Lucky toonies and life-long 'brothers': Host Calgary Canucks win Centennial Cup in dominating style
'Whatever it takes' was how Brad Moran worded his team's run to a national puck title.
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So when the Calgary Canucks dug a couple of toonies out of the ice amid Sunday's celebration of winning the 2025 Centennial Cup, it seemed to come as no surprise to the head coach of the newly minted Canadian Junior Hockey League champions …
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Even though he knew nothing of the lucky coins or who put them there.
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'One from 1995, and one from 2025,' said the Canucks GM and head coach, his voice dripping with joy after watching his charges score the coveted CJHL crown 30 years — almost to the day — of the franchise's first and only other Centennial Cup.
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'So whatever it takes …' continued Moran of the buried treasure. 'I guess that was the gesture.'
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If there was magic in those toonies, it didn't take the shine off the determination of the Canucks.
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Moran's men were full marks for the title victory Sunday, executing dominance in a 7-2 taming of the Melfort Mustangs in Sunday's finale, much to the delight of a frenzied 2,720 fans at jam-packed Max Bell Centre.
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And it was quite the delight for themselves, coming 12 months after losing 2-1 to the same Mustangs in last year's semifinal round of the 2024 Centennial Cup in Oakville, Ont.
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Revenge best served cold, you could say.
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'It's everything I've dreamed of,' said Canucks captain Bowden Singleton, in the moments after hoisting the Centennial Cup on home ice. 'I might get emotional here in a bit, but I'm just soaking everything in right now.
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'That feeling of losing last year and looking at the guys that lost is probably one of the saddest things you ever have to go through, because those 20-year-olds, they gave everything they had.'
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It was a feeling neither he or any of the seven other returnees of the reigning two-time Alberta Junior Hockey League kings wanted to go through again, unlike the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League-champion Mustangs themselves were forced to do for a second straight Centennial Cup after losing last year in the final to Ontario's Collingwood Blues.
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'We started off with one goal to win the regular season and then win the AJHL playoffs and then win the Centennial Cup playoffs,' Singleton said. 'Super surreal, the full circle, and we're going to enjoy it for a long time. We're brothers for the rest of our lives.'
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Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors When Jake DeBrusk joined the Vancouver Canucks in free agency last summer, his biggest supporter and constant confidant banged the drum about the big winger's potential with a fresh start in a new city. It's what you expect from his father, Louie DeBrusk, a former NHL grinder and a Sportsnet and Hockey Night In Canada analyst. 'The guy is a hound,' DeBrusk told this reporter of his son's upside. 'He's not easy to play against, he tracks back, blocks shots, and can play the penalty kill and power play. The most important thing is the kid is a finisher. Jake brings energy and a lot of speed, and when he's buzzing he'll take over a line.' Or a game. 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Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk gets first pumps after scoring against the Avalanche on Feb. 4, 2025 at Rogers Arena. Photo by Derek Cain / Getty Images The team stumbled out of the gate last season at Rogers Arena and were 3-5-3 after 11 dates. They won two straight in Vancouver on just two occasions, and finished at 17-16-8. Minnesota and claimed the final two Western Conference wild-card playoff berths with 23-13-5 and 24-14-3 home marks respectively. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While DeBrusk had a season to remember, he scored just nine times at home as the Canucks fell seven points short of the postseason. A few more wins at Rogers Arena and they would have been in. That should stick in the craw. And with two of their first three games next season at home, they need an early swagger. As for DeBrusk, what can he do for an encore? Consistency is key to get to the next competitive level. He's already a salary-cap bargain with seven years left at $5.5 million US in annual average value, but there's always room to improve. DeBrusk didn't score in his first nine games last season. He struck in the next three, then went six games without a goal before erupting for nine in his next seven outings. That was followed by no goals in 11 games, one in a dozen games, and striking for three goals in his final four games. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So, what's the key to snapping slumps and being an every-night threat? 'Be patient. Don't let it get in your head,' he suggested. 'I need to take more control with body position and stop guessing where the puck is going to go.' DeBrusk is adept at getting to the net to set screens, tip pucks and get rebounds. He's also quick enough to hound the opposition. He could add another dimension by winning corner-board battles and taking a direct route to the net to either shoot or set up a linemate. 'I have to generate more chaos, but feel like I have just been waiting around,' he admitted last season. 'I'm done with that.' The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Edmonton native was third in hits among club forwards last season with 96, but DeBrusk's open-ice collisions in the neutral zone don't matter as much as bravado toward the net. It's what the Canucks were banking on last season and hope to see if they return to the playoffs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. DeBrusk led the Boston Bruins in 2024 postseason scoring with 11 points (5-6) in 13 games, and the club's 14th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft was second in hits with 53. Today's game is played down low. It's mosh-pits of establishing position and fishing for loose pucks. It's also top snipers playing on the outside but knowing when to get inside. You can't be stagnate. It's read and react. There is reason for optimism in the top-six mix with how the offseason has played out. 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And if they hound, all the better. bkuzma@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Local News Vancouver Whitecaps News Celebrity
