Jason LaRose
When in doubt, score a goal. Sounds simple enough, right?
It certainly worked for the Braves de Valleyfield, who will bring the highest-scoring offence in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) to their first appearance at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.
The Braves averaged almost six goals per game in the regular season, potting 283 in 48 games (an average of 5.90 a game). They were one of just three CJHL teams to cross the five-goals-a-game threshold, joining a pair of Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) rivals, Longueuil (5.15) and Beauce-Appalaches (5.08).
Valleyfield’s offensive success was helped in no small part by its lethal power play; it converted at a 35.2% clip, scoring more than a quarter of its goals (75 of 283) with the man advantage.
James Swan and Nathan Lévesque were the dynamic duo up front, finishing one-two in LHJAAAQ scoring with 89 points apiece. Swan was the trigger man, scoring 58 goals (no one else in the league reached 40), while Lévesque piled up 72 assists (no one else had more than 55).
How good were the Braves’ top scorers? Samuel Fréchette was third in team scoring; his 56 points were 33 less than Swan and Lévesque, good for 24th in the LHJAAAQ.
But the road to Calgary was not all red lights and goal songs; Valleyfield was tested in its run through the LHJAAAQ, needing seven games to dispatch Granby in the semifinals (although the 13-3 win in Game 7 was about as emphatic as they come) and facing a 2-2 series in the league final with Longueuil before finishing things off in six games.
Next comes a chance for history; only once in the first 52 editions of Canada’s National Junior A Championship has a team from La Belle Province reached the championship game – the 1993 Élites de Châteauguay.
HOW THEY GOT TO CALGARY
Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec
Quarterfinal: defeated Panthères de Saint-Jerome 4-0 (4-1, 5-2, 6-1, 8-3) Semifinal: defeated Indigo de Granby 4-3 (6-4, 3-5, 5-3, 8-4, 4-5 OT, 1-2, 13-3) Final: defeated Collège Français de Longueuil 4-2 (4-3, 7-3, 3-9, 2-6, 8-5, 3-1)
REGULAR SEASON
Record (W-L-OTL): 37-9-2 (1st in LHJAAAQ) Goals for: 283 (1st in LHJAAAQ) Goals against: 189 (7th in LHJAAAQ) Power play: 75 for 213 (35.2% – 1st in LHJAAAQ) Penalty killing: 164 of 223 (73.5% – 10th in LHJAAAQ) Longest winning streak: 15 (Jan. 16-March 6)
Top 3 scorers: • James Swan – 58G 31A 89P (1st in LHJAAAQ) • Nathan Lévesque – 17G 72A 89P (2nd in LHJAAAQ) • Samuel Fréchette – 25G 31A 56P (24th in LHJAAAQ)
PLAYOFFS
Record: 12-5 Goals for: 90 Goals against: 60 Power play: 20 for 65 (30.8%) Penalty killing: 53 of 71 (74.7%)
Top 3 scorers: • Vincent Gauthier – 15G 11A 26P • Nathan Lévesque – 8G 18A 26P • Zachary Larocque – 12G 11A 23P
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
First appearance
COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS
None
CJHL TOP 20 RANKINGS
Sept. 30 – 18th Oct. 7 – 15th Oct. 14 – 10th Oct. 21 – 15th Oct. 28 – 11th Nov. 4 – 15th Nov. 11 – 10th Nov. 18 – 15th Nov. 25 – 16th Dec. 2 – 17th Dec. 9 – 16th Dec. 16 – 18th Dec. 23 – 18th Jan. 6 – 16th Jan. 13 – 16th Jan. 20 – 18th Jan. 27 – 18th Feb. 3 – 13th Feb. 10 – 12th Feb. 17 – 12th Feb. 24 – 10th March 3 – 9th March 10 – 12th