The Pictou County Majors have checked off all but one of their goals this season. After overcoming the obstacles sent their way, the Atlantic Region champions have built a strong bond and are looking to take their momentum into Saint-Hyacinthe.

Pictou County will compete in Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship for the first time since it played host in 1997, finishing the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League (NSU18MHL) regular season in first place before rolling through the playoffs. After defeating the rival Halifax Macs in the semifinals, a team that they knew they had to overcome, there was a growing sense of belief within the dressing room.

“Everybody we faced this postseason, from Sydney to Cole Harbour, the teams pushed us hard, but Halifax, we talked about it all year, our road to nationals would have to go through them and being able to get over that hump was an eye-opening moment for us to realize that we have something special here,” head coach Kyle MacLennan says.

After going 3-1 in the preliminary round at the Atlantic Regional to set up a showdown with the Moncton Flyers – the only to beat them in the prelims – in the final, the Majors conquered their demons once again. It took overtime, but the Majors dethroned the reigning national champions when Lane Lochead scored at 16:34 of the extra frame, sending Pictou County to Saint-Hyacinthe.

Lochead has led the charge all season for the Majors. Drafted 97th overall by the Cape Breton Eagles in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft, Lochead led the NSU18MHL in scoring during the regular season (55) and added 30 points in the postseason. But up and down the lineup, the Majors know they have what it takes to compete on the national stage.

“The guys believe in each other,” MacLennan says. “They have belief in their own abilities and their own expectations for themselves and hold each other accountable. All those tough situations this postseason and all those goals that we’ve conquered so far, that belief isn’t going to change heading into the national championships.”

The Majors open their Men’s U18 National Club Championship schedule against the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, the Central Region champions, on April 24.

HOW THEY GOT TO SAINT-HYACINTHE

Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Sydney Rush 3-1 (9-3, 7-1, 4-6, 7-2)
Semifinal: defeated Halifax Macs 3-1 (4-5, 7-6, 4-1, 3-2)
Final: defeated Cole Harbour Wolfpack 3-1 (7-2, 5-4, 2-4, 4-1)

Atlantic Regional
Preliminary round: 2-1-1 – second place (defeated Charlottetown Knights 6-5 OT, lost to Moncton Flyers 4-1, defeated Pinnacle Growlers 4-1, defeated Fredericton Caps 4-1)
Final: defeated Moncton Flyers 2-1 (OT)

REGULAR SEASON

Record: 27-6-2 (1st in NSU18MHL)
Goals for: 169 (1st in NSU18MHL)
Goals against: 100 (3rd in NSU18MHL)
Top 3 scorers:
- Lane Lochead – 19G 36A 55P (1st in NSU18MHL)
- Ben Wallace – 25G 25A 50P (5th in NSU18MHL)
- Lane Sim – 16G 29A 45P (9th in NSU18MHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 9-3
Goals for: 63
Goals against: 37
Top 3 scorers:
- Lane Lochead – 6G 24A 30O
- Aiden Tucker – 6G 15A 21P
- Lane Sim – 10G 10A 20P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

1997 – Pictou County Midgets | fifth place | 0-3-2 | 15GF 26GA

PLAYERS TO WATCH

COLBY BROWN
Calm and confident … elevated his game in postseason … gives us an opportunity to win each game

OWEN CONRAD
Mature beyond his years … poised and calm under pressure … stabilizes power play and blue line

LANE LOCHEAD
Big, strong kid … great leader … power play, penalty kill, he can do it all

QMJHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Lane Lochead – Cape Breton Eagles 2021 (6th round, 97th overall)
Dominic MacKenzie – Halifax Mooseheads 2022 (7th round, 119th overall)
Clint MacLaughlin – Shawinigan Cataractes 2022 (10th round, 178th overall)
Cade Moser - Halifax Mooseheads 2022 (13th round, 227th overall)