Playoff fever hits Cape Breton as Eagles play first semifinal game in 17 years
Thursday night marked the first time since May 1, 2007, that the Cape Breton Eagles played in the third round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs.
The Eagles were set to face the league-leading Baie-Comeau Drakkar in a league semifinal series, with the first two games in Quebec.
In Cape Breton, at least five restaurants and bars organized watch parties, including the Steel City Sports Bar & Steakhouse just down the road from Centre 200 in Sydney – the team’s home arena.
"Well, we have two 10-foot screens and a bunch of TVs and we're going to put it on them all,” said Steel City owner Barkley Haddad, who added the team’s playoff run has been good for business. "They're calling for reservations for the tables. It's walk-in. On game nights, we won't even take reservations because it's just sold out. It's just crazy how busy it's been."
At the Telus Cup being held on Membertou First Nation, there was plenty of buzz about the Eagles, too.
"Tonight, we're going to watch it at Boston Pizza,” said Wes Stanford, one of four Eagles fans who have spent the postseason dressing up as referees during home games and pumping up the crowd. "I don't think I've been this nervous or anxious for a game since I was a little kid, when I was a Leafs fan - which I still am."
"We are definitely the underdog in the Quebec media, but I think the 20 players - they relish this underdog role,” added another Eagles fan, Brent Desveaux, inside the rink in Membertou. “I have no doubt this team is going to be very competitive against Baie-Comeau, and I don't think we should be surprised if we go ahead and beat them."
Longtime Eagle fans may still be haunted by the last time the team made it this far.
In 2007, the team's championship hopes were dashed by the Val d’or Foreurs in the league semifinal – a team that included future NHL stars Brad Marchand of Hammonds Plains, N.S., and Kris Letang.
In Baie-Comeau, it seems the team is aware of the excitement back home and knows they have sellout crowds waiting for them when the series shifts to Sydney for Games Three and Four on April 29 and 30.
"When we were coming back from Chicoutimi (after winning round two), everyone was talking about how fast the tickets were selling,” said Eagles play-by-play announcer Pat McNeil. “There's definitely chatter about all the places you can watch the game, and the players I think feel that support."
If the team pulls off the upset and wins the series against the Drakkar, it would be the first time they’d reach the final in its 27-year history.
"It would be ticker-tape time then, get the fire trucks out,” Haddad said. “They're performing like a well-oiled machine."
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.