Saturday News & Notes: Foreurs advance

Jonathan Roy/QMJHL

Maxim Cajkovic and the Val-d'Or Foreurs have advanced to the President Cup final.

The Foreurs completed a sweep of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Thursday night, winning Game 3 by a final of 6-3. Second-seeded Val-d'Or outscored third-seeded Chicoutimi 15-7 in the best-of-five series.

Val-d'Or is now a perfect 9-0 this post-season. This is the club's first trip to the QMJHL final since winning the President Cup in 2014.

One team that has never appeared in the President Cup final is the Charlottetown Islanders. The top-seeded Isles are one win away from making the trip following a 4-3 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres on Friday, giving the Maritimes Division champions a 2-1 series lead heading into Sunday's Game 4.

Game 5, if needed, will take place on Tuesday.

All semifinal games and the President Cup final are being played at Quebec City's Videotron Centre.

A few other bits of news:

• Maxim Cajkovic, the lone former Sea Dog remaining the QMJHL playoffs, recorded three goals and an assist in Val-d'Or's series win over Chicoutimi. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect now has seven goals and five assists in nine playoff games.
• Even if the Islanders don't make it out of this round, what a run this franchise is having. This is the club's third trip to the semifinals since the 2017 playoffs. They were eliminated in both the 2017 and 2018 semis by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
• If you thought this year's QMJHL calendar was funky: the ECHL is still playing regular season games until June 5. Former Sea Dog Cedric Pare, playing with the Utah Grizzlies, sits sixth in ECHL rookie scoring with 14 goals and 34 points in 59 games.
• Gerard Gallant, Mike Kelly and Team Canada are off to a rough start at the IIHF World Championship, falling 2-0 to host Latvia on Friday. Canada faces the United States on Sunday.
• The Fredericton Red Wings clinched the MHL's Eastlink North Division title on Wednesday, defeating the Miramichi Timberwolves 3-2 in overtime. That's as far as the MHL playoffs will go this season due to COVID reasons.
• Vladislav Kotkov did not dress in the San Jose Barracuda's Pacific Division semifinal Game 1 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday. Tomas Jurco had an assist for the Knights. Game 2 is on Sunday.
• In the other Pacific Division semifinal, Ostap Safin had one shot in the Bakersfield Condors 5-3 Game 1 loss to the San Diego Gulls. Game 2 is on Sunday.
• Some big WHL news: Garry Davidson is out as general manager of the Everett Silvertips in what sounds like a cost cutting move. Everett has been one of the CHL's most consistent franchises over the past decade. "In the past seven regular seasons, Everett has finished atop the U.S. Division on five occasions and has been second twice," writes Gregg Drinnan. "The Silvertips lost out in the WHL’s championship final in 2018."
• Get the vaccine.