The Séminaire Saint-François Blizzard won the Men’s National U18 Championship with a brace from Marc-Olivier Roy on Sunday afternoon at Stade L-P Gaucher.
The Capitale-Nationale club took the measure of the Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe 3-2 and thus became the first Quebec team to lift the title since 2001. It’s a sweet revenge for the Blizzard who bent their spine against the Gauls in the Champions Cup final.
Noah McKinnon scored the other goal for the winners. Raphaël Précourt was imperial and saved 42 shots, including one from close range with five minutes remaining, to confirm the club title.
Roy, who had not scored since the start of the tournament, proved to be the hero of the match by scoring the winning goal. He scored his first goal on a breakaway to give his team a 2-1 lead and then netted the winner a minute 46 seconds later with a shot from a face-off circle.
The Gauls were able to count in their ranks the two players tipped to be the first two picks of the next QMJHL draft in Caleb Desnoyers and Émile Guité.
Guité, who was voted Player of the Tournament, flashed the red light during the game. Dominic Pilote also hit the target on the home side. Rémi Cloutier stopped 28 shots.
This was the third Canadian championship final between two Quebec clubs.
