UQTR looks for Queen’s Cup return, while rival McGill stands in their way
Toronto, Ont. (via 49 Sports / Ben Steiner) - In many ways, the matchup is a clash of an up-and-coming team against a program back in a familiar spot. Yet, that’s anything but the case in the 2024 OUA East Final.
With the UQTR Patriotes and McGill Redbirds set to clash in the Queen’s Cup semifinal, they do so in different yet similar timelines of team development. While the Patriotes are the two-time defending OUA champions and have landed on the University Cup podium the last two seasons, including their 2022 championship run, they are a much different team than previous iterations, featuring 15 rookies on the roster.
Meanwhile, the Redbirds enter with some experience from a 2022 run to OUA fourth place, just missing out on a U Cup berth by one game; with those players coming into the series with a chip on their shoulder, aided by fresh talent, many of whom have years of eligibility remaining.
Both teams landed in the top two of a highly competitive OUA East Division this season, with McGill posting a record of 21-5-1 to finish atop the division. In contrast, UQTR finished second with a 21-6-0 season, led by veterans showing the OUA ropes to an abundance of first years.
The two teams drop the puck Wednesday in Montreal before travelling to Trois Rivières for Game 2 on Friday night, with the potential of a deciding third game on Sunday back on McGill’s campus.
UQTR won three of the five clashes between the two teams this season, and in their heated battles, had significant penalty minutes and hard-checking games, leading to what could be a passion-filled semifinal series, with the rivalry between two of Quebec’s top hockey schools going head-to-head.
It’s a rivalry that brims not just from those who have experienced it before among the players, but right from the benches, with both head coaches, McGill’s David Urquhart and Patriotes’ head coach Marc-Etienne Hubert, having played for their respective teams in the past.
Despite the lengthy history between the two teams, it’s a new series and one likely to see familiar faces play critical roles, with UQTR’s veteran duo of goaltender Alexis Gravel and forward Simon Lafrance hitting their stride as they approach the end of their U SPORTS hockey careers.
Lafrance, the OUA’s leading scorer in the past two seasons, has carved himself a niche clutch-player moniker with UQTR, coming up with big goals when his team needs it most. Although the overtime winner to win the 2022 U Cup stands out, his most recent marker was the lone goal in a 1-0 Game 3 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA East semifinal -- bringing UQTR to this point.
In the regular season, LaFrance posted 25 goals and 45 points, with his UQTR career total now up to 80 goals and 169 points in 126 games.
At the same time, Gravel has regained the rhythm that has seen him play as one of the OUA’s top netminders throughout his career and enters the series with a .952 save percentage through the opening round against Ottawa.
In the bigger picture, UQTR has several threats outside of the duo, with Conor Frenette and Felix Lafrance also on their top line, both scoring above a point-per-game this season. On the back end, veteran blueliner David Noel continued to thrive as one of the best two-way defencemen in the conference.
While the Patriotes bring a winning edge and recent history within their program, they take on a McGill team that won’t be an easy challenge, given the likes of William Rouleau, Eric Uba, Brandon Frattaroli, and Zach Gallant, a former AHL player with San Jose, all scoring above a point-per-game this season.
Meanwhile, Scott Walford anchors the blueline, a dynamic defenceman who comes into the series in full health after missing parts of the first half of the season. With his 20 assists, 11 of which from the power play, he’s undoubtedly one of the OUA’s best two-way blueliners.
With immense top-tier talent on both teams and a heated rivalry, the series could also come down to special teams. In that battle, McGill has a clear advantage, with an OUA-best 34 percent powerplay, alongside their OUA-leading penalty kill of 89 percent.
It’s never a dull moment when the Patriotes and Redbirds meet, and the 2024 Queen’s Cup semifinal will not be any different, especially considering the series presents the last games at home for either team regardless of the result, and a chance to say farewell to their home fans before chasing a Queen’s Cup and University Cup in Ontario.
