Road to the 2018 TELUS Cup: NLMMHL
The Western Kings dominated the Newfoundland & Labrador Major Midget Hockey League, winning their first 18 and posting a +96 goal differential
PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS 1) Western Kings vs. 4) Tri Pen Osprey 2) St. John’s Maple Leafs vs. 3) East Coast Blizzard
FINAL STANDINGS (W-L-OTL) Western – 89 points (30-2-0) St. John’s – 65 points (21-9-2) East Coast – 39 points (14-17-1) Tri Pen – 34 points (12-17-3) Central – 13 points (3-25-4)
LEADING SCORERS Andrew Antle (Western) – 27G 30A 57P Regan Seymour (St. John’s) – 19G 24A 43P Ethan Stuckless (East Coast) – 25G 17A 42P Liam Smith (Western) – 21G 18A 39P David Hibbs (Tri Pen) – 18G 19A 37P
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE 2011 (St. John’s Privateers – sixth place)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES (since 1984) 8 (1986, 1989 (host), 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 (host))
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP none (best finish: bronze medal – St. John’s Maple Leafs, 2003; St. John’s Fog Devils, 2010)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS none
TOP REGULAR SEASON TEAM – WESTERN KINGS The NLMMHL has a new regular-season champion for the first time in three seasons. The Western Kings dominated from start to finish, opening with an 18-game winning streak and finishing with a massive 24-point cushion on second-place St. John’s. The Kings topped the NLMMHL at both ends of the ice, scoring 163 goals in 32 games while allowing just 69 for an eye-popping +96 goal differential. Western skaters dotted the list of top scorers, with scoring champion Andrew Antle (27G 30A) the first of eight Kings in the top 20, while goaltender Lucas Park was No. 1 in wins (17), goals-against average (1.97), save percentage (.926) and shutouts (3).