majors (fifth place)
2022 – Moncton Flyers (gold medal)
2019 – Halifax Macs (fifth place)
2018 – Moncton Flyers (fifth place)
2017 – Cape Breton West Islanders (gold medal)
DARTMOUTH MAJORS
HOST
Regular season report: 30-8-0 (2nd in
NSU18MHL)
Goals for: 160
Goals in opposition to: 77
Leading scorer: Aiden O’Donnell (24G 22A 46P)
Playoff report: 8-4
Goals for: 36
Goals in opposition to: 28
Leading scorer: Brennan O’Donnell (3G 8A 11P)
ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated South Shore Mustangs 3-0 (3-0, 5-2, 2-0)
Semifinal: defeated Valley Wildcats 3-1 (4-1, 2-1, 2-4, 4-3 OT)
Final: misplaced to Halifax Macs 3-2 (1-3, 5-4, 2-4, 5-4 OT, 1-2)
Last nationwide championship look: 2016 (fifth place)
Total nationwide championship appearances: 10 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1995,
1996, 2001, 2002, 2015, 2016)
HALIFAX MACS
NSU18MHL CHAMPIONS
Regular season report: 34-4-0 (1st in
NSU18MHL)
Goals for: 167
Goals in opposition to: 83
Leading scorer: Luc Legere (24G 32A 56P)
Playoff report: 9-4
Goals for: 42
Goals in opposition to: 29
Leading scorer: Maddex Marmulak (8G 8A 16P)
ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Pictou County Majors 3-0 (2-1 OT, 3-2, 4-0)
Semifinal: defeated Cape Breton West Islanders 3-2 (1-2, 1-4, 4-0, 3-1,
7-5)
Final: defeated Dartmouth Majors 3-2 (3-1, 4-5, 4-2, 4-5 OT, 2-1)
Last nationwide championship look: 2019 (fifth place)
Total nationwide championship appearances: 6 (1980, 1983, 1994, 2011, 2014,
2019)
KENSINGTON WILD
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND CHAMPIONS
Regular season report: 21-10-4 (2nd in
NBPEIMU18HL)
Goals for: 180
Goals in opposition to: 120
Leading scorer: Ethan Dickson (31G 44A 75P)
Playoff report: 4-0
Goals for: 63
Goals in opposition to: 37
Leading scorer: Ethan Dickson (3G 5A 8P)
ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
P.E.I. last: defeated Charlottetown Knights 4-0 (5-1, 5-4, 6-1, 6-2)
Last nationwide championship look: 1976 (thirteenth place)
Total nationwide championship appearances: 1 (1976)
MONCTON FLYERS
NEW BRUNSWICK CHAMPIONS
Regular season report: 26-6-3 (1st in
NBPEIMU18HL)
Goals for: 177
Goals in opposition to: 98
Leading scorer: Austin Sanchez (18G 37A 55P)
Playoff report: 8-0
Goals for: 48
Goals in opposition to: 17
Leading scorer: Austin Sanchez (6G 7A 13P)
ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
N.B. semifinal: defeated Saint John Vitos 4-0 (11-1, 7-2, 5-2, 3-1)
N.B. last: defeated Northern Moose 4-0 (6-5, 6-1, 5-1, 5-4 OT)
Last nationwide championship look: 2022 (gold medal)
Total nationwide championship appearances: 9 (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986,
2009, 2012, 2018, 2022)
PINNACLE GROWLERS
NLU18MHL CHAMPIONS
Regular season report: 26-6-0 (1st in
NLU18MHL
)
Goals for: 165
Goals in opposition to: 80
Leading scorer: Nolan Avery (21G 28A 49P)
Playoff report: 8-4
Goals for: 42
Goals in opposition to: 28
Leading scorer: Andy Knight (5G 7A 12P)
ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated Central Impact 4-1 (3-2, 3-2 OT, 4-1, 2-3, 5-1)
Final: defeated East Coast Blizzard 4-3 (2-5, 0-4, 6-2, 5-3, 6-1, 1-4, 5-0)
Last nationwide championship look: none
Total nationwide championship appearances: none
