Bourret commits to Lakehead University

 

Summerside Western Capitals goaltender Kolton Bourret has committed to play for the Lakehead University Thunderwolves next season. 

Both teams announced the news on Thursday via socials. 

Bourret, 21, posted a 15-5-1 record record with a 2.71 goals against average and a 0.908 save percentage with one shutout in 22 appearances for the Western Capitals this past season. 

The Thunder Bay, Ont., native appeared in 13 playoff games posting a 7-4-2 record with a 1.85 goals against average and a 0.929 save percentage with two shutouts. In five games at the 2026 Centennial Cup, Bourret posted a 3-1-1 record with a 2.84 goals against average and a 0.856 save percentage, which helped the Capitals reach the championship game in which they lost 4-1 to the Niverville Nighthawks. 

The Capitals signed Bourret in November 2025. Prior to joining the Capitals, Bourret spent time with the Cranbrook Bucks of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), and the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). 

Bourret joins former Western Capitals forward Trentyn Crane who enters his third season at Lakehead University. 

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves play in the Ontario University Association under the USports umbrella. 

Mullen to commit to UPEI

As per EliteProspects.com, Summerside Western Capitals defencemen Simon Mullen has committed to play for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers next season.

Mullen, 20, will continue his hockey career on P.E.I., this time in the province capital. 

The native of Truro, N.S., scored 14 goals and 68 points in 52 games with Capitals this season, while adding seven assists in 14 playoff games. Mullen then added a goal and three assists in seven games during the 2026 Centennial Cup. Mullen was named both the MHL and CJHL Defenceman of the Year.

Mullen also spent time with the Truro Bearcats where he scored five goals and 41 points in 107 games through three seasons. He also spent the 2024-25 season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL where he scored three goals and 17 points in 50 games and won the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champions.

The Western Capitals acquired Mullen from the Bearcats during the 2023-24 trading period and he appeared in one game before missing the rest of the regular season with an injury. He returned for the playoffs where he scored two goals and nine points in 13 games.

Mullen joins a handful of former Western Capitals players on the Panthers like Isaac Vos, Antoine Michaud, Landon Clow and Marc Richard.

Western Capitals fall short in Centennial Cup final

 

 

The host Summerside Western Capitals fell short in the 2026 Centennial Cup National Championship game 4-1 to the Niverville Nighthawks Sunday night in Summerside, P.E.I.

 

The Niverville Nighthawks are the 2026 Centennial Cup Champions and become national champions in the team's fourth season of existence.

 

Hayden Wheddon's second period goal at 8:48 would stand to be the winner for the Nighthawks. Wheddon led the way for Niverville with two goals as Marlen Edwards and Tyler Benier also tallied goals.

 

Jordan Shaw had the lone goal for the Western Capitals.

 

The Nighthawks opened the scoring at 8:07 of the first period with Wheddon's first of the game. Adam Vigfusson and Merik Boles drew assists.

 

The Western Capitals tied the game with a shorthanded goal from Shaw at 10:09. The Capitals held a 13-7 advantage in shots on goal.

 

In the second period, Wheddon regained the lead for Niverville. Boles drew the lone assist. Despite trailing 2-1, the Capitals led in shots 23-17 after two periods.

 

Edwards gave the Nighthawks a 3-1 lead at 14:34 of the third period. Evan Panzer and Dawson Zeller drew assists. The Nighthawks sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 19:08 from Bernier.

 

Austin Dubinsky made 34 saves in the win for Niverville, earning him player of the game for the Nighthawks. Kolton Bourrett made 16 saves in the loss for the Capitals.

 

Congratulations to the Niverville Nighthawks on winning the Centennial Cup and going a perfect 6-0 through the preliminary round and playoff round. 

 

 

 

  

 

Western Capitals off to Centennial Cup final

 

The hometown magic continues for the Summerside Western Capitals.

Backed by a roaring crowd at Credit Union Place, the Western Capitals punched their ticket to the Centennial Cup final with an impressive 5-2 semifinal victory over Collège Français de Longueuil on Saturday night.  

Summerside controlled the pace early and opened the scoring midway through the first period when Henry Ouellet buried a feed from Matthew MacLean and Brennan Murphy at 9:10 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission. The Caps outshot Longueuil 15-4 in the opening frame and carried that momentum into the second.  

The Quebec champions responded in the middle period, however, as Mathieu Tessier tied the game at 11:51 before the Capitals answered on the power play. Matthew MacLean restored the Summerside lead with a man-advantage marker just over two minutes later, wiring home a shot off a setup from Simon Mullen. Longueuil would not go away quietly, evening the game once again when Yoan Noiseux scored late in the second to make it 2-2 after 40 minutes.  

The third period belonged entirely to the Capitals.

Just 2:02 into the final frame, Elliott Mullen capitalized on another power play opportunity to put Summerside back in front for good. Only 35 seconds later, Brennan Murphy extended the lead to 4-2, finishing off a rush created by Maverick Hayes and Ryder Howatt and sending the Credit Union Place crowd into a frenzy.  

From there, the Caps locked things down defensively while goaltender Kolton Bourret turned aside 21 of 23 shots to earn the win. Jordan Shaw sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minutes as Summerside closed out a dominant 40-shot performance.  

Henry Ouellet, Brennan Murphy and Matthew MacLean each recorded a goal and an assist for the Western Capitals, while Maverick Hayes chipped in with two helpers. Summerside also went 2-for-5 on the power play and limited Longueuil to 0-for-3 with the man advantage.  

With the win, the Western Capitals will face the Niverville Nighthawks in the 2026 Centennial Cup final on Sunday May 17 at 7 p.m. AST.

Summerside and Niverville met on the first day of the tournament in the preliminary round on May 7. Niverville won the game 5-4 in overtime.

Full game summary can be found here.

Western Capitals defeat Bearcats to move onto semi-finals

 

 

Ryder Howatt scored twice, including the game winner, to help the host Summerside Western Capitals defeat the Truro Bearcats 3-1 in quarter-final action Friday night at the 2026 Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I.

 

With the win, the Western Capitals advance to the semi-finals against College Francais du Longueuil of the LHJQ.

 

Howatt, broke a 1-1 tie just 50 seconds into the third period and that would be all the Capitals needed to get revenge on the Maritime Hockey League champions.

 

Kolton Bourrett made 16 saves in the win for the Capitals, but made a key save late in the third period to conserve the one-goal lead.

 

Howatt opened the scoring in the first period at 14:33 with his first goal of the tournament. Brennan Murphy and Justin Ouellette drew assists.

 

In the second period, the Bearcats tied the game at 11:35 with an unassisted marker from Eric Halliday. Shots were 20-10 in favour of the Western Capitals after two periods.

 

In the third period, with the Capitals up 2-1, Alexandre Guy sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:02 for his fourth goal of the tournament.

 

Louca Connolly made 21 saves in loss for Truro, who are now eliminated from the tournament.  

 

The Western Capitals' semi-final match-up against Longueuil will go Saturday May 16 at 7:30 p.m. AST.

 

Full game summary here. 

In earlier quarter-final action, the Toronto Patriots (OJHL) defeated the Canmore Eagles (AJHL) 7-3 and will play the Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL) in the 4 p.m. AST semi-final game on Saturday May 16. 

Summerside and Truro to clash in Centennial Cup quarter final

 

The Summerside Western Capitals will take on their MHL South Division rival, the Truro Bearcats, in the quarter finals of the 2026 Centennial Cup on Friday. 

Despite Truro losing its final preliminary game 3-1 to the Flin Flon Bombers on Wednesday, they secured the second overall spot in Group B with a 2-0-2-0 (won-OT won-lost-OT lost) record for 6 points. 

The Western Capitals finished third in Group A with a 2-1-0-1 record for 7 points. The groups crossover for the quarter finals. 

The Capitals and Bearcats are no strangers to each other, especially this season. 

Summerside was 3-3-1-1 (Wins-losses-OT losses-SO losses) against the Bearcats this season and 18-7-2-1 in the last five years. 

The Capitals and Bearcats went to Game 7 in the MHL South Division Final in which Truro won 3-2. Truro would eventually go on to win the MHL MetalFab Cup after defeating the Edmundston Blizzard in five games. 

Game time for Friday’s quarter final match up is 7:30 pm AST. 

=== 

Summerside at 2026 Centennial Cup

May 7, 5-4 OT loss to Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL)

May 9, 4-2 win against Rockland Nationals (CCHL)

May 10, 5-1 loss to Canmore Eagles (AJHL)

May 12, 5-3 win against Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL)

Truro at 2026 Centennial Cup 

May 8, 4-1 loss to Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL)

May 10, 2-1 win against College Francais Longueuil (LHJQ)

May 11, 6-1 win against Toronto Patriots (OJHL)

May 13, 3-1 loss to Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)

Capitals hang on for win over North Stars

 

The host Summerside Western Capitals picked up a 5-3 win over the Thunder Bay North Stars Tuesday night. 

With the win, the Capitals secure a spot in the quarter-finals with a 2-1-0–1 (Wins-OT Wins-Losses-OT losses) record to close out the preliminary round with 8 points. The Thunder Bay North Stars (Superior International Junior Hockey League) lost its fourth and final game of the tournament and will not advance to the playoff round. 

Elliot Robert scored twice for the Caps as Lane Sim (1-1), Elliot Mullen and Alexandre Guy tallied the other goals. 

Easton Glousher scored twice for the North Stars. 

The Capitals built a 4-0 lead, before the North Stars stormed back to make it a one-goal game. 

In the first period, Elliot Mullen opened the scoring with a power play goal just 2:21 into the game with his third goal of the tournament. Max Jardine and Sim drew assists. 

Sim made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal at 14:03 for his second goal of the tournament. 

Robert made it 3-0 with this first of the game and second of the tournament just 2:07 later. Maverick Hayes and Cade Moser drew assists. 

In the second period, the Capitals made it 4-0 with Guy’s third goal of the tournament on a delayed penalty at 8:38. Owen MacPherson and Hayes drew assists. 

The North Stars got themselves on the board at 15:10 with an unassisted power play goal from Glousher. 

In the third period, the North Stars made it a two-goal game at 4:01 with a power play goal from Glousher for his second of the game. 

Just 1:04 later, the North Stars were within a goal as Acoyen Fehr scored his second goal of the tournament. 

The Capitals capped off the scoring with an empty net goal at 19:51 from Robert. 

Kolton Bourret turned aside 13 of 16 shots for the win in the Summerside net. Morgan Blackwood made 30 saves in the loss. 

The Capitals secured a third-place finish in Group A and will play the second place team in Group B in the quarter-finals. Opponent, date and time are still to be determined. 

If Rockland wins tomorrow, they will tie the Capitals with 7 points in Group A, but since the Capitals defeated the Nationals in the preliminary round, they win the tie breaker. 

Full summary of the game here. 

=====

Day 5 results (Monday May 11)

Flin Flon Bombers 6

Greater Sudbury Cubs 4

Rockland Nationals 8

Thunder Bay North Stars 2

Truro Bearcats 6

Toronto Patriots 1

Day 6 results (Tuesday May 12)

College Francais du Longueuil 3

Greater Sudbury Cubs 1

-Sudbury eliminated 

Niverville Nighthawks 6

Canmore Eagles 4

Summerside Western Capitals 5

Thunder Bay North Stars 3

Canmore Eagles too much for Capitals to handle

The Canmore Eagles picked up their third win of the 2026 Centennial Cup with a 5–1 win over the host Summerside Western Capitals on Sunday. 

The Capitals fall to 1-0–1-1 (wins-OT wins-losses-OT losses) in the tournament for 4 points while the Canmore Eagles remain undefeated with a 2-1-0-0 record for 8 points. 

Canmore scored 18 seconds into the game with John Szabo’s third goal of the tournament to take a 1-0 lead. 

In the second period, the Eagles extended its lead with Cohen Daoust’s first of the game at 3:23. 

The Capitals cut the lead in half at 17:08 with Elliot Mullen’s second goal of the tournament. Brett Arsenault and Alex Hendry drew assists. 

 

Canmore regained the two-goal lead at 18:33 with a goal from Cole Wadsworth. 

In the third period, Eagles scored yet another quick goal just 13 seconds in with Daoust’s second goal of the game. 

Canmore made it 5-1 at 14:25 with a goal from Reid Larson. 

Alexander Scheiwiller picked up the win for Canmore making 33 saves earning himself player of the game for the Eagles. Justin Robinson suffered the loss with 22 saves. 

The Capitals have a day off on Monday before wrapping up preliminary action Tuesday May 12 against the Thunder Bay North Stars at 7:30 p.m. AST. 

Canmore wraps up their preliminary on Tuesday also, taking on the Niverville Nighthawks at 4 p.m. AST. 

See the full game summary here. 

======

Day 4 results (May 10, 2026)

Truro Bearcats 2

College Francais du Longueuil 1

Canmore Eagles 5

Summerside Western Capitals 1

Capitals take down country’s best Nationals

 

The host Summerside Western Capitals picked up its first win of the 2026 Centennial Cup with a 4-2 victory over the No. 1 nationally ranked Rockland Nationals Saturday night. 

The Rockland Nationals lost just three games in regulation in 55 games during the regular season in the Central Canada Hockey League, before going 12-1 in the playoffs. The loss tonight marked the Nationals’ fifth loss in regulation combined in the regular season and playoffs for the 2025-26 season. 

Owen MacPherson’s second period goal at 13:22 stood as the eventual game winner and Justin Robinson stood tall in net making 29 saves. 

The Western Capitals improve to 1-0-0-1 (Wins-OT Wins-Losses-OT losses) for 4 points in the preliminary round with two games left. The Nationals fall to 0-0-1-1 for one point, also with two games left. 

Summerside opened the scoring just 4:56 into the game with Alexandre Guy’s second of the tournament. Justin Ouellette and Matthew MacLean drew assists. 

The Capitals extended its lead at 13:54 with an unassisted tally from Elliot Mullen for his first goal of the tournament. 

In the second period, the Nationals cut the lead in half at 9:30 with a power play goal from Mavrick Brunet. Vital Dinis and Gabriel Le Houillier drew assists. 

MacPherson put the Capitals back up by two goals with his first of the tournament. Jordan Shaw drew the lone assist. 

The Nationals made it a 3-2 game with a goal  from John Micallef at 2:29 into the third period. 

Brennan Murphy scored a shorthanded empty-net goal at 17:58 to ensure the victory for the Caps. 

Robinson picked up the win for the Capitals, playing in his first game since March 16, 2026 in Game 2 of the MHL division semi-finals against the Amherst Ramblers. 

Kayden Newton took the loss for Rockland, making 26 saves. 

The Capitals are back in action Sunday night against the AJHL champion Canmore Eagles at 7:30 p.m. AST. The Nationals are back in action Monday May 11 against the Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL) at 4 p.m. AST. 

Full game summary can be found here. 

====

Day 2 results (Friday May 8, 2026):

College Francais du Longueuil 1

Flin Flon Bombers 0

Canmore Eagles 3

Thunder Bay North Stars 2

Greater Sudbury Cubs 4

Truro Bearcats 1

Day 3 results (Saturday May 9, 2026)

Niverville Nighthawks 7

Thunder Bay North Stars 2

Toronto Patriots 7

Flin Flon Bombers 2

Summerside Western Capitals 4

Rockland Nationals 2

Caps drop Centennial Cup opener in OT to Niverville

A Simon Mullen turnover in front of his own net just 14 seconds into overtime cost the Summerside Western Capitals its tournament opening game with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Niverville Nighthawks. 

The Capitals pick up a point with the overtime loss, as the Niverville Nighthawks pick up the extra point. Regulation wins in the preliminary round are worth three points and overtime wins are worth two points. 

Marlen Edwards scored twice for the Nighthawks, including the game winning goal while picking up one assist. Dawson Zeller, Hydon Wheddon and Adam Vigfusson tallied for Niverville. 

For the Caps, Brett Arsenault picked up three assists as Mullen, Lane Sim, Alexandre Guy and Jordan Shaw tallied goals. 

The Caps opened the scoring exactly five minutes into the game with a goal from Mullen. Sim and Arsenault drew assists. 

Niverville tied the game at 12:24 with Edwards’ first of the game. Luke Wagner drew the lone assist. Nighthawks took a 2-1 lead at 17:59 with a power play goal from Zeller. 

In the second period, the Capitals tied the game just 2:21 into the period with a goal from Sim. Arsenault and Elliot Mullen drew assists. 

Nighthawks regained the lead at 5:01 with a goal from Wheddon. 

The Capitals tied the game at 9:33 with a power play goal from Guy. Justin Ouellette and Max Jardine drew assists. 

In the third period, the Capitals took a 4-3 lead with a goal from Shaw at 11:21 as he came out of the penalty box. 

Just 2:10 later, Vigfusson tied the game for Niverville with a power play goal. 

Austin Dubinsky made 17 saves in the win for Niverville. Kolton Bourrett made 17 saves in the loss. 

The Capitals next preliminary game is Saturday May 9 at 7:30 p.m. against the Rockland Nationals. 

=====

Other results from Thursday May 7:

Toronto Patriots defeated Greater Sudbury Cubs 9-3; Canmore Eagles defeated Rockland Nationals 3-2 in OT.  

An in-depth look at all 10 teams at Centennial Cup

 

The 2026 Centennial Cup is only two days away so let's take a look at all 10 teams in the tournament and how they got here.

We'll look at the teams starting from the West coast the to the East coast.

Canmore Eales (Alberta Hockey Junior League)

Regular season: 32-19-3-1, 68 PTS 

Standing: 1st AJHL South (6), 4th overall (12)

Top 5 scorers: Cohen Daoust (50, 31-44-75), Aidan Tkachuk (53, 29-41-70), John Szabo (49, 23-31-54), Will Lutic (41, 15-33-48), Hudson Landmark (39, 11-28-39)

Goalies: Alexander Scheiwiller (22-12-2, 2.91 GAA, 0.921 Save %, 2 SO), Hudson Sedo (10-7-2, 3.14 GAA, 0.905 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Calgary Canucks 4-2 in league quarter-finals, defeated Drumheller Dragons 4-0 in league semi-finals, defeated Whitecourt Wolverines 4-1 in league finals.

Flin Flon Bombers (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League)

Regular season: 41-11-3-1, 86 PTS

Standing: 1st UPL Division (4), 1st overall(12)

Top 5 scorers: Joey Lies (48, 27-27-54), Reid Arberry (52, 23-28-51), Connor Miller (46, 21-21-42), Jack Martin (54, 17-25-42), Maverick Deslise (40, 16-26-42)

Goalies: Charlie Tritt (23-9-2, 2.12 GAA, 0.934 Save %, 5 SO), Devin Peck (13-6-1, 2.43 GAA, 0.904 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Estevan Bruins 4-0 in quater-finals, defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-3 in semi-finals, defeated York Terriers 4-0 in finals.

Niverville Nighthawks (Manitoba Junior Hockey League)

Regular season: 51-6-1-0, 103 PTS

Standing: 1st MGEU East Division (7), 1st overall (13)

Top 5 scorers: Hayden Wheddon (57, 36-54-90), Merik Boles (58, 25-48-73), Adam Vigfusson (40, 26-35-61), Loik Leduc (56, 22-39-61), Evan Panzer (57, 24-31-55)

Goalies: Austin Dubinsky (34-3-1, 2.18 GAA, 0.931 Save %, 2 SO), Ben Chornomydz (17-3-0, 1.50 GAA, 0.942 Save %, 2 SO)

Playoff journey: Defated Winkler Flyers 4-0 in divisional semi-finals, defeated Waywayseecappo Wolverines 4-1 in semi-finals, defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-0 in final.

Greater Sudbury Cubs (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League)

Regular season: 39-8-3-2, 83 PTS

Standing: 1st overall (11)

Top 5 scorers: Nolan Newton (45, 37-54-91), Mason Walker (39, 33-55-88), Owen King (31, 44-30-74), Spencer Horgan (45, 19-53-72), Daks Klinkhammer (48, 25-40-65)

Goalies: Matthew Vahramian (19-6-1, 2.14 GAA, 0.915 Save %, 2 SO), Iain Wintle (9-0-3, 2.28 GAA, 0.910 Save %, 2 SO), Mateo Beites (11-2-1, 2.47 GAA, 0.886 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defated Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 4-0 in quarter-finals, defeated Soo Eagles 4-0 in semifinals, defeated Timmins Rock 4-0 in final.

Thunder Bay Bay Stars (Superior International Junior Hockey League)

Regular season: 30-14-3-1, 64 PTS

Standing: 3rd overall (7)

Top 5 scorers: Matthew Bertolin (39, 22-41-63), Lucas Bertolin (35, 27-30-57), Evan Simeoni (42, 14-42-56), Chance Loke (48, 12-42-54), Matthew Lysak (47, 23-28-51)

Goalies: Morgan Blackwood (20-8-2, 2.82 GAA, 0.911 Save %, 0 SO), Connor Dunham-Fox (8-6-2, 2.85 GAA, 0.921 Save %, 0 SO), Ethan Mann (2-0-0, 3.87 GAA, 0.895 Save %, 0 SO)

Toronto Patriots (Ontario Junior Hockey League)

Regular season: 47-8-0-1, 95 PTS

Standing: 1st West Confernece (12), 1st overall (24)

Top 5 scorers: Hudson Cummins (56, 32-52-84), Tate Collins (51, 24-52-76), Luciano Brno (38, 27-44-71), Anthony Giacalone (51, 26-26-52), Alex Hebblethwaite (41, 16-36-52)

Goalies: Nico Armellin (21-5-1, 2.20 GAA, 0.939 Save %, 1 SO), Trey Caracciolo (25-3-0, 2.42 GAA, 0.932 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Mississaug Chargers 4-0 in West Conference Round 1, defeated Milton Menace 4-0 in West Conference Round 2, defeated Collingwood Blues 4-3 in West Conference Round 3, defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-1 in finals.

Rockland Nationals (Central Canada Hockey League)

Regular season: 52-3-0-0, 104 PTS

Standing: 1st Yzerman Division (6), 1st overall (12)

Top 5 scorers: Gabriel Le Houillier (52, 59-61-120), Mavrick Brunet (49, 26-77-103), Vital Dinis (55, 29-51-80), Alex Kelloway (52, 30-41-71), Mathys Laurent (51, 10-44-54)

Goalies: Kayden Newton (15-1-0, 2.06 GAA, 0.927 Save %, 2 SO), Ty Ferguson (11-0-0, 2.06 GAA, 0.915 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Carleton-Place Canadians 4-1 in quarter-final, defeated Kemptville 73's 4-0 in semi-final, defeated Smith Falls Bears 4-1 in final

College Francais du Longueuil (Ligue Hockey Junior Quebec)

Regular season: 41-6-0-1, 83 PTS

Standing: 1st overall (13)

Top 5 scorers: Gabriel Provencher (48, 24-44-68), Pierre-Olivier Denis (40, 17-33-50), Samuel Beaulieu (42, 24-25-49), Gabriel L'Etoile (47, 10-36-46), Emile Dubois (47, 5-38-43)

Goalies: Mathis Lacroix-Goulet (31-5-1, 2.06 GAA, 0.918 Save % 5 SO), Vincent Garneau (9-1-1, 2.40 GAA, 0.899 Save %, 1 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Valleyfield Braves 4-1 in quarter-finals, defeated L'Everest de la Cote-du-Sud 4-0 in semi-finals, defeated Condors du CEGEP Beauce-Appalaches 4-0 in finals.

Truro Bearcats (Maritime Hockey League)

Regular season: 34-14-3-1, 72 PTS

Standing: 2nd Eastlink South (6), 2nd overall (12)

Top 5 scorers: Jake Todd (49, 16-42-58), Eli Baillargeon (46, 30-24-54), Callum Aucoin (49, 27-19-46), Liam Welsh (50, 16-27-43), Nathan Curson (52, 12-22-34)

Goalies: Sam Berthiuame (12-4-0, 2.29 GAA, 0.927 Save %, 2 SO), Louca Connolly (19-5-3, 2.69 GAA, 0.908 Save %, 2 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Pictou County Weeks Crushers 4-1 in divisional semi-finals, defeated Summerside Western Capitals 4-3 in divisinal finals, defeated Edmundston Blizzard 4-1 in finals.

Summerside Western Capitals (Host, Maritime Hockey League)

Regular season: 32-12-5-3, 72 PTS

Standing: 1st Eastlink South (6), 1st overall (12)

Top scorers: Simon Mullen (52, 14-54-68), Brett Arsenault (49, 25-34-59), Elliot Robert (51, 22-26-48), Cade Moser (50, 15-29-44), Alexandre Guy (50, 22-19-41)

Goalies: Koulton Bourrett (15-5-1, 2.70 GAA, 0.908 Save %, 1 SO), Justin Robinson (4-3-1, 2.93 GAA, 0.890 Save %, 0 SO)

Playoff journey: Defeated Amherst Ramblers 4-3 in divisional semi-finals, lost to Truro Bearcats 4-3 in divisional finals.

Predictions: Caps @ Centennial Cup

As we all know, the Summerside Western Capitals are the hosts for the 2026 Centennial Cup. 

Out of the 10 teams, they are the only non-league champion, but in my opinion are a champion-caliber team despite going out in division finals to the eventual-MHL champions Truro Bearcats in 7 games. 

If Kolton Bourrett can continue the way he played in the playoffs, most noted-ably, Game 7 of Amherst series and onwards, and steal games - the Capitals could surprise the doubters.  

The Capitals offense, which struggled from time to time in the playoffs, needs to continuously produce every game if they want to go all the way.  

Here is my game-by-game predictions:

May 7 vs Niverville Nighthawks, MJHL (51-6-1)

-Caps lose 3-2 in OT

Goaltending battle, Caps outshoot but offense struggles. Niverville gets the edge in OT.  

May 9 vs Rockland Nationals, CCHL (52-3-0)

-Caps lose 5-1. 

Rockland is just too good and will show why they were number 1 in Canada all season and why they are the favourite to win. Domination from start to finish. 

May 10 vs Canmore Eagles, AJHL (39-19-4)

-Caps win 4-2. 

Canmore had 4 less points than the Caps in three more games played. This team is on the Caps level and after losing twice, Caps are hungry and play their best game of the tournament. 

May 12 vs Thunder Bay Bay Stars, SIJHL (30-14-4)

-Caps win 5-1. 

No disrespect to the SIJHL and its clubs, but this league seems to be the weakest of the 9. Caps offense will come alive giving giving them a boost coming out of preliminary round. 

Final preliminary record:

2-1-1, 7 points (wins are 3 points)

12-11 goal-differential

Caps finish third place in Group A and qualify for the quarter-finals in which they will play the second place team from Group B. 

These are my standings predictions:

Group A

1st - Rockland Nationals, 4-0-0, 12 Pts

2nd - Niverville Nighthawks, 3-1-0, 9 pts

3rd - Summerside Western Capitals, 2-1-1, 7 pts

x4th - Canmore Eagles, 2-2-0, 6 pts

x5th - Thunder Bay Stars, 0-4-0, 0 pts

Group B

1st - Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL), 3-1-0, 9 pts

2nd - College Francais de Longueuil (LHJQ), 3-1-0, 9 pts

3rd - Truro Bearcats (MHL), 2-0-2, 8 pts

x4th - Toronto Patriots (OJHL), 2-2-0, 6 pts

x5th - Flin Flon Bombers (SIJHL), 1-2-1, 4 pts

Going by my standings predictions, the Capitals would face Longueuil in the quarter-finals as the groups crossover. Longueuil posted a 41-6-1 record. 

-Caps lose a heart-breaker 3-2 in OT.

Quarter-final 2: (3) Truro beats (2) Niverville

Semi-final 1: (1) Rockland beats (4) Truro*

Semi-final 2: (2) Sudbury beats (3) Longueuil*

*teams are re-seeded for semi-finals

My pick for the 2026 Centennial Cup champion is the Rockland Nationals who will defeat Longueuil 2-0 in the final.

Centennial Cup nearing

The Centennial Cup is almost here, just one week as of today (May 1). 

The first day of action on May 7 will see the Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) versus the Toronto Patriots (OJHL) at 12 p.m. AST, Canmore Eagles (AJHL) versus Rockland Nationals (CCHL) at 4 p.m. AST, then the Niverville Nighthawks (SJHL) take on the host Western Capitals at 7:30 p.m.

Interesting notes for the first three games:

-Sudbury Cubs three-peated in the NOJHL. 

-Rockland Nationals had the best regular season record in all of junior A in Canada with a 52-3-0-0 record. They repeated as CCHL champs going 12-1-0. 

-Niverville Nighthawks won their first MJHL championship in just their fourth season.