Wildcats were regular season's best

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The Moncton Wildcats have already won some hardware this season.

The Wildcats clinched the QMJHL's regular season title a few weeks ago, meaning they will be presented with the Jean Rougeau Trophy. It's just the second time the team has won the trophy with the other being in 2005-06 when they hosted the Memorial Cup.

Moncton finished the regular season with a 53-9-2-0 record for 108 points and a .844 winning percentage. For comparison, the 2010-11 Saint John Sea Dogs went 58-7-1-2 for 119 points (playing four more games) and a .875 winning percentage. 

The Wildcats also won the Robert Lebel Trophy (team with the best goals against average) and Luc Robitaille Trophy (team with the best goals for average).

The Sea Dogs won all three of those trophies when they won the Memorial Cup in 2011 as did the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013.

Moncton enters the playoffs having won 15 straight games. They'll play the Quebec Remparts in the opening round.

A few other Monday notes... 

• 17-year-old goaltender William Lacelle of the Rimouski Oceanic won the Jacques Plante Trophy for the QMJHL's best goals against average. From the league: "in his rookie season, Lacelle wins the Jacques Plante Trophy thanks to his 2.38 goals against average, a slight edge ahead of 20-year-old veteran Jacob Steinman (2.41) of the Halifax Mooseheads. Rimouski’s netminder completes his first season with a 27-5-1-2 record, a .909% save percentage and three shutouts."
• For the first time in program history, the Ottawa Gee-Gees are University Cup champions. The Gee-Gees defeated the Concordia Stingers 3-2 in Sunday's championship game at TD Place in Ottawa. Former Sea Dogs goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise allowed three goals on 14 shots in the loss.
• Ottawa entered the tournament as the eighth seed, having not played a game since Feb. 28. The hosts upset UNB on Thursday, TMU on Saturday and then ended things by holding off Concordia Sunday night. While it's become common for a host team to win the Memorial Cup after a long break, this is quite uncommon at the University Cup tournament.
• Along with Hurtubise, the Stingers included former Sea Dogs Nicholas Girouard, Christopher Inniss, Charles Savoie and Isiah Campbell.
• In Sunday afternoon's bronze medal game, Kevin Gursoy, Joseph Ianniello and the TMU Bold fell 4-1 to the Saskatchewan Huskies. Gursoy scored in the loss with Ianniello picking up an assist.
• Former QMJHL goaltender Francesco Lapenna of the Gee-Gees was named tournament MVP.

  🏒MHKY: Franky Lapenna of Ottawa is the Tournament MVP of the 2025 BioSteel U SPORTS University Cup!
  
  🏒HCKM: Franky Lapenna, d’Ottawa, est le Joueur par excellence du tournoi de la Coupe Universitaire U SPORTS BioSteel 2025 ! pic.twitter.com/oAFe06mcHv

  — U SPORTS Hockey (@USPORTS_Hockey) March 23, 2025

• The Gee-Gees are the first Ontario based team to win the University Cup since the Western Mustangs in 2002.
• In the MHL playoffs, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers completed the upset of the Summerside Western Capitals, winning the first round series in five games. The Western Capitals were the second best team in the regular season behind the Edmundston Blizzard.
• Heading into Monday's action, Amherst/Truro along with West Kent/Campbellton were both tied 2-2. Edmundston leads Miramichi 3-1.