Will the Moncton Wildcats be competing for the President’s Cup? No. Does that make this year a failure? Considering the circumstances, absolutely not.
The Wildcats boasted what appeared to be a championship caliber roster before the pandemic cut the 2019-2020 season short. Months removed from being title contenders, the team shipped out members of its core, including NHL first-round draft pick Jakob Pelletier.
Then midway through the 2020-2021 season, they continued to show their commitment to a youth movement by trading defensive stalwart Jordan Spence as well as other key players.
It appeared that even though Moncton could only play teams in the province (Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Saint John Sea Dogs) every game had the potential to get ugly.
Despite an 11-17-2-1 record, the Wildcats displayed resiliency on a regular basis, managing to keep most games competitive.
“I was a bit surprised with our consistency… having a young team you can compete but to do it consistently is challenging,” said Wildcats Head Coach Dan Lacroix.
“We learned that getting 20 guys together that work hard can compete against any team.”
The Wildcats encountered many roadblocks through what was an untraditional season, including a flurry of injuries and a nearly four-month-long pause in play.
“We’re creatures of habit, and we depend on our schedule of games and practices,” said the Head Coach.
Lacroix is thankful that they had the opportunity to take the ice but notes the number of games they played does not reflect the amount of work they put in.
He believes the team is bound to face even more challenges next season with a few key players on their way out. Captain Jacob Hudson, Assistant Captain Tristan De Jong and netminder Dakota Lund-Cornish will all be too old to suit up for the Wildcats next year.
Lacroix also worries that forward Phillipe Daoust may have played his last game at the Avenir Centre if the Ottawa Senators think he’s prepared to take the next step.
“Sometimes we think of leadership as only the overagers, but there are younger players who will have a chance to step up,” he said.
The Wildcats will look to continue with a youth movement at the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft in July, despite not owning their first-round draft pick.
