Final Four

Our semifinal field is ready to square off with a trip to the CMHL Final on the line.

Three quarterfinal matchups were played at the Gale Centre last night to determine our semifinalists. In the opener, the (1) Seamen responded after an early deficit behind a Brad Pagetto hat trick, securing their spot in the next round with an 8-3 win over the (8) Bulldogs. Shortly after, the resurgent (7) Rockies gave the (2) Axemen a late scare, scoring twice with three minutes to go to make it 5-4. The Axemen would not be denied, however, adding an insurance goal and an empty-netter to punch their ticket to the semifinals. The (3) Gulls advanced following a forfeiture by the (6) Mighty Drunks, while (4) Toonie Tuesday moved on to the semis for a second straight season following a tight 5-3 win over the (5) Jagrbombs.

Head of Officiating Mark Drennan returned to the ice this week, citing "Playoff bonus 💰💰💰" as his motivation. Drennan faced questions pregame in response to accusations of puck pocketing after images surfaced of league pucks being displayed on his mantle. "Got the whole set," he told reporters. Sources indicate that the removal of complimentary cafe mochas may be considered as possible discipline.

Looking ahead to next week, the semifinal matchups are set with tentative game times. First, the (1) Seamen face (4) Toonie Tuesday at 8:00pm. The Seamen took the season series 2-1 over Toonie Tuesday, though the Toonies won most recently 5-3 on February 6 behind a three-point night by Will Jackman. The late slot features a rematch of the last two CMHL Finals, as the defending champion (2) Axemen face off against the (3) Gulls at 9:00pm. The Axemen won the season series 2-1, including a 9-5 victory on January 23 in which CMHL Final MVP Jacob Saddler scored three and chipped in on three more in a six-point effort in the win.

Both games promise to be competitive as the league inches closer to crowning the 2026 CMHL Champion. Good luck to the four remaining teams, and thank you to the Bulldogs, Jagrbombs, Mighty Drunks, and Rockies for a great season.