Blades tailoring junior hockey season towards hosting the big one this spring
By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 27, 2023 Edition
Hosting the 2024 Don Johnson Cup is unavoidably in the back of the Mount Pearl Junior Blades collective mind, but for now their eyes are set on winning the St. John’s Junior Hockey League championship again.
Blades president Wally O’Neill said the players are keenly aware of hosting the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships this coming spring, with all the duties and prestige that goes along with it, but ideally would like to go into the cup as league champions.
“The league this year is highly competitive with very balanced teams,” O’Neill said. “The team is focused on the season, the year, and the playoffs.”
He said head coach Adam Collins is preparing them over time for the level of competition that will be seen at the Don Johnson Cup.
“It will be high-caliber competition…the best of the best are coming,” O’Neill said. “While we need to focus on this year, we still understand the challenge and the type of team we’ll need to compete for the Don Johnson Cup.”
St. John’s Junior Hockey League Direction of Communications Nicholas Hillier has noticed an uptick in league attendance since the announcement that Mount Pearl will be hosting the Cup.
“It really adds a level of excitement,” said Hillier. “We’ve seen a noticeable increase in fans coming to the games.”
Hillier said having such a stretch of time between the announcement last year and the kickoff in 2024 gives the team ample time to prepare in different ways.
“It’s in every single one of their decisions, every single one of their trades, every single one of their draft picks, everyone single one of their roster moves, everything is so calculated in an attempt to get to the Don Johnson,” he said
Newfoundland last hosted the Don Johnson Cup in 2016, but the last time a team from this province actually won the cup was in 2009, when it bested the Sherwood Falcons in Bay Roberts.
The 2024 Don Johnson Cup will take place at the Glacier in Mount Pearl from April 23rd to the 28th.
League winners from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador will compete during the six-day competition.
The tournament's namesake, the late Don Johnson, was elected president of the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, the predecessor of Hockey NL, in 1966, and was president of the Canadian Hockey Association from 1975-1977.
If Mount Pearl doesn’t win the St. John’s league championship this year, the team that does will also get to play for the Cup at the Glacier. That would make for even more local fans in the stands, O’Neill allowed.
“We’re certainly hoping we’re going to get the momentum and get the fans out to come to the Glacier and take in some great junior hockey,” he said.
The Mount Pearl Blades are getting ready to host the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships this coming spring at The Glacier. Mount Pearl last hosted the prestigious tourney in 2003 and won the championship in 1986. In the meantime, the players, including from left to right, Sean Rodgers, Lucas White, Andrew Stamp, Evan Kennedy, and Jacob Payne, are also hoping to capture the St. John’s Junior Hockey League championship, which was won last year by the CBN Junior Stars. Submitted photo
Marie Hackett of the Mount Pearl Blades passes the puck as Joshua Veitch of the St. John's Caps skates determinedly close behind. The U11A exhibition game ended with a 4-4 tie last Saturday at the Glacier. Chad Feehan Photo
