Eagles Double Sea Dogs for First Win of Season
Published on September 20, 2025 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Cape Breton Eagles News Release
NOTES FROM THE GAME
- Elliot Litalien scored twice and added two assists, Samuel Boyer scored his first two career goals as the Cape Breton Eagles topped the Saint John Sea Dogs 6-3 for their first win of the season.
- Xavier Daigle scored the opening goal for the Eagles. Romain Litalien & Lewis Gendron also helped pace the Cape Breton attack with three points each.
- Connor Towle picked up the win in goal in his QMJHL debut, stopping 33 of 36 shots. Justin Robinson took the loss, allowing four goals on 20 shots. Rafaël Courchesne, also making his debut stopped 16 of 17 in relief in addition to the the empty netter.
- Goaltender Jake Poirier was recalled by the Eagles to serve as the backup. Goaltender Félix Hamel was scratched by Cape Breton, allowing 20 year olds Gendron, Daigle, and Lucas Romeo to all see action.
- Eagles rookie Derek Andrews also made his QMJHL debut, recording an assist and winning four of six faceoffs.
Saint John outshot the Eagles 10-5 in the early going, but both Towle & Robinson stood strong. The Eagles took over the play in the last stretch of the period, and outshot the Sea Dogs 10-0 in the final stretch of the first frame. The Cape Breton pressure paid off in the form of two goals nine seconds apart- first Daigle scoring from the top of the crease, and then Eliot Litalien finished a pass from behind the net from Blake Burke to make it 2-0.
The lead was padded in the middle stanza when when Eliot Litalien fed a pass across the front of the goal to Boyer, whose first career goal came on the power play. On the next goalie, it was Eliot Litalien finishing a pass from his brother Romain and it spelled the end of the night for Robinson. The goaltending change may have sparked Saint John, at least temporarily, as Elliot Dubé found the back of the net and it was 4-1 at the end of the period.
Before the four minute mark of the third period, Boyer recorded his second of the night to make it 5-1. Saint John thought they had closed the gap with a Dylan Rozzi marker, but it was disallowed after a video review. The Sea Dogs scored for real less than a minute later, as Matthew Krayer blasted a shot off the left wing by Towle.
In the final six minutes, Saint John coach Travis Crickard elected to lift his goaltender Courchesne for an extra attacker. He returned to the net after Dube took a minor penalty. Not long after the penalty elapsed, Courchesne returned to the bench for an extra attacker and Dube notched his second goal of the game on a strange goal that saw the puck rise into the air before reaching the faceoff circles and then drop behind Towle.
With 53 seconds left following the goal, Courchesne stayed on the bench, but the gamble didn't pay off as Romain Litalien found the back of the net to make it a 6-3 score.
The Eagles will now head back to Cape Breton for home opening weekend against the Moncton Wildcats! The Eagles will host the defending league champions, boasting seven NHL drafted players, on Friday & Saturday at the Nest.
Puck drop is at 7 PM. Tickets can be purchased at https://shorturl.at/UAEwV They are also available for purchase in person at the Centre 200 box office and by the phone during box office hours at 902-564-2200
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Eliot Litalien (Cape Breton) 2 goals, 2 assists +4, 5 shots
2. Samuel Boyer (Cape Breton) 2 goals
3. Matthew Krayer (Saint John) 1 goal, 2 shots
Scratches For Cape Breton: Will Murphy (NHL camp), Tomas Lavoie (NHL camp), Felix Hamel, Sam Berthiuame, Rory Pilling, Sam Rocca
Scratches For Saint John: Everett Baldwin (NHL camp), Max Vilen, Alexis Gauthier, Jacob Bealieu
Final Shots On Goal: 38-36 in favour of Cape Breotn
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/4
Saint John Power Play: 0/3
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from September 20, 2025
- Shootout Victory in Home Opener - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Double Sea Dogs for First Win of Season - Cape Breton Eagles
- Islanders Look to Sweep Opening Weekend VS Halifax - Charlottetown Islanders
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