The Shawinigan Cataracts are the 2012 Mastercard Memorial Cup Champions, winning the title in stunning and enduring fashion last week, climaxing the championship with a 2-1 victory over the Ontario Hockey League Champion London Knights.
It’s been well documented since 1984, that I’m not a huge fan of the host team winning the title when they haven’t earned the right to compete in a National Championship by winning their league title.
I still feel that way, but by the same token, you have to admit, Shawinigan showed championship mettle.
The Cataractes went 1 & 2 in the round robin, their sole victory an upset of the Knights, which gave them a spot in the tiebreaker game against a fading Edmonton Oil Kings team.
Shawinigan scored early and often and eliminated the Oil Kings.
The following night, playing their third game in 3 nights, Shawinigan avenged an earlier loss to the defending champions from St John, scrambling for 7-4 verdict and a trip to the final against the Knights who were off for most of 5 days.
It took London 5 minutes to open the scoring but that was all they got.
In an entertaining championship, Shawinigan tied it up in the 2nd and then won it late in overtime on Anton Zlobin’s 2nd goal of the game.
Whether I like the format and the host element or not, there can be no denying that in the last week of the Junior Hockey season, Shawinigan was a deserving champion.
I’m Fred Wallace