It’s ‘do or die’ on Friday night for the Cape Breton Eagles.
With a noisemaker on every seat at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S., the building should be loud as the team tries to stave off elimination from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs.
“A big game”, said Eagles play-by-play announcer Pat McNeil. “As I said, possibly the last time - we hope not - but possibly the last time we see the Eagles this year so I’m sure the fans will be out to support their team.”
The Eagles found themselves in a precarious position after a 4-0 loss Wednesday in Sydney against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar put them down three games to one in their best-of-seven first round series.
Fans said they didn’t expect the Eagles to face a knockout game this early, especially with the team expected to contend for a league championship when the season started.
“Yeah, there would certainly be a lot of disappointment”, McNeil said. “I would say there was a lot of expectations going into the year.”
In Bathurst, N.B., the Titan also face elimination Friday night – and relocation. One more loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens will send the team packing to St. John’s, N.L., ending a 27-year era in northern New Brunswick.
The team will relocate to St. John’s next season regardless of tonight’s outcome.
“I’ve been covering the Titan since the very first press conference back in the spring of ‘98”, said Peter Assaff, a longtime play-by-play announcer with the team.
Assaff said the team’s time in Bathurst included some lean years, but also a Memorial Cup win in 2018 and two QMJHL titles - in 2017 and 2018. The team’s first season in Bathurst was in 1998-99.
“We’ve had the opportunity to see Roberto Luongo play for our team”, Assaff said. “Patrice Bergeron. Noah Dobson. There’s a long list of NHLers.”
In Halifax, the Mooseheads are tied 2-2 in their series with the Drummondville Voltigeurs - Game 5 is set for Friday at Scotiabank Centre.
The Charlottetown Islanders are out - eliminated in four straight games by the Memorial Cup host team, Rimouski Oceanic.
The Moncton Wildcats are off to round two after sweeping the Quebec Remparts.
In Cape Breton, some fans said a loss on Friday should mean changes in the offseason.
“I definitely think any year that you don’t meet your goal, there should be questions asked”, McNeil said. “And what the answers are, that’s up to the people upstairs I guess.”
“To the folks in Newfoundland, we’re passing the torch”, Assaff said. “Take good care of it.”
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