The men's hockey playoffs came to a close this week after a loss to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/THE CONCORDIAN
Stingers men’s hockey team show resilience in disappointing loss in OUA East quarterfinal
After a difficult week, the Stingers couldn’t match the execution of the Ridgebacks in a tense battle at Ed Meagher Arena on Mar. 16.
Ahead of their quarterfinal matchup, Concordia lost key players during practice, including defenceman Alexandre Desgagnés who suffered a wrist injury. Regardless of the circumstances, the team was unable to play to its full potential.
“In this league, if you want to win, you have to play for sixty minutes. We didn’t do that tonight,” said Marc-André Elément, the Stingers head coach.
This game marked the end of a solid overall season for the men’s hockey team. CATHERINE REYNOLD/THE CONCORDIAN
Concordia started strong thanks to Maxim Trépanier, who opened the scoring at around four minutes into the game with the assistance of Zachary Zorn and centre Jeffrey Durocher.
Durocher added another point near the 10 minute mark, thanks to passes from Trépanier and Concordia’s captain Phélix Martineau. However, this wasn’t enough to overcome the dynamic offence of Ontario Tech. Thanks to the effort of Nicolas Tardif, Jack Patterson and Sean Ross, the road team maintained a 3-2 lead by the end of the first period.
Martineau was able to tie the game in the first minute of the second period. Shortly after, the Ridgebacks scored to retake the lead and held the Stingers scoreless for the rest of the period.
“I feel like we were working hard, but I think we weren’t mentally ready when it mattered most,” Martineau said.
The Stingers briefly came back to life at the end of the third period, when right-wing forward Alexander Katerinakis scored as the result of passes from Martineau and Trépanier. Unfortunately, the spark wasn’t enough to overcome two more goals scored by Ontario Tech in the last three minutes of the game.
Ultimately, even with a disheartening conclusion to the season, the toughness and determination of the players and the coaching staff was on display to the bitter end.
“I’m proud of the way we battle with injuries. I’m not someone who’s going to use that as an excuse. They just outworked us,” concluded Elément.
Despite the loss, fellow Concordians had fun coming out in person to support the home team. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/THE CONCORDIAN
The Stingers improved their regular season record to 8-6-0 on Saturday, Mar. 5. Kyran Thicke / Concordia Stingers
Stingers’ goaltender Jacob Delorme comes up big in a 42-save performance to get his first shutout with the Stingers
The Ottawa Gee-Gees tested the Concordia Stingers in their third consecutive matchup, however, Jacob Delorme was up to the task and helped his team get the 2-0 victory over Ottawa last Saturday, March 5.
“It was a good game,” Delorme said. “We lost Wednesday in Ottawa so we wanted to beat them, and right now the standings are really close for the playoffs, so it was a big win for us.”
Despite the Gee-Gees starting to pressure the Stingers right out of the gate, it was Paycen Bjorklund who opened the scoring for the Stingers around 14 minutes into the game, from a pass by Vincent Nardonne.
The second period was the busiest for the goaltenders, but it also remained scoreless. Ottawa had some good chances to tie the game, but Delorme made all 18 saves.
Concordia didn’t allow as many shots in the final frame, as they were also pressuring to double their lead. Alexander Katerinakis was able to do that after beating Ottawa’s defence with Isiah Campbell with about two minutes remaining in the period.
The last two minutes of the game were very intense, as Ottawa pressured to try and tie the game. The Gee-Gees’ late push resulted in a Concordia penalty in the last two minutes, and Ottawa pulled their goaltending for a 6-on-4 opportunity. However, the Stingers did a great job defensively, and Delorme continued his perfect performance. Concordia took another penalty with 15 seconds remaining, but it was too late for Ottawa to come back.
“It was a tight game,” said Marc-André Elément, the Stingers’ head coach. “Our guys battled and played hard tonight and we got the win so it’s huge.”
With two games in hand, Concordia currently ranks third in the division, right behind Ottawa. Having played against the Gee-Gees four times in the last five games, Delorme said they would be ready to potentially face them in the opening round of the playoffs, if that were to be the first series.
The Stingers men’s hockey team bounced back in the second half of back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, and got the win in their first home game in 2022.
The Concordia Stingers’ team effort persisted throughout 60 minutes, as they came together to take the 5-2 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Feb. 26.
This was the Stingers’ second game in two nights, bouncing back after a 0-4 defeat against the UQTR Patriotes on Friday.
The Stringers struck early with Maxim Trépanier opening the scoring only a minute and a half into the game. The first period ended with shots 13-11 in favour of Ottawa, while Concordia’s goaltender Jordan Naylor stood on his head and kept his team in the game.
“In the first period we were a little hesitant, we had to get our legs back,” said Tyler Hylland, centre for the Stingers. “We hadn’t played back-to-back games in a couple of months, so I think the guys were feeling it out, but I think we found our legs in the second period, and we finished strong, so it went well.”
Right at the beginning of the second frame, Ottawa scored twice in a minute and took the lead in what was a pretty back and forth game up to that point.
About seven minutes into the second frame, two Ottawa players collided with Naylor. Trainers joined him on the ice to evaluate him, but he remained in net until the end of the period.
It didn’t take too long for Concordia to tie the game afterwards, with a goal by Alexandre Desgagnés around the midway mark of the period, which gave the Stingers some momentum back.
They found themselves on the powerplay a couple of minutes later, where Jeffrey Durocher capitalized and gave his team the lead again.
Naylor didn’t return for the final period, and Jacob Delorme came in instead after having played the previous night as well. Stingers head coach Marc-André Elément said that Naylor didn’t sustain an injury and that he will be okay.
Hylland doubled the Stingers’ lead around 12 minutes into the third period after creating a turnover and having a breakaway chance.
“It was kind of a broken play in the d-zone, a turnover, and I kind of saw the opportunity that I could maybe get it by them, and I took it, and then I went in on the goalie and put it five-hole,” Hylland said.
The Gee-Gees pulled their goaltender with two and a half minutes remaining, leading to Trépanier, who had opened the scoring early on, to seal the win for the Stingers with an empty-net goal.
Delorme continued Naylor’s effort and stood tall, stopping all 11 shots he faced in that period, while the defence also did their job and kept blocking shots.
Although the final shots were 39-30 in favour of the Gee-Gees, the Stingers weren’t giving them many good scoring opportunities, and if they did, the goaltenders made the saves.
“I think we were ready for tonight’s game,” Elément said. “We have a good team and we needed to compete tonight, and I think the guys showed a lot of character when we were down… And [when] you’re losing your goalie going into the third period, and your other goalie steps in, that’s a big big team effort there.”
Elément added that Delorme kept them in the game in the final frame. He also mentioned how important the defence was in the game, highlighting Kyle Havlena and Marcus Tesink’s performances in particular.
“It was a big team effort tonight and I’m really happy about the win.”
The Stingers men’s hockey team get the win in their first game back since Dec. 4, 2021
The Stingers dominated a very fast-paced and physical game against the McGill Redbirds on Feb. 15, ultimately taking the 7-4 victory in their first game in over two months.
“It just feels good to be back on the ice, to be able to play a game was awesome,” said Stingers captain Phélix Martineau. “It was really fun to be able to play with the boys again, and to get out with a win was good too.”
Concordia capitalized early on, with a goal by Paycen Bjorklund. Even though McGill responded quickly, the Stingers kept pressuring their opponents.
It took less than three minutes for Nathan Lavoie to find the back of the net and for the Stingers to regain the lead. Jeffrey Durocher would later score on the power play, for what would be the Stingers’ first of four powerplay goals of the night.
After 20 minutes of play, the Stingers outshot McGill 19-3, and had a 3-1 lead.
The second period wasn’t as smooth as the first, with intensity rising between the two rival teams. It started with a couple of penalties against McGill, giving Concordia a bit of time with a 5-on-3 advantage, on which Martineau capitalized. A few seconds later, Tyler Hylland scored on the one-man advantage.
After the Stingers’ fifth goal, the Redbirds switched goalies at the midway mark of the game. As the night went on, the intensity and physicality increased, as the two teams faced off for the fifth (and last) time this season.
It was the Stingers’ turn to find themselves short-handed, and the momentum seemed to change in the Redbirds’ favour, who proceeded to score to cut their deficit in half, as the second frame ended with the Stingers ahead 5-3.
“We started well, but then we took a lot of penalties,” said Martineau. “But we ended up on top so it’s a good win for us, a good way to get back at it.”
Seven minutes into the third period, the Redbirds scored, finding themselves only one goal away from tying the game. About a minute later, McGill once again found themselves shorthanded and Charles Tremblay scored the Stingers’ fourth and final powerplay goal of the night.
“We’ve been working on special units,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Elément said. “We’re going to have to look at some stuff… but overall it was a good game.”
The last seven minutes of the game were the most intense, with frustrations building and many penalties taken on both sides.
If there was a chance for McGill to come back, it was denied by Isiah Campbell who gave Concordia a three-goal lead with about four minutes remaining.
At the end of the night, Tremblay had a powerplay goal and two assists, and Alexander Katerinakis three assists.
The special units the Stingers have been working on got tested in this game, in which a total of 20 penalties were called, 12 for McGill and eight for Concordia.
“We’ve been working on our powerplay since the last game we played, we’re trying some new stuff so it’s good to be able to build off that for the nine games we have left,” Martineau said.
The team is now looking forward to finishing the season after it was disrupted by the Omicron wave in December.
“All the guys were excited, I think we had a really good start, a couple breakdowns afterwards, but I’m really proud. It wasn’t an easy situation with [going from] practicing every day, not knowing what was going to happen, and then not practicing at all,” Elément said. “I’m really happy, the guys are happy that we’re back, and hopefully, we’re going to keep going.”
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team is looking very different now compared to before the winter break
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team has lost eight players since U Sports, the national governing body of university sport in Canada, was forced to pause in December, according to Marc-André Elément, the head coach for the Stingers men’s hockey team. Universities in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes were affected by the shutdown.
Four players have signed professional contracts: two in the United States with the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League), and two overseas. The other four players who left the team decided to stop playing hockey.
Elément said pausing the season now after having a season-long shutdown last year has been difficult for his team.
“We only played eight games in two years, so that’s hard on the guys,” Elément said. “And they wanted to play games, they wanted to play hockey, and that’s what they chose.”
Bradley Lalonde is one of the players who decided to leave the Stingers to play professional hockey in the ECHL, along with Chase Harwell. Lalonde signed a contract with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in South Carolina until the end of this season.
Lalonde said he didn’t believe the Stingers would be able to play a full rest of the season, given the restrictions in Quebec.
“I needed to kind of build my hockey career,” he added. “And playing those eight games in two years was just not enough.”
“It was really a decision that I made based on where I wanted to go with my hockey career and what I wanted to do for the next few years,” said Lalonde.
This is Lalonde’s last semester at Concordia, majoring in political science with a minor in law and society. He has three classes remaining and was able to find fully remote courses, which played a big part in accepting Greenville’s offer.
The 24-year-old defenceman had a few opportunities to play throughout the ECHL and in Europe, but he thinks Greenville makes the most sense hockey-wise.
“And it is a little bit warmer here,” Lalonde said, calling from his new apartment in sunny Greenville. “So I wanted to enjoy seeing a different part of the world. I’ve never been to South Carolina or even anywhere this south in the United States, so I just kind of wanted to explore a different area a little bit.”
He added that staying in the same timezone works out well with his online classes, considering he has an evening class, which would be in the middle of the night or even early morning in Europe. So Greenville was the simplest option for him.
Bradley Lalonde, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2022. Photograph by Emily Lipshetz
Lalonde got to Greenville on Jan. 17. He passed a physical exam with the doctor, and was on the ice practicing the same day. He was supposed to make his debut on Jan. 21, in Norfolk, Virginia. But according to Lalonde, the Zamboni wasn’t working, so there were problems with the ice, and that game, along with the other weekend games, ended up being rescheduled. That pushed his debut to Jan. 26. He has played in five games since then.
Tyler Hylland, an alternate captain for the Stingers, said he had opportunities to sign with different places during the pause, but wanted to stay with his team.
“For me, personally, I felt like I wanted to honour my commitment to my team that I’m on now, and I want to finish my school and I have some stuff going on here, and my family,” Hylland said. “So for me, I felt it was important to stay, and especially seeing a lot of guys on our own team leave […] I didn’t want to leave the program in a tough spot if the season were to restart.”
He added that at the end of the day, they’re all just trying to get through this pause and hope to be able to play again soon.
Elément said the team took on more players in case they found themselves in a situation where some of them left the team. They also added some players from their Division II program, which is another hockey program at Concordia where the players only practice, and now some were given the chance to join the team and play once the season restarts.
Elément said the team is “more than ready” to play again once they’re allowed to and that they’ve been waiting for a long time.
Lalonde said that leaving the Stingers wasn’t the way he wanted to end his time and career at Concordia.
“I would have loved to lead them to a championship, or win our division, win our league, and end up at Nationals,” he said. “It’s just that this was the thing that I needed to do to advance my hockey career.”
“The opportunity presented itself for me to pursue a professional hockey career and graduate at the same time, and that opportunity was just kind of too good to pass up,” Lalonde said.
Simon Bourque joined the Stingers midway through this season. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Including goaltenders, 32 players played at least one game for the Stingers this season. Head coach Marc-André Élément said the team has been dealing with injuries all year, and had to make tough lineup decisions on a consistent basis.
“It was unreal,” Élément said. “[Philippe] Charbonneau even played a part of the season as a forward [as opposed to defence] before Christmas because we had too many injuries up front. However, it’s part of the game. I think we’ll be better [in the future] with the adversity we faced—even us, the coaching staff.”
First-year defenceman Charlie Roy saw a positive aspect of this season. He said the team is young and will benefit from what they experienced these past months.
“I think in the second half of the season, we brought our game to another level with the acquisitions that were made during the holidays,” Roy said. “It looks good for the seasons ahead.”
The Stingers’s best scorer in 2018-19 was second-year defenceman Carl Neill, who finished the campaign with 33 points in 28 games. Élément said Neill has proven he can produce offensively since joining the Stingers.
Carl Neill (#32) led the team in points and will be playing in his third season next year. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
“Neill is really an offensive defenceman,” Élément said. “You need offence from [defence] if you’re having less of it from up front. He did a good job this year.”
Three of the Stingers’s 10 best scorers this season were first-year players. Rookie centre Hugo Roy finished the year with 19 goals and 26 points in 28 games, which ranked him fifth in the league in goals, and first of all rookies. However, Roy won’t be back with the Stingers next season, as he signed a professional contract with the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League.
Every year, Concordia’s hockey team attracts more talented athletes and helps develop players for professional leagues. In the past, Élement has brought players to the next level, and that helps Concordia’s visibility.
“It seems like most of the young players who came to Concordia have always had success,” Élément said. “Those are guys that give exposure to your program. It puts our program on the map.”
After defenceman Simon Bourque and goaltender Anthony Dumont-Bouchard joined the team in January, the Stingers will add two other experienced players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2019-20, as Tyler Hylland and Alex Katerinakis will join the team for the beginning of the season.
“I’m excited for next season,” said Charlie Roy, who played with Hylland and Katerinakis. “Players coming in, like Katerinakis and Hylland, are good friends. We still have to see who will be back and who will not, but I’m looking at next season with a good eye.”
After winning bronze last season, the Stingers were eliminated in the first round. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Queen’s Gaels battled back from 3-0 deficit to sweep playoff series
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team fell short in a 5-4 double overtime thriller to the Queen’s Gaels. This put an end to the season for the Stingers as the Gaels win the best-of-three series 2-0.
Just over six minutes into the game, captain Philippe Hudon scored to give the Stingers an early lead. The momentum carried on throughout the period, where the Stingers outshot the Gaels 12-3 in the first period.
This was the third year in a row the Stingers and Gaels met in the playoffs. Concordia won in game three overtime last year. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
The beginning of the second period started similarly, as the Stingers got another early goal from Hudon, who tipped a Philippe Sanche shot in on the powerplay to make it 2-0. Only 30 seconds later, Charles-Éric Légaré beat the Gaels goalie by putting a perfect pass by Brendan Hamelin into the net.
However, just under a minute later, the Gaels got onto the board to cut the lead to 3-1. This didn’t stop the Stingers from controlling the game, as midway through the second period, the momentum changed.
The Stingers failed to convert on a 5-on-3 that lasted nearly two minutes. The momentum changed from that point, and the Gaels got a powerplay goal to cut the lead to 3-2 before the second period ended.
“Not scoring on the five-on-three gave them momentum. Had we scored, it would have been different,” said head coach Marc-André Élément. “They did a very good job and gained momentum.”
“[The Gaels] played it really well but it isn’t really acceptable in the playoffs to not score on a 1:30 5-on-3,” said defenceman Carl Neill.
Opening the third, the Gaels left off where they finished the second, scoring only 19 seconds in to tie the game. They then proceeded to grab the lead less than two minutes into the third period with another quick goal.
The pressure on the Stingers’s backs was intense but they managed to remain calm. Sanche tied the game with eight minutes to go in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Despite a strong overtime period by the Stingers, they were unable to score. The game went to the second overtime, where the Gaels scored a minute into the period to put the Stingers’s season to bed.
This was Philippe Hudon’s final game as a Stinger. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
After the game, the team and fans cheered and thanked captain Hudon for his five years with the team. He was the first captain to take the Stingers to nationals last season. In his final game, Hudon went out with two goals and an assist. “He carried the team tonight and even last game,” said Neill on Hudon’s final performance. “Playoffs are really his thing.”
“He has been one of the best captains to wear the C on his jersey; he is up there with Olivier Hinse,” said Élément on his captain. “It is because of those guys that we were able to change the identity and culture of the program. I just told him he left a big, big footprint and I’m very proud of what he accomplished.”
An emotional Hudon came out to talk about his time as a Stinger after his final game. “It is certainly the end of an unbelievable chapter,” said Hudon. “It’s not about the sheer number of years I’ve been here; it’s about what developed over the years.”
Hudon will be missed as the team looks to the future but he hopes that his leadership on the ice sticks with the young leaders of the team. He is currently waiting to see if he will have a future in hockey over the next few months.
“If there is one thing I want my teammates to take from me, it’s certainly not the vocals, as I’m not a vocal guy. However, it would be to work hard to the very last second,” said Hudon.
Another player who likely played his last game in a Stingers uniform is forward Légaré, who is hoping to forego his final year of OUA eligibility to play pro in Europe.
On his time at Concordia, Légaré said, “I really enjoyed it. It has been the best four years of my life so far and it passed by so fast.”
The Stingers will come back next year with a young group led by many second and third year players.
Hugo Roy and Philippe Pelletier-Leblanc scored for the Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Concordia couldn’t continue momentum from Corey Cup win
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team lost 4-2 to the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes Friday night. This was the team’s first game since their emotional overtime win last Saturday against McGill.
Only two minutes into the game, the Patriotes got onto the board. They scored another in the period to go up 2-0 after the first. The Stingers led the period in shots 12-8, but didn’t have any real scoring chances.
The second period was much the same for the Stingers, as they were not able to get anything going. The Patriotes scored a shorthanded goal late in the second to make it 3-0.
Captain Philippe Hudon (#7) will play in his final playoffs with the Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
“The first two periods were kind of flat, but sometimes that happens when you just played against a team like McGill,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “The rink was packed and we got a big win last week. It’s not really an excuse, especially going into the playoffs.”
“In the locker room, we told each other that we have one period to come out strong, and we did but we came up short,” said captain Philippe Hudon.
The third period started off very well; just 36 seconds in, Hugo Roy scored to put the Stingers on the board. Not even two minutes later, Philippe Pelletier-Leblanc scored to bring the Stingers within a goal.
“We were not playing very well on the power play, so the goal was huge for our confidence,” said Roy regarding his goal.
Despite the two quick goals, it was too little too late as the Stingers weren’t able to get another one. The Patriotes iced the game with an empty netter with 15 seconds left.
“We won against McGill in a high emotion game, and sometimes these things happen but we need to get our focus back and get ready for the playoffs,” said head coach Marc-André Élement.
The Stingers lost to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks, 5-3 on Saturday night. They finished in sixth place, and will play the Queen’s Gaels in the first round. The dates of the games will be released on Monday.
The Stingers have won three out of four games against McGill this season. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Concordia took advantage of home crowd for 4-3 win over McGill
In front of a packed house at the Ed Meagher Arena, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team won the 32nd annual Corey Cup against the McGill Redmen. This victory makes it the Stingers’s second-straight Corey Cup win, having won 4-3 both this year and last.
“The guys were excited,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement about the Concordia-McGill rivalry. “It means a lot. With the stands packed like that it’s good for university hockey and it’s good for the city.”
The officials were quick to break up Zachary Zorn’s fight with Nicolas Poulin. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
This game had all the elements expected from a rivalry. The two teams combined for 18 penalty minutes, 14 coming in the second period. Midway through the second, McGill’s Nicolas Poulin went after Stingers forward Zachary Zorn after he delivered a huge hit. The players dropped their gloves for a fight, but were only given two minutes for roughing.
“It was cool [to see] and it kind of gets the boys going on the bench,” said rookie defenceman Bradley Lalonde. “We were proud of [Zorn] because he stood up for himself.”
Indiscipline also played a factor in this game. McGill’s opening goal late in the first period was scored on a power play, and gave them a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. After forward Charles-Éric Legaré tied the game early in the second, McGill retook the lead with another power-play goal after Zorn’s penalty.
Third-year forward Philippe Sanche scored his 12th of the season to tie the game 2-2 with eight seconds left in the second period, also on the power play. “[Sanche] has been playing amazing,” Élement said. “He’s a huge leader and that was an amazing goal.”
Charles-Éric Legaré scored at the beginning of the second and third periods. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Legaré scored his second of the game, and 11th of the season, early in the third period to give the Stingers a 3-2 lead. In eight regular-season games against McGill these past two years, Legaré has five goals and an assist, including a goal in last year’s Corey Cup. Élement said Legaré plays his best hockey against McGill because he enjoys the large crowds.
Stingers Captain Philippe Hudon played in his fifth and final Corey Cup, and it’s the third time he’s won it. He said he’s proud he’s been able to win the trophy in front of the home crowd two years in a row.
“It’s something that kind of rivals the Montreal [Canadiens]-Boston [Bruins] rivalry,” Hudon said. “Throughout the years, I’ve grown to not like McGill and really stick it to them every single game […] I’m happy a lot of people are coming because there should be more exposure to this kind of hockey.”
Midway through the third period, with the game tied 3-3, Hudon skated wide into McGill’s zone and dropped a pass for Hugo Roy. Roy blasted the puck past Louis-Philippe Guindon, igniting the crowd with the eventual game-winning goal. Hudon said he didn’t see the puck go in but heard the crowd’s roar, and celebrated like he scored a goal.
“It was a relief because it was such a back-and-forth hockey game,” Hudon said. “We were able to get the one-goal lead near the end, then bare down for the rest of the game.”
With the game tied three times, Lalonde said it helped to have the crowd behind them the whole game. “It’s a rivalry, so we know we’re never going to get behind no matter what happens, especially with the crowd into it,” Lalonde said.
With the win, the Stingers improve to 15-9-2 on the season and are in fifth place in the Ontario University Association (OUA) East with 32 points and two games left. McGill sits in fourth with 36 points, so the two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. McGill beat them in the OUA East final last year.
“This is what I live for; take ‘em on,” Hudon said. “If we play them this year, I’m giving it all I have.”
Despite the loss, the Stingers are still five points behind second-place McGill. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Laurentian came into game on 10-game losing streak
In a spirited affair, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team’s four-game winning streak came to an end. They lost 4-2 to the Laurentian Voyageurs Saturday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.
Entering the game on a 10-game losing streak, the Voyageurs were determined not to lose. Voyageurs goaltender Mackenzie Savard stopped 42 of 44 shots, and came up big with a dazzling, sprawling save late in the game to conserve the victory.
“Their goalie played really well. We have to give them credit; they played a really tight game,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “We will do a lot of videos, but we have to work harder over sixty minutes if you want to win.”
Indeed, the Stingers seemed to be in control of this game, dominating the Voyageurs at both ends of the ice. Yet their powerplay went cold, unable to score on any of their four opportunities. Savard went on to make key saves, especially in the first period.
“I think it got away from us in the first, and when they scored we played well from behind,” said Concordia forward Dylan McCrory. “Their goalie made some pretty big saves. You put 40 shots on a guy and they win. That’s pretty good regardless. Either we need to learn how to score better, or he played really well. Probably a bit of both.”
Down 1-0 early in the second period, the Stingers tied the game after a top-shelf from the left circle by Hugo Roy. With the tempo shifting and the young home crowd chanting, Concordia pressed with their fast and gritty style of play to end the second period.
The Stingers entered the third period laughing and laid back. But five minutes in, Voyageurs defenceman Marc-Antoine Gagnon’s wrist shot from the point beat traffic in front of the net, and eventually went past goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte. This ended up being the turning point of the game, as the Voyageurs wound up getting the last laugh.
“We couldn’t score, obviously,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “It’s kind of frustrating. We had a good sequence going the past couple of games, and I think we got a little too confident. Doing the things we should—we weren’t doing it necessarily. I think it’s a bit of a wakeup call for us, and shows if we play a simple game, we got a chance to win.”
The Stingers did manage to make it exciting for the young fans in attendance, as the night commemorated minor hockey in the region. Stingers defenceman Bradley Lalonde scored with just under 30 seconds remaining to make it 3-2. The Voyageurs would add an empty-net goal with six seconds left in the game, for a final score of 4-2.
The Stingers face a tough test next week traveling to play against Carleton and Queen’s University.
The Stingers and Gaels met for the first time since their playoff series last February. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
Men’s hockey team getting hot with final push towards the playoffs
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the Queen’s Gaels 4-3 in comeback fashion on Friday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.
The Stingers win after finding themselves down 2-0 when the Gaels scored two quick power-play goals on penalties from Philippe Sanche and Anthony Dumont-Bouchard in the first period. This was the third consecutive win in which the Stingers trailed by two goals at some point in the game.
Following the second goal, the Stingers got back to their game plan, and came out hard in second period.
“After the two quick goals, we had to find our game quickly,” said captain Philippe Hudon. “I think we executed the game plan perfectly but we need to work on not falling behind early.”
Defenceman Carl Neill extended his team lead in points to 24. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
Five minutes into second period, Jean-Philippe Beaulieu put the Stingers on the board. The Stingers continued to press throughout the second, which led to a power-play goal from defenceman Simon Bourque. “It felt great to score my first but the win is what matters most,” said Bourque following the game, who scored his first goal as a Stingers.
With only 17 seconds left in the second period, the Gaels regained the lead with a scramble in front of the net. The Stingers came back in the third, and tied it up almost immediately with a perfectly placed shot by forward Zachary Zorn.
“Zorn and his line had a really good game and that’s why you need depth in the lineup,” said had coach Marc-André Élement. “Zorn hadn’t played much since Christmas but he stood out when we needed him most tonight.”
Defenceman Carl Neill, who leads the team in points, scored the game-winner with just over four minutes to go in regulation. He finished the game with a goal and an assist. Neill was a leader for the Stingers’s defence that went short a player early when Philippe Charbonneau left the game with an injury.
“We have to give the [defence] credit, they played very well as five [players],” said Élement. Along with Charbonneau, goaltender Anthony Dumont-Bouchard was also pulled out after the second period due to injury. Both players will be evaluated before Saturday’s game.
This was also a Stingers game in collaboration with Bell Let’s Talk, in efforts of raising awareness about mental illness. Fans at the game received hats and noisemakers as part of the campaign.
With the win, the Stingers have now won four-straight games and eight of their last 10. They are hoping to build on their recent success Saturday night against the Laurentian Voyageurs at 7:30 p.m. at the Ed Meagher arena.
It was big news for the Stingers and U Sports when the 22-year-old signed a letter of intent announcing he would join them. Stingers head coach Marc-André Élément said on the Stingers’s website that Bourque will have an immediate impact on the program. He added that the defenceman “is an exceptional player, student and leader,” and many teams were after him.
The Longueuil native played nearly 250 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Rimouski Océanic and Saint John Sea Dogs, winning the league championships in 2015 and 2017.
In four games with the Stingers, they have three wins. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
On June 30, 2018, the Canadiens traded Bourque to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Joel Armia, goaltender Steve Mason, and two draft picks.
“The experience I gained during my career will allow me to come [to Concordia] with maybe a different vision of hockey and the way it is played,” said Bourque about his career the past few seasons. “I will be able to share that with the boys and, at the same time, it will add to my curriculum vitae,” he added.
Bourque explained that his decision of playing hockey at the university level and joining the Stingers is because he wants to earn a degree and focus on his career outside of hockey.
“I could not see myself continuing to play at a professional level without a bachelor’s degree,” Bourque said. “I wanted to have a security with that bachelor’s degree in my pocket when I decide [playing professional hockey] is over for me and move on to something else.”
The defenceman added that education has always been important for him, and he’s always achieved good grades in school. Despite Bourque’s hockey success, his intentions to complete a bachelor’s degree never changed.
“For sure, with the opportunity I had to play [hockey] at a professional level, I told myself to at least try and see after,” Bourque said. “However, I always had in mind to take that decision [of completing a bachelor’s degree].”
Bourque won two league championships while playing major junior hockey. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
After playing 46 games with the Laval Rocket last season, Bourque decided to pursue that dream, and that’s when Élement and the Stingers approached him. He saw himself as a Concordia student right away.
“It’s the team that had the best approach for me personally. I thought we had a fit,” Bourque said. “I thought me and Élément had a good personality match. I liked his program, and it corresponded with what I wanted to live. It was also in Montreal, so the location was good. Everything was fitting well together.”
Bourque’s arrival happens just after the midway through the Stingers’s regular season. The Stingers are in a tight battle in the standings, in sixth place with 25 points, just three points behind third.
“I want us to perform, that’s for sure,” Bourque said. “However, it is mainly about having fun and getting in the beat of university.”
Bourque describes his game as efficient and hates making mistakes. The defenceman occasionally joins the rush, but said he never forgets his main role.
“I always think defensively first,” Bourque said. “However, I am a defenceman who supports the offence a lot, and helps the forwards to produce offensively.”
Bourque, who wears number 74 with his new team, has played four games with the Stingers so far and has three assists. They have a 3-1-0 record with him.
