Music: {allcanada} Saint John wins Memorial Cup

Sunday, May 29, 2011

{allcanada} Saint John wins Memorial Cup

Every dog has its day, and for the Saint John Sea Dogs their time arrived on Sunday evening.

The Sea Dogs became the first team situated in one of Canada's four Atlantic provinces to win the MasterCard Memorial Cup in the 93-year history of the major junior championship. The Quebec league winners survived a 3-1 nail-biter victory against the hometown Mississauga St. Michaels Majors at the Hershey Centre in the tournament final.

Before Saint John prevailed to win the final, the most easterly team to have won the junior crown was the Quebec Remparts in 2005-06 and 1970-71.

Saint John coach Gerard Gallant, a former Detroit Red Wings forward, went to the Memorial Cup final as a member of the Sherbrooke Castors, but lost to the Kitchener Rangers in the final.

The Majors made a third-period push for the equalizer, but Sea Dogs goalie Jacob DeSerres was spectacular. He redeemed himself with a 34-save performance after he surrendered nine goals for the Brandon Wheat Kings in a 9-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires in the final last year.

DeSerres calmly scooped up the puck at the final buzzer before he was swarmed by his celebrating teammates.

The Sea Dogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the game was 14 minutes old. Simon Despres, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect who played for the Canadian junior team, scored a shorthanded goal when he beat Majors goalie J.P. Anderson high on the stick side.

Saint John defenceman Zack Phillips, who likely will be taken in the first round of the NHL entry draft next month, put home a pass from 17-year-old Jonathan Huberdeau for the Sea Dogs' second goal.

The Majors pulled themselves close with a goal from Riley Brace late in the second period and were all around the Sea Dogs goal in the third period. But Huberdeau converted on a 2-on-1 break with less than minutes left.

While he coached a truly elite-level junior team, St. Michaels coach Dave Cameron was the losing coach in three different finals: the world junior gold medal final, the OHL final and the Memorial Cup final.