SITE JOHN, NB – Shavinigan Cataractus scored 49 seconds in the last round match on Saturday at the Memorial Cup and enjoyed a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Then William Dufour of Saint John Sea Dogs said, “Hold my (root) beer.”
Dufour, selected by the New York Islanders from the fifth round of the 2020 draft, scored three consecutive goals in the second period and added a fourth in the third, as the hosts scored five unanswered goals to beat the Cataracts 5-3, to win a place in the Cup final on Wednesday.
The trip to the final erases some of the disappointment of losing the Sea Dogs in the first round of the playoffs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Cataractes, with two wins and a loss in the round robin system, will have to beat the Hamilton Bulldogs in Monday’s semi-final to get another chance against their QMJHL rival.
Jeremy Poirier scored St. John’s second goal and teammate Josh Lawrence added two assists. Sea Dogs finished the round with two wins and a loss in overtime.
Loris Rafanomezanzoa, Olivier Nado and William Veylet scored for Shauinigan, who beat the Sea Dogs 15-10 in the first period but were killed 21-5 in the second.
The 6-foot-tall Dufour, named MMP of the QMJHL this season, scored 56 goals and 116 points during the regular season of the QMJHL.
“Finishing my (teen) career this way is so great,” said the 20-year-old Dufour, calling the victory one of his greatest moments in hockey. “We have another game to win. We’ll just do it.”
CHECKS: The Hamilton Bulldogs, who finished the 102nd Memorial Cup championship round with a one-point win in the three-point rule, lost to Sea Dogs 5-4 on June 20, then were eliminated 3-2 by Cataracts on June 23. before beating Edmonton Oil Kings 4-2 on Friday. The Oil Kings finished the tournament with one win in overtime and two losses for two points and failed to qualify for the playoffs. … Next year, the Memorial Cup will be held in Kamloops, British Columbia, home of the Blazers of the Western Hockey League, who won the national tournament in 1992, 1994 and 1995.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 25, 2022
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