Moncton Wildcats: City to honour successful season with parade, community celebration

Moncton Wildcats coach Gardiner MacDougall chats about the Memorial Cup tournament, winning the Q-League title and more.

A parade and community celebration will honour the Moncton Wildcats’s successful season Monday.

After taking home the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s playoff champion, the team made it to the semi-finals of the Memorial Cup.

The Wildcats lost 5-2 to the London Knights Friday – who went on to win the Memorial Cup – in the semi-final matchup in Rimouski, Que.

“It’s not often you get a parade,” says head coach Gardiner MacDougall.

“You always like to go all the way and do something special that Mr. Irving (team owner) has been trying to achieve for 29 years, but I think there’s a big sense of accomplishment in what was done this year for the Wildcats and the culture established and just the real support of our city and really our province.”

MacDougall says the team appreciates the community’s support throughout their season.

“We’ve had the best attendance in the history of the Wildcats and the playoff games were very, very exciting, even on the road. We had a lot of fans that travelled up to Rimouski and different places we played in the playoffs this year,” he said.

“You know, we talk about the arena being the seventh player and when we come on the ice there is nothing like it. We have a first-class arena and when the guys come on the ice and the pre-game ceremony and just to hear the passion of the fans, so excited for the accomplishment of the team this year.”

The team’s attitude throughout the entire season was a key part of their success, according to MacDougall.

“We had tremendous buy in from all the players, right from our first practice last August. We’ve had close to 290 days here together,” he says.

Winning the Q-League championship was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for MacDougall, who says the team made a “tremendous step” this year.

“A major junior career can average two to three years; some players are fortunate to play five. We have 18 teams in our league and only one team wins a year, so there was a lot of excitement, a lot of exhilaration, a lot of passion,” he says.

MacDougall and his son Taylor, the team’s general manager, were hired in May of 2024 and set out to put together a solid staff to support the team.

“Everyone had a role and everyone had value and contribution,” says MacDougall.

“Obviously, nothing happens without the tremendous ownership of Mr. Irving. He’s the best that you can ever find. As an owner, he wants top-rate performance, he provides top-rate facilities and has such passion for the Moncton Wildcats and the city of Moncton.”

The community has one last chance to celebrate the team and meet the players Monday.

“Cheer them on in the parade, get pictures and autographs. We’ll also have our final gala, our awards, individual awards for some of the players, they get to be a part of that as well,” says MacDougall.

The parade begins at 6 p.m. on Main Street, starting at City Hall and will be followed by a community celebration from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Downtown Place.

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