MacAulay And Moose Win Memorial Cup

The Halifax Mooseheads are 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions.

The Mooseheads won their first national championship with a very entertaining 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday night in Saskatoon.

The win keeps the Memorial Cup in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for a third straight year. It’s also just the second time a team from Atlantic Canada has won the historic trophy following the Saint John Sea Dogs’ win in 2011.

There are a few Sea Dogs connections on this year’s Mooseheads. Most notably is forward Stephen MacAulay who capped off one of the greatest junior hockey careers ever. MacAulay became the first player to ever play in four President Finals, win three President Cups, and win two Memorial Cups in his career.

Mooseheads assistant general manager Bob ‘Tipper’ Leblanc, a former Sea Dogs GM, and assistant coach Jim Midgley, a former Dogs assistant, are the other connections.

Nathan MacKinnon had a hat trick and two assists in the game. Konrad Abeltshauser had two goals and Martin Frk one. Jonathan Drouin had five assists. Zach Fucale made 40 stops in the victory.

The game itself was a good one. As usual, it didn’t start until 8:30 Atlantic time due to Sportsnet’s “analysis” and the pre-game stuff at the rink. After a successfully sung American and Canadian national anthem, the game began.

The Mooseheads led 3-0 after one thanks to goals from Abeltshauser, MacKinnon and Frk. But Portland stormed back in the second period with Nicolas Petan and Seth Jones scoring. The ‘Hawks, who also had a goal disallowed in the frame, outshot the Moose 18-6 in the middle stanza.

After the annual "Shoot for a Million" thing and an incredibly long intermission, the third period started. MacKinnon scored a huge goal at 7:36 to make it 4-2 Moose. Abeltshauser scored his second at 11:11 to make it 5-2. But Portland would come back and it was a one-goal game heading into the final minute. MacKinnon would seal the deal at 19:37 with an empty netter.

MacKinnon finished the tournament with seven goals and six assists in four games. He was named tournament MVP.

What a year for the Mooseheads. Without question one of the best seasons this league has ever seen.

And so ends the 2012-13 Canadian Hockey League season. Is it September yet?