Voltigeurs win Gilles-Courteau Trophy

TSN

For the first time since 2009, the Drummondville Voltigeurs are champions of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The Voltigeurs completed a sweep of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Tuesday night with a 4-3 win. The victory gives the Volts the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and a spot in the Memorial Cup.

The Volts winning the QMJHL title doesn't come as a huge surprise. They loaded up this year and finished the regular season with the second best record. The surprise was how they handled the Drakkar, the league's top team all year, with ease.

A 15-year wait ends! @VoltigeursDRU are @QMJHL champions again! 🏆#RoadtoMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/7plM9gMpzy

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 15, 2024

With the exception of Game 2 that needed overtime, Drummondville had little trouble with Baie-Comeau. The Volts outscored the high powered Drakkar 16-5 with almost all of Baie-Comeau's goals coming in the final two games when they were already out of reach.

Veteran defenseman Vsevolod Komarov was named playoff MVP. Other strong candidates for the Guy Lafleur Trophy were forward Ethan Gauthier and goaltender Riley Mercer.

Another standout for the Voltigeurs was Saint John native Sam Oliver, who finished the series with three goals – two of which came in Tuesday's clinching game.

The Volts also feature former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Noah Reinhart, who was held pointless in the series.

Thanks to the sweep, Drummondville has plenty of time to prepare for the Memorial Cup. Their first game will be Saturday, May 25 against the Ontario Hockey League champion.

A few other news and notes...

• Former Sea Dogs forward Charlie Coyle and the Boston Bruins have forced a Game 6 in their second round playoff series with the Florida Panthers. Coyle recorded an assist in 19:09 of ice time in Boston's 2-1 win on Tuesday.
• At the IIHF World Championship, Raivis Ansons and Latvia improved to 3-0 thanks to a 2-0 win over Kazakhstan. Ansons played just 4:17 in the game. Latvia plays Germany on Wednesday.
• At the Centennial Cup, the Miramichi Timberwolves defeated the Winkler Flyers 3-2 in a shootout in their final game of preliminary round play. The Timberwolves had already locked up a spot in the elimination round.
• In the OHL final, the London Knights carry a 3-0 series lead over the Oshawa Generals heading into Wednesday's Game 4.
• Game 3 of the WHL final took place Tuesday night in Moose Jaw. The Warriors carried a 2-0 series lead over the Portland Winterhawks heading into the game.