Acadie–Bathurst Titan

Acadie–Bathurst Titan
Titan d'Acadie–Bathurst
City Bathurst, New Brunswick
League Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Division Telus Maritimes
Founded 1969
Home arena K. C. Irving Regional Centre
Colours Red, gold, and white
              
General manager Sylvain Couturier
Head coach Bryan Lizotte
Captain Jeffrey Truchon-Viel
Championships 2018 Memorial Cup Champions
1999, 2018 QMJHL Champions
Website www.letitan.com
Franchise history
1969–1971 Rosemont National
1971–1979 Laval National
1979–1985 Laval Voisins
1985–1994 Laval Titan
1994–1998 Laval Titan Collège Français
1998–present Acadie–Bathurst Titan

The Acadie–Bathurst Titan are a major junior ice hockey team based in Bathurst, New Brunswick. They are members of the Telus Maritimes Division in the Telus Conference of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team plays its home games at the K. C. Irving Regional Centre. The team won the 2018 Memorial Cup.

History

The franchise was granted in 1969–70 as the Rosemont National. In 1971, they moved from Rosemont to Laval to become the Laval National, and later the Laval Voisins. In 1985, they became the Laval Titan, and in 1994, they became the Laval Titan Collège Français following a merger with the Verdun Collège Français, and then in 1998, they moved to Bathurst. The "Acadie" term in the team name refers to the city's surroundings, where the Acadian population is a majority.

The franchise has won five President's Cups, one of which (in 1999) came during the team's tenure in Bathurst. In the Memorial Cup that year, the team finished winless in the round-robin. The most famous player that has come through the organization would undoubtedly be Mario Lemieux, who was drafted in 1984 by the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lemieux played for the team during its tenure in Laval. Other famous franchise alumni include Mike Bossy, Gino Odjick and Vincent Damphousse. Notable NHL alumni from Bathurst include Patrice Bergeron, François Beauchemin, Bruno Gervais and Roberto Luongo.

In the 1999–2000 season, the Titan had the first female to be drafted by a QMJHL team, Charline Labonté, a 17-year-old Quebec goaltender who spent parts of two seasons with the team.[1]

In 2018, the team won its first Memorial Cup championship, defeating the Regina Pats in the centennial edition of the tournament.

The Titan play in the smallest market in the Canadian Hockey League. With a population of 13,424 residents, the city of Bathurst is smaller than Swift Current, Saskatchewan, home of the WHL's Swift Current Broncos.

Relocation speculation

On February 7, 2009, amid much speculation, the Titan franchise was given a 30-day relocation application extension by the QMJHL Board of Governors. With the club continuing to struggle with attendance and the recent struggles of the economy in the area, the team was rumoured to be on the move if things did not turn around in the foreseeable future. The team's owner, Léo-Guy Morrissette, entertained offers from a group of local investors in the Bathurst area, as well as a group from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Morrissette eventually decided to sell the team to his daughter Annie Morrissette-Hébert and his son Stéphane Morrissette, who would each own 50 per cent of the club. The move also ensured the team would remain in Bathurst for the 2009–10 season.

At the end of the 2009–10 season, Léo-Guy Morrissette bought back control of the team from his children at their request. He retained ownership of the team through to April 2013, but after the Titan were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and with several years of consistently low attendance records, Morrissette began contemplating selling the team. Local investors approached Morrissette about purchasing the Titan to keep them in Bathurst. Morrissette, in part pressured by low attendance figures and personal health issues, opted to sell the club to a group of local investors including steel industry businessman Leopold Theriault, Darryl Stohart and current NHL player Sean Couturier. The investors would all be part of a new 28+ member group led by Theriault. At the time of the sale, the team was reported to be worth just over $3 million.[2]

Players

NHL alumni

Retired numbers

List of retired numbers from 1969 to present.

Season-by-season record

  • Acadie–Bathurst Titan 1998–2017[5]
OL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss, Pct = Winning percentage
SeasonGamesWonLostTiedOLSLPointsPctGoals
for		Goals
against		Standing
1998–997042253——870.6213152553rd, Dilio
1999–200072204084—520.3612273114th, Maritime
2000–0172293841—630.4382392813rd, Maritime
2001–0272451845—990.6882572251st, Maritime
2002–0372442143—950.6602761892nd, Atlantic
2003–0470184930—390.2791843145th, Atlantic
2004–0570184273—460.3291632445th, Atlantic
2005–06704319—35940.6712912232nd, Eastern
2006–07703528—25770.5502912695th, Eastern
2007–08704125—22860.6142892413rd, Eastern
2008–09682035—76530.2941872565th, Atlantic
2009–10682537—33560.3682082865th, Atlantic
2010–11684421—21910.6692611972nd, Maritimes
2011–12683231—23690.5072502643rd, Maritimes
2012–13682635—52590.4342322784th, Maritimes
2013–14682240—42500.3681442494th, Maritimes
2014–15681743—62420.3091582716th, Maritimes
2015–16682735--33600.4412442545th, Maritimes
2016–17683923--42840.6182842423rd, Maritimes
2017–18684315--82960.7062701831st, Maritimes

Playoffs

Season1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
1998–99W, 4-1, Cape BretonW, 4-1, HalifaxW, 4-2, QuebecW, 4-3, Hull
1999–2000L, 4-0, Moncton---
2000–01W, 4–0, QuebecW, 4-1, Cape BretonW, 4-2, Baie-ComeauL, 4-0, Val-d'Or
2001–02ByeW, 4–1, QuebecW, 4–1, Cape BretonL, 4-2, Victoriaville
2002–03W, 4-2, ChicoutimiL, 4-3, Halifax--
2003–04----
2004–05----
2005–06W, 4–2, P.E.I.W, 4-0, Cape BretonL, 4-3, Quebec-
2006–07W, 4–2, P.E.I.L, 4-1, Cape Breton--
2007–08W, 4–2, St. John'sL, 4-1, Saint John--
2008–09L, 4–2, Gatineau---
2009–10L, 4-1, Quebec---
2010–11L, 4-1, Victoriaville---
2011–12L, 4-2, Chicoutimi---
2012–13L, 4-1, Blainville-Boisbriand---
2013–14L, 4-0, Val-d'Or---
2014–15----
2015–16L, 4–1, Saint John---
2016-17W, 4–0, QuebecL, 4-3, Blainville-Boisbriand--
2017-18W, 4–2, ChicoutimiW, 4-0, SherbrookeW, 4–0, VictoriavilleW, 4-2 vs Blainville-Boisbriand

See also

References

  1. ↑ Canadian Gold 2010, Andrew Podnieks, p. 152, Fenn Publishing, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55168-384-3
  2. ↑ CBC News (April 11, 2013). "QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan sold to local investors". CBC. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Acadie-Bathurst Titan News Article".
  4. ↑ Titan website, Article on the Titan website.
  5. ↑ Season-by-season on hockeydb.com
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