They’re back.

After a one-year hiatus, the Cantonniers de Magog will once again represent Quebec at the TELUS Cup, making it four appearances in the last five tournaments – 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 (there was no tournament in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

While the regular season was solid but not spectacular – the Cantonniers’ 27 wins in the Ligue de développement du hockey M18 AAA du Québec (LHM18AAAQ) ranked fifth over the last six full seasons, dating back to the start of their title run in 2017-18 – it was the playoffs where Magog was once again at its best.

It swept Châteauguay and downed Lac St-Louis in four before eliminating the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François – the defending TELUS Cup champions – in a semifinal sweep.

The Estacades de Trois-Rivières were the final obstacle between Magog and Membertou, and after a back-and-forth series that went the distance, Mavrik Duhaime scored the Game 5 overtime winner to send the Cantonniers to Cape Breton.

It was scoring by committee during the regular season, with Gabriel Courchesne (24-35—59 – second in the LHM18AAAQ) pacing an offence that featured five players with 30+ points and six who hit double-digits in goals.

Kyan Labbé was terrific in goal, finishing second in goals-against average (1.98) and save percentage (.934) before playing all but 23 minutes of the playoff run.

All that’s left now is to get that elusive final win – the Cantonniers became just the third team to lose back-to-back national finals in 2018 and 2019 (joining the 1994-95 Red Deer Chiefs and 2014-15 Grenadiers de Châteauguay), and made it three in a row with an overtime loss to the Moncton Flyers in 2022.

HOW THEY GOT TO MEMBERTOU

Ligue de développement du hockey M18 AAA du Québec
Tacks semifinal: defeated Grenadiers de Châteauguay 2-0 (7-2, 10-4)
Tacks final: defeated Lions du Lac St-Louis 3-1 (2-6, 4-1, 4-1, 2-1)
Semifinal: defeated Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François 3-0 (4-2, 2-1 OT, 2-1)
Final: defeated Estacades de Trois-Rivières 3-2 (1-5, 4-3 OT, 1-0, 3-4, 2-1 OT)

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 27-9-6 (2nd in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals for: 163 (T-1st in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals against: 111 (3rd in LHM18AAAQ)
Longest winning streak: 3 (Oct. 25-Nov. 1; Dec. 14-Jan. 5; Jan. 12-17)
Top 3 scorers:
- Gabriel Courchesne – 24G 35A 59P (2nd in LHM18AAAQ)
- Antoine Boudreau – 25G 29A 54P (5th in LHM18AAAQ)
- Alexis Toussaint – 14G 27A 41P (15th in LHM18AAAQ)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 11-3
Goals for: 48
Goals against: 32
Top 3 scorers:
- Marc-Olivier Proteau – 7G 9A 16P
- Antoine Boudreau – 5G 9A 14P
- Alexis Toussaint – 6G 6A 12P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2022 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 5-2-0 | 42GF 22GA
2019 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 6-1-0 | 24GF 8GA
2018 – Cantonniers de Magog | silver medal | 3-3-1 | 24GF 25GA
2000 – Cantonniers de Magog | gold medal | 6-1-0 | 46GF 17GA
1995 – Cantonniers de Magog | 5th place | 2-3-0 | 7GF 12GA

QMJHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Zachary Plamondon – Charlottetown Islanders 2023 (3rd round, 45th overall)
Antoine St-Laurent – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2023 (4th round, 68th overall)
Kyan Labbé – Saint John Sea Dogs 2023 (4th round, 72nd overall)
Vincent Desmarais – Drummondville Voltigeurs 2023 (5th round, 82nd overall)
Alexis Toussaint – Cape Breton Eagles 2023 (6th round, 99th overall)
Antoine Boudreau – Drummondville Voltigeurs 2022 (10th round, 171st overall)
Alexandre Raymond – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2023 (10th round, 171st overall)
Marc-Olivier Proteau – Shawinigan Cataractes 2023 (11th round, 191st overall)
Anthony Morin – Baie-Comeau Drakkar 2023 (11th round, 193rd overall)
Charles-Antoine Adam – Sherbrooke Phoenix 2022 (11th round, 195th overall)
Colin Brodeur – Halifax Mooseheads 2023 (13th round, 237th overall)
Zack Hansford – Shawinigan Cataractes 2023 (14th round, 245th overall)
Mavrik Duhaime – Cape Breton Eagles 2023 (14th round, 246th overall)