Moncton Wildcats coach Gardiner MacDougall seeks yet another trophy at Memorial Cup
One thing is crystal clear when you look at Gardiner MacDougall's coaching career: he's a winner.
The former University of New Brunswick coach racked up more than 700 varsity wins and nine Canadian titles. He's also a Memorial Cup winner and a gold medallist on the international stage.
In just the past 14 months, he's guided UNB to a national title with a perfect 43-0 record and helped Canada's under-18 team capture gold.
And in his first season behind Moncton's bench, MacDougall led the Wildcats to a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship.
Now he's seeking another Memorial Cup triumph.
'There's been a lot of positive things,' he said. 'I just hope there's something left in the back pocket for this series coming up.'
The Wildcats play their first game at the top Canadian junior hockey tournament Saturday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights in Rimouski, Que.
The tournament's round-robin began Friday with the host Oceanic facing the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers.
MacDougall arrived in Moncton one year ago after 24 sparkling seasons with the UNB Reds, where he recorded the most regular-season wins in Canadian men's university hockey.
When the 65-year-old from Bedeque, P.E.I., took over at UNB in 2000, he said it felt like the big leagues.
'And for 24 years it was. It was just a dream come true for me,' he said. 'And when I took the job in Moncton last spring, I said, 'This is my new NHL.' When you walk in the arena and our facilities in Moncton, it's a mini-NHL, it's spectacular.'
The Moncton job also gave him a chance to team up with his son, Taylor MacDougall, who joined the Wildcats as general manager.
Together, they hit the ground running in Moncton.
A well-rounded team headlined by NHL draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers, the Wildcats paced the QMJHL with a 53-9-2 regular-season record in their first season under the MacDougalls.
Then came a 16-3 run in the playoffs en route to the league title, Moncton's first since 2010, marking a special moment for the father and son duo.
'It's one of those exhilarating lifetime moments,' Gardiner MacDougall said.
He describes his team's playing style as 'fast and faster.'
'We want to be fast with the puck, either passing it or skating it,' he said. 'When we don't have it, we want to be faster to get it back.'
Off the ice, Taylor MacDougall said his father is a master of getting players to buy in.
'He's just so passionate,' said Taylor MacDougall, who played five seasons at UNB. 'He's got so much enthusiasm that I think it's contagious.'
Dyllan Gill, a New Brunswick-born defenceman who joined the Wildcats midway through this season, was well aware of Gardiner MacDougall's legend in the province when he arrived in Moncton.
Growing up, Gill attended UNB hockey camps in Fredericton. His father once told MacDougall he wanted his son to play for the Reds — a moment the coach still remembered years later.
'That was one of the first things that he brought up to me,' Gill said. 'He takes so much pride in remembering everything about little details from all these little kids and all these camps.
'That's what makes him such a special person.'
MacDougall also has a reputation for his catchphrases. 'Just getting started' — or 'JGS' for short — is one common refrain.
When MacDougall led the host Saint John Sea Dogs to the Memorial Cup as a pinch-hitter coach in 2022, he often thanked a figurative force called 'Lady Mo' — short for momentum.
'We all have special ladies in our lives, grandmothers, our mothers, our wives,' he said during that tournament's round-robin. 'But the key to success tonight was a lady called Lady Mo — Miss Lady Momentum.
'Sometimes she's hard to find. You don't know how long she's going to stay with you. We're lucky tonight that we found her and she stayed with us for a while.'
The question now is whether she can find her way from Saint John to Rimouski.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
'Let's hope she can travel, and hopefully she finds the right bench here,' he said.
MacDougall's success has some saying he should coach Canada at the world juniors after the program's back-to-back quarterfinal exits. There are also rumblings that NHL teams are taking notice.
Those opportunities may loom, but for now, MacDougall's sights are set on just getting another win.
'Our goal is to be the best we can on the opening shift on Saturday night,' he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. Lions dump visiting Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. 'They had some answers, definitely, for what we were doing,' Elks head coach Mark Kilam said after the loss. 'I thought we gassed out a little bit on defence. We need to maintain a few more drives on offence to help those guys out. But really there were errors in all three phases, and we are a three phase football team, so there's definitely things we need to get better at in all three phases.' The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first TD of the year and James Butler drove in another major. Veteran kicked Sean Whyte contributed a 22-yard field goal for the Lions, who played their first game under rookie head coach Buck Pierce. Story continues below advertisement Elks quarterback Tre Ford put up 178 passing yards, connecting on 17 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice. 'I don't think we did fantastic offensively,' Tre said. 'I think we were stuck in a lot of second and longs, which isn't a good situation for offence, so we've got to do better on first down. But a lot of that stuff comes back on me, right, I'm the quarterback. I have to make some more things happen out there for us.' Cody Fajardo chalked up two short-yardage rushing majors for Edmonton, who also have a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam. Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff. The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton's two-yard line. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. Ford struggled early, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt of the night. Story continues below advertisement Edmonton got on the board with just over three minutes left in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66-yard punt into the end zone for a rouge. B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the second frame when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. Whyte posted the home side's first points of the night, booting a 22-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. The Elks took control again midway through the second quarter when Fajardo muscled his way through traffic for a one-yard rushing major. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton went up 7-3. The score stood at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent a 49-yard field goal attempt wide in the final seconds of the frame. B.C. came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill in the end zone. Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the kick again went wide. Story continues below advertisement Rourke proved on the next possession that he's a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions' lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. Ford responded with some fast feet of his own in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The 27-year-old Canadian deftly darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo powering through traffic for his second touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks' deficit to three points. B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to McInnis in the end zone. McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford's pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side's fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. Story continues below advertisement A massive 92-yard kickoff return by Javon Leake looked to cut Edmonton's deficit midway through the fourth, but Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the play. NOTES Lions linebacker Jeremy Lewis (hamstring) and defensive lineman Deshawn Stevens (foot) did not return for the second half. … The game marked the first time two Canadian quarterbacks have started and gone head to head in a CFL season opener. UP NEXT Elks: Host the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 19. Lions: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rourke throws three TDs, B.C. Lions dump Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
VANCOUVER – Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first TD of the year and James Butler drove in another major. Veteran kicked Sean Whyte contributed a 22-yard field goal for the Lions, who played their first game under rookie head coach Buck Pierce. Elks quarterback Tre Ford put up 178 passing yards, connecting on 17 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice. Cody Fajardo chalked up two short-yardage rushing majors for Edmonton, who also have a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam. Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff. The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton's two-yard line. Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. Ford struggled early, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt of the night. Edmonton got on the board with just over three minutes left in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66-yard punt into the end zone for a rouge. B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the second frame when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. Whyte posted the home side's first points of the night, booting a 22-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. The Elks took control again midway through the second quarter when Fajardo muscled his way through traffic for a one-yard rushing major. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton went up 7-3. The score stood at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent a 49-yard field goal attempt wide in the final seconds of the frame. B.C. came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill in the end zone. Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the kick again went wide. Rourke proved on the next possession that he's a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions' lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. Ford responded with some fast feet of his own in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The 27-year-old Canadian deftly darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo powering through traffic for his second touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks' deficit to three points. B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to McInnis in the end zone. McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford's pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side's fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. A massive 92-yard kickoff return by Javon Leake looked to cut Edmonton's deficit midway through the fourth, but Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the play. NOTES Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Lions linebacker Jeremy Lewis (hamstring) and defensive lineman Deshawn Stevens (foot) did not return for the second half. … The game marked the first time two Canadian quarterbacks have started and gone head to head in a CFL season opener. UP NEXT Elks: Host the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 19. Lions: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Rourke throws three TDs, B.C. Lions dump Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
VANCOUVER - Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first TD of the year and James Butler drove in another major.
