Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
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| Cape Breton Screaming Eagles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City: | Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| League: | Q.M.J.H.L. |
| Division: | Eastern |
| Founded: | 1997–98 |
| Home Arena: | Centre 200 |
| Colours: | Black, White, Gold & Grey |
| Head Coach: | Mario Durocher |
| General Manager: | Mario Durocher |
| Franchise history | |
| 1969–77: | Sorel Éperviers |
| 1977–79: | Verdun Éperviers |
| 1979–80: | Sorel/Verdun Éperviers |
| 1980–81: | Sorel Éperviers |
| 1981–95: | Granby Bisons |
| 1995–97: | Granby Prédateurs |
| 1997–Present: | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles |
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Before Cape Breton (1969–1997)
The franchise was granted to the Sorel Eperviers (Black Hawks) for the 1969-70 season. They moved from Sorel to Verdun in 1977 to become the Verdun Eperviers. In 1979 they played in both Sorel and Verdun before moving back to Sorel for the next season. In 1981 they moved to Granby to become the Granby Bisons, and in 1995 they changed their names to the Granby Prédateurs. In 1996, the Prédateurs won the Memorial Cup. In 1997 they moved to Sydney to become the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Prior to the Eagles' arrival, Sydney played host to the AHL's Cape Breton Oilers from 1988 to 1996.
[edit] Early years (1997–1999)
The Screaming Eagles' very first captain was Daniel Payette under coach Dany Dubé. They won just 19 games in their first season and finished second-last in their division. The following season saw the Screaming Eagles land a new coach, Bruce Campbell, however poor success continued as the club won just 22 games this season and finished third-last in their division. This was Campbell's only season with the Screaming Eagles as Pascal Vincent would become the new head coach that following October.
[edit] Vincent era (1999–2008)
Although the hiring of Vincent saw the Screaming Eagles finish with better results than the first two seasons, the success was still mediocre and the club remained one of the QMJHL's basement-dwellers. The Screaming Eagles attempted to strengthen their weak club by drafting Ilya Kovalchuk 10th overall in the 2000 CHL Entry Draft that following summer, however Kovalchuk declined to play. The club finally saw their best season in 2001-2002, when they reached the league's division final only to lose in 5 games to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
Unfortunately, on July 26th, 2003, former Screaming Eagles captain Trevor Ettinger committed suicide. Ettinger was only 23 at the time and was playing with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The offseason leading into the 2003-2004 season saw the Screaming Eagles stack their lineup with many NHL prospects, most of which came from a notorious "boomerang" trade with the Halifax Mooseheads. The Screaming Eagles finished first in their division this season, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
Unfortunately, several months later Screaming Eagles President Greg Lynch passed away. At the 2004 QMJHL Draft, the Screaming Eagles chose forward James Sheppard with the 1st overall pick. Sheppard helped the Screaming Eagles to two overachieving seasons in which they finished 3rd in their division each time. During the 2004-2005 season, the Screaming Eagles wore a shamrock patch on their jerseys with the letters "PGL" (Paul Gregory Lynch) in memory of their late president. The new president would be Paul MacDonald.
The 2006-2007 season saw the Screaming Eagles make their most successful run at the Memorial Cup to date. After a blockbuster trade that saw the team acquire Luc Bourdon, the Screaming Eagles went to the league's semifinal, this time losing in 7 games to the Val-d'Or Foreurs. With a crop of new, young players for the 2007-2008 season, many expected the Screaming Eagles to finish in the bottom of the league for the first time in years, but the team was surprisingly ranked 1st overall in the entire CHL for three straight weeks after a very strong start to the season and ended up finishing 4th in their division.
[edit] Vincent's departure and collusion accusations
Following the end of the 2007-2008 season, there were rumours that Vincent could possibly become the head coach and general manager of the Montreal Junior Hockey Club, the new QMJHL team based out Verdun, Quebec, despite the fact that his contract demanded he stayed with the Screaming Eagles for another year. Although Vincent quickly dismissed these rumours as false, on May 21st, 2008, Vincent violated the terms of his contract and signed a three-year deal with the Montreal club. After several weeks of speculation about whether there would be legal action, Vincent was allowed to remain with the Montreal club. The Screaming Eagles traded Neil Sherren (an 11th round pick from the 2007 draft) to Montreal and received a 3rd round draft pick in return. This is widely considered as the Screaming Eagles' compensation from Montreal, even though there are no official rules in place for such compensation to exist.
[edit] Durocher era (2008-present)
On May 28, 2008, it was announced that assistant coach Mario Durocher would take over the duties of head coach and general manager. Durocher is notable for being the head coach of Team Canada at the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Unfortunately, on May 29, 2008, former defenceman Luc Bourdon died in a tragic motorcycle accident.
[edit] Moosehead rivalry
A strong rivalry has also developed between the Screaming Eagles and the Halifax Mooseheads. Perhaps the most well known example of this being a series of ongoing bets between CB Mayor John W. Morgan and Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly. Such bets are made in the context of humor and good fun. [1]
[edit] Players
[edit] Current roster
| Goaltenders | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Catches | Position | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
| 31 |  |
Olivier Roy | L | G | 2007 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2010 | Amqui, Quebec |
| Defencemen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
| 2 | |
Mathieu Brodeur | L | D | 2007 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2008 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 4 | |
Kyle Mariani | R | D | 2006 Invitee | Free Agent | Toronto, Ontario |
| 5 | |
Spencer Corcoran | L | D | 2005 Invitee | Free Agent | Summerside, Prince Edward Island |
| 6 | |
Alex Lamontagne | R | D | Trade with BaC 2007 | Free Agent | Joliette, Quebec |
| 20 | |
Samuel Finn | L | D | 2007 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2009 | Trois-Rivières, Quebec |
| 22 | |
Olivier Dame-Malka | L | D | 2007 Invitee | Eligible 2008 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 25 |  |
Jan Piskacek | L | D | 2007 CHL Import Draft | Eligible 2008 | Czech Republic |
| 26 | |
Francis Meilleur | L | D | 2007 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2009 | Montreal, Quebec |
| Forwards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
| 7 | |
Chris Culligan (C) | L | C | 2004 QMJHL Draft | Free Agent | Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| 8 | |
Robert Slaney (A) | L | LW | 2005 QMJHL Draft | Free Agent | Carbonear, Newfoundland |
| 10 | |
Pierre-Olivier Payment | L | LW | Trade with Gat 2008 | Eligible 2008 | Saint-Jean, Quebec |
| 12 | |
Nick MacNeil | L | C | 2005 QMJHL Draft | Free Agent | Judique, Nova Scotia |
| 14 | |
Nicholas Chouinard | R | C | 2006 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2009 | Matane, Quebec |
| 17 | |
Murdock MacLellan | R | RW | Trade with Mon 2008 | Free Agent | Mabou, Nova Scotia |
| 18 | |
Vincent Lavigueur | L | C | Trade with Gat 2008 | Free Agent | Saint-Eustache, Quebec |
| 19 | |
Jérémy Gouchie | R | RW | 2006 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2008 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 21 | |
Philippe Fontaine | L | LW | 2007 QMJHL Draft | Eligible 2009 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| 27 | |
Joey Haddad | L | RW | Trade with PEI 2007 | Free Agent | Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| ' | |
Michael Stinziani | L | RW | Trade with Gat 2008 | Free Agent | Montreal, Quebec |
[edit] NHL alumni
[edit] NHL 1st round draft picks
- 2003 NHL Entry Draft - Marc-Andre Fleury #1 Overall (Pittsburgh Penguins)
- 2006 NHL Entry Draft - James Sheppard #9 Overall (Minnesota Wild)
[edit] Retired numbers
- #29 - Marc-Andre Fleury
[edit] Award winners
|
CHL Scholastic Player of the Year
Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
|
|
[edit] Season-by-season record
- Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (1997–Present)[2]
[edit] Regular season
- OL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss, Pct = Winning percentage
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OL | SL | Points | Pct | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 70 | 19 | 46 | 5 | – | – | 43 | 0.307 | 211 | 295 | 6th, Dilio |
| 1998–99 | 70 | 22 | 44 | 4 | – | – | 48 | 0.343 | 226 | 272 | 6th, Dilio |
| 1999–00 | 72 | 24 | 39 | 3 | 6 | – | 57 | 0.396 | 230 | 302 | 3rd, Maritimes |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 30 | 37 | 4 | 1 | – | 65 | 0.451 | 270 | 292 | 2nd, Maritimes |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 38 | 20 | 10 | 4 | – | 90 | 0.625 | 286 | 224 | 3rd, Maritimes |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 21 | 37 | 9 | 5 | – | 56 | 0.389 | 200 | 268 | 4th, Maritimes |
| 2003–04 | 70 | 49 | 16 | 2 | 3 | – | 103 | 0.736 | 273 | 164 | 1st, Atlantic |
| 2004–05 | 70 | 32 | 27 | 8 | 3 | – | 75 | 0.536 | 206 | 195 | 3rd, Atlantic |
| 2005–06 | 70 | 40 | 23 | – | 3 | 4 | 87 | 0.621 | 236 | 206 | 3rd, Eastern |
| 2006–07 | 70 | 46 | 22 | – | 2 | 0 | 94 | 0.671 | 308 | 200 | 2nd, Eastern |
| 2007–08 | 70 | 40 | 24 | – | 3 | 3 | 86 | 0.614 | 242 | 230 | 4th, Eastern |
[edit] Playoffs
- 1997-1998: Lost 4-0 in division quarterfinals to Quebec Remparts
- 1998-1999: Lost 4-1 in division quarterfinals to Acadie-Bathurst Titan
- 1999-2000: Lost 4-0 in conference quarterfinals to Quebec Remparts
- 2000-2001: Lost 4-1 in conference semifinals to Acadie-Bathurst Titan
- 2001-2002: Lost 4-1 in conference finals to Acadie-Bathurst Titan
- 2002-2003: Lost 4-0 in conference quarterfinals to Halifax Mooseheads
- 2003-2004: Lost 4-1 in league quarterfinals to Chicoutimi Sagueneens
- 2004-2005: Lost 4-1 in league quarterfinals to Gatineau Olympiques
- 2005-2006: Lost 4-0 in division semifinals to Acadie-Bathurst Titan
- 2006-2007: Lost 4-3 in league semifinals to Val-d'Or Foreurs
- 2007-2008: Lost 4-1 in division semifinals to Halifax Mooseheads
[edit] Team records
| Team Records For A Single Season | ||
| Statistic | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Most Points | 103 | 2003-2004 |
| Least Points | 43 | 1997-1998 |
| Most Wins | 49 | 2003-2004 |
| Most Goals For | 308 | 2006-2007 |
| Least Goals For | 200 | 2002-2003 |
| Least Goals Against | 164 | 2003-2004 |
| Most Goals Against | 302 | 1999-2000 |
| Highest Pct. | 0.714 | 2003-2004 |
| Individual Player Records For A Single Season | |||
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Goals | Cam Fergus | 53 | 2006-2007 |
| Most Assists | Dominic Noel, James Sheppard | 63 | 2001-2002, 2006-2007 |
| Most Points | Dominic Noel | 105 | 2001-2002 |
| Most Points (Rookie) | James Sheppard | 45 | 2004-2005 |
| Most Points (Defenceman) | Jean-Claude Sawyer | 77 | 2006-2007 |
| Most Penalty Minutes | Pascal Morency | 596 | 2001-2002 |
| Most Wins (Goaltender) | Martin Houle | 34 | 2003-2004 |
| Best GAA (Goaltender) | Martin Houle | 2.32 | 2003-2004 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Mayor Kelly Challenges Mayor Morgan", Halifax Regional Municipality, April 3, 2003.
- ^ Cape Breton Screaming Eagles season-by-season record on www.hockeydb.com
