Eagles Top Wildcats to Finish First Half
QMJHL Cape Breton Eagles

Eagles Top Wildcats to Finish First Half

Published on December 18, 2025 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Cape Breton Eagles News Release


NOTES FROM THE GAME

- Tomas Lavoie's first career hat trick and a game winning, tie breaking goal in the final minute from Eliot Litalien paced the Cape Breton Eagles to a 4-3 victory over the Moncton Wildcats in Moncton. It was the final game of the first half of the season for both teams before the QMJHL's Chirstmas break.

- The Eagles finished the first half of the season by winning nine of their last ten games.

- Both Eliot and his brother Romain Litalien had two point nights in the Eagles victory.

- Connor Towle picked up the win, stopping 30 of 33 shots. Rudy Guimond took the loss after coming in in relief, stopping 12 of 13 shots. Jacoby Weiner was lifted from the Moncton goal after allowing three goals on 14 shots.

- The Eagles dressed just 17 skaters as forward Lucas Romeo was a late scratch due to illness.

- A scrum in the third period started by a hit by Eerik Wallenius resulted in ten minute misconducts to both Cape Breton's Hugo Charron & Moncton's Simon Binkley. Binkley & Wallenius were both given minor penalties, and Charron was given a double minor.

Moncton had the first crack to open the scoring on the power play, but the Wildcats power play was cut short when they were caught with too many men on the ice. The Eagles took advantage of their power play as Lavoie ripped a shot by Weiner through traffic for the game's first goal. The Cats would even the score late in the period, as a Tommy Bleyl point shot on a delayed Eagles penalty made it a 1-1 game.

The second period belonged to Lavoie. He surprised Weiner coming up the right wing in the opening three minutes of the frame to make it 2-1. Then a Lavoie blast on the power play before the eight minute mark spelled the end of the night for Weiner.

The Wildcats pushed back in the last eight minutes of the third period. A high shot from Niko Tourans went over Towle at the 12:42 mark, and then with less than three minutes to play, Bleyl fed Alex Mericer the puck and he blasted in the tying goal from the right faceoff circle.

However, the tie game wouldn't last long. With 57 seconds to play, Eliot LItalien cruised up the right wing and put the puck just under the crossbar above Guimond. After the ensuing centre ice faceoff, Guimond was able to get to the bench for an extra attacker but Moncton couldn't find another tying goal.

The Eagles, and the QMJHL, will head to the annual holiday break. League play resumes on Sunday, December 28th, when the Eagles host the same Wildcats featuring NHL drafted players Grayden Robertson-Palmer & Rudy Guimond (Detroit), Gabe Smith (Utah), Teddy Mutryn (San Jose), and Eerik Wallenius (Ottawa).

Puck drop is at 3 PM. Tickets can be purchased at https://shorturl.at/pvIfa 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

While waiting for the games to resume, the Cape Breton Eagles would like to wish all the great Eagles hockey fans a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy holiday season.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Tomas Lavoie (Cape Breton) 3 goals, 1 assist.

2. Niko Tournas (Moncton) 1 goal, +2, 5 shots

3. Connor Towle (Cape Breton) 30 saves on 33 shots

Scratches For Cape Breton: Blake Burke, Braeden Van Gelder, Samuel Boyer

Scratches For Moncton: Caleb Desnoyers (World Juniors), Dominki Necak

Final Shots On Goal: 33-27 in favour of Moncton

Cape Breton Power Play: 2/3

Moncton Power Play: 0/2

Check out the Cape Breton Eagles Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 18, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central