In an unlikely tournament run, the Saint John Sea Dogs have earned a spot in the Memorial Cup final, effectively putting skeptics on notice.
After being eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs, questions were raised about the team’s chances at the 2022 Memorial Cup.
However, the Sea Dogs excelled in the round-robin game to earn a bye to the finals. Despite their recent success, gamers continue to embrace the underdog title.
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“I don’t think we have any pressure. We are losers, we will probably still be losers in the final, so there is no pressure for that. We can’t wait to play,” Sea Dogs forward William Dufour told Global News on Monday.
The 20-year-old scored four goals in the team’s Saturday afternoon matchup in which the Sea Dogs erased a three-goal deficit to defeat the Shawinigan Cataractes.
According to Saint John Sea Dogs President Trevor Georgie, the Saint Johners will probably remember the thrilling win for years.
“They’ve competed, and I mean the game the other night, I think for the fans, and everyone in attendance will be remembered for a long time,” Georgie said.
Georgie, the architect for the Sea Dogs team, acknowledged that front office work is a thankless job with no other banner in the rafters.
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However, win or lose, Mississauga, Ontario. The native said that given the impact the tournament has had on the city, it will go down in history as a success.
“We are having trouble keeping any Sea Dogs merchandise in stock. The city is abuzz, a lot of these businesses have had a hard time with the pandemic and seeing how many businesses have been generated for this, we are very, very proud, “said Georgie.
Who the Sea Dogs will play in the final is still unknown, and will be determined based on the game between Shawinigan and the Hamilton Bulldogs.
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Tickets for Wednesday night’s game at TD Station are believed to be sold out.
A win would make the Sea Dogs the first host team since 2017 to win the Cup and add a second Memorial Cup championship flag to the organization’s rafters.
While they’ve shown they deserve a spot in the finals, Dufour, the 2021-22 QMJHL MVP, knows they’ll still be seen as underdogs, and he’s okay with that.
“I’m pretty sure everyone is going to say the other team (is the favourite), but I want to say it’s a game, we’re going to give everything to take the cup home for sure.”
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Reference-globalnews.ca