The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s protected environment bubble has burst in Quebec.
On Wednesday, the league announced four active cases of COVID-19 were discovered within the Victoriaville Tigres organization during testing inside the protective environment in Chicoutimi.
The Tigres left the protected bubble and all players and staff are in mandatory 14-day isolation to limit the spread of the virus in their community.
Last weekend, Victoriaville played the host Chicoutimi Saguenéens twice. As a result, the Saguenéens have also been placed in 14-day isolation for precautionary measures. The Chicoutimi team had no positive test results as of press time.
The league has now announced the postponement of the remaining four days of the Chicoutimi bubble. The games are expected to be rescheduled.
Although the names of the players and/or staff who tested positive won’t be released, former Cape Breton Eagles players Brooklyn Kalmikov and Shawn Element are members of the Tigres organization.
It was only a matter of time before there were cases in the protective environment. The QMJHL has done a great job in preparing the environments and keeping players safe, but the league can only do so much.
This shouldn’t be a reflection on the league and its effort to keep players and teams playing. The protective environment has been an overall success and one incident shouldn’t draw criticism.
Meanwhile, the league doesn’t anticipate a protective environment location for Maritime teams with Cape Breton, Charlottetown and Halifax already playing. But what happens if Bathurst, Moncton and Saint John can’t play for another month? We shall see.
QMJHL HONOURS
Sticking with the QMJHL, a pair of Cape Breton connections received recognition on Wednesday.
River Denys’ Colten Ellis of the Charlottetown Islanders was named the league’s goaltender of the month for January after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a 0.50 goals-against-average and a .982 save percentage.
The 20-year-old is currently tied for seventh on the QMJHL’s all-time shutout list with 13 over his four-year career in the league.
Ellis, a St. Louis Blues prospect, was also named to the QMJHL team of the week on Monday.
Meanwhile, former Cape Breton Eagle Mathias Laferriere of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada was named the league’s forward of the month for January.
The 20-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect had five goals and eight points in four games during the month. He was acquired by the Armada in October from Cape Breton.
WAITING GAME
Turning to local headlines, despite the return of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League as of Jan. 25, one Cape Breton team has elected to play the waiting game to resume action.
The Strait Pirates have decided not to return to the ice until provincial COVID-19 restrictions are loosened, allowing spectators inside the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre for games.
The Pirates' magic number of fans is set at 200 and the organization was hopeful the province would ease restrictions on Friday, setting up for a return to play next week.
Provincial officials were expected to hold a COVID-19 briefing Friday afternoon, prior to this column's press deadline. Restrictions, as of press deadline, were set to expire on Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
Running a junior hockey team — whether it’s junior ‘A’, junior ‘B’ or junior ‘C’ — is expensive. Not having fans inside the rink plays havoc on the financial aspects of operations and it’s understandable why the Pirates have chosen to wait out the storm.
The Kameron Jr. Miners and Eskasoni Eagles are playing games without spectators for the time being.
MLS CONNECTION
Major League Soccer fans in Cape Breton may have a new team to cheer for this season.
The Houston Dynamo recently signed winger Tyler Pasher, the grandson of the late Neil and Jeanette (Springall) Pasher of New Waterford, for the 2021 season.
Pasher, who was born in Ontario, was acquired by Houston from the Indy Eleven last month and later signed with the team.
The 26-year-old had 23 goals and six assists in 50 games with the Eleven. He potted 10 goals and two assists in 15 games in 2020 and is a former Canadian youth international.
During his journey to the professional ranks, Pasher had stints with PS Kemi of Finland in 2013 and was with the Swope Park Rangers, the MLS affiliate of Sporting KC in 2017, before joining the Eleven.
Pasher joins a revamped Dynamo attack this season following the departures of Mauro Mantoas and Alberth Elis last year. Darwin Quintero, Christian Ramirez, Mateo Bajamich and Ariel Lassiter also headline the Houston club’s offence this year.
NEARING TO RETIRE
Sticking with soccer-related items, Pat Nearing will retire as the assistant athletic director at Dalhousie University in May.
Nearing, who retired from coaching the school’s men’s soccer program in 2019 after 21 years, will step away from his position with the Halifax-based school after nearly 30 years in university athletics.
Nearing first began his administrative career in 1993 as the athletic director at TUNS (Technical University of Nova Scotia) after 12 years as a physical education teacher. TUNS amalgamated with Dalhousie University in 1997.
He guided the men’s soccer program at TUNS for 17 years before finishing his final 21 years with the Tigers program.
Nearing has family connections to both Glace Bay and New Waterford.
Best of luck in the future, Pat.
PROVINCIAL AWARD
A former Cape Breton Eagle forward has been nominated for one of Prince Edward Island’s top sporting honours.
Stephen Anderson was named a finalist for the island’s Synergy Fitness and Nutrition Intercollegiate male athlete of the year award for 2020.
Along with Anderson, former Gatineau Olympique and Charlottetown Islander Kameron Kielly of Charlottetown (UPEI) as well as wrestler Ligrit Sadiku of Summerside (Brock University) are up for the award.
The 26-year-old Anderson, who played 24 games with the Eagles during the second half of the 2014-15 season, suited up last season with the New Brunswick Reds of the Atlantic University Sport, posting 13 goals and 32 points in 30 games.
The Morell, P.E.I., native is currently playing with DVTK Jegesmedvék in the Slovakia league.
The winner will be announced on Feb. 24.
Best of luck, Andy.
ISLAND RAMPAGE
Cheer Nova Scotia has announced new dates for the annual Island Rampage event in Cape Breton.
The cheerleading competition, hosted by Premier Cheerleading All-stars, was originally scheduled for this month at Centre 200 in Sydney, however, the competition is now set for April 10-11 at the Sydney venue.
In other cheerleading news, Cheer Nova Scotia confirmed it has extended its season until the end of May — likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The provincial competitions are now slated for May 29-30 at the Halifax Exhibition Centre.
More information surrounding the Island Rampage event is expected to be released at a later date.
WINTER BIKE MONTH
For the bicycling enthusiasts on the island, February is winter biking month.
This year’s International Winter Bike to Work Day is scheduled for today and Sunday.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are encouraged to ride neighbourhood bike loops rather than the traditional bike to work.
Meanwhile, Halifax is hosting a Bike Minds virtual event next Thursday. For more information on the event, visit cyclehalifax.ca.
FORMER EAGLE NEWS
Catching up with former Cape Breton Eagle player news this week, forward J.C. Campagna is having no luck sticking with a team for the 2020-21 season.
The 27-year-old originally signed with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, but in December the team opted out for the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Campagna later inked a deal with the Toledo Walleye, but like the Admirals, decided to opt out in early January, leaving the Dallas, Texas, native without a team.
Last week, the Cape Breton Post reported Campagna had joined the Florida Everblades. Today, he’s without a team again after the Everblades released him earlier this week.
What’s happening?
Meanwhile, forward Joseph Mizzi has found a new home. He joined the Odense Bulldogs in Denmark earlier this week and has since played one game with the team.
Mizzi, who suited up for the Eagles in four games during the 2016-17 campaign, began the 2020-21 season with Fassa in Italy where he had 13 goals and 24 points in 19 games.
Forward Alexandre Lavoie has taken his talents to Sweden for the remainder of the season.
The 28-year-old has joined HC Vita Hästen and has posted two goals and five points in three games.
Lavoie joined the Swedish club after being suspended and removed from the ECHL’s Allen Americans roster last week.
The Cape Breton Post contacted the Americans to find out why Lavoie was suspended. The team acknowledged the request but didn’t provide a statement on the suspension as of press time.
Finally, former Eagles goaltending prospect Jacob LeBlanc signed with the Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League this week.
The 18-year-old LeBlanc was an eighth-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2018 and was traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in a deal for Black Rock, Victoria County product Jarrett Baker in June 2019.
LeBlanc was serving as the Voltigeurs backup goaltender to Anthony Morrone last season and Francesco Lapenna this year but wasn’t happy with his role.
The Dieppe, N.B., native didn’t report to Drummondville after the Christmas break and requested general manager Philippe Boucher trade him. Unfortunately, Boucher was unable to accommodate his request by Jan. 25.
ACHIEVEMENT ANNIVERSARIES
Here are this week’s Cape Breton high school sports championship anniversaries. Watch for more in next week’s edition.
25th Anniversary (1996):
• Breton Education Centre boys Division 1 soccer provincial championship
• Margaree Forks boys Division 2 volleyball provincial championship
• Mabou girls Division 2 volleyball provincial championship
• Inverness girls Division 3 volleyball provincial championship
• Cabot High School Division 4 boys volleyball provincial championship
20th Anniversary (2001):
• Richmond Academy boys Division 2 hockey provincial championship
• Baddeck Academy boys Division 3 hockey provincial championship
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