‘I can’t wait to get there’
Balmas, Titan ready for upcoming Memorial Cup tournament in Regina
One trophy down, another to go for Mitchell Balmas of Sydney.
The 20-year-old forward helped the Acadie-Bathurst Titan win the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title in Bathurst, N.B., on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Titan won the best-of-seven President Cup final, 4-2.
“It’s unbelievable,” Balmas said Sunday night. “It’s hard to put into words right now what I’m feeling, but I’m going to enjoy the moment with my teammates and my family. It’s going to be a good night.”
It is Bathurst’s second league title with the first coming in 1999. This year’s championship came during the 20th anniversary of the team moving to Bathurst from Laval, Que.
They will now represent the QMJHL at the Mastercard Memorial Cup in Regina, Sask., from May 17-27. They leave Wednesday.
Balmas said he has never been to Regina, but “I can’t wait to get there.”
Titan captain Jeffrey Truchon-Viel opened the scoring 6:37 into the game and Samuel
L’Italien, who played briefly with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2014-15, added an insurance goal with three minutes to play in the second period. Ethan Crossman and Adam Holwell had assists.
Former Screaming Eagles star forward Drake Batherson cut the lead in half when he scored with 2:45 left in the game. Pascal Corbeil and Joel Teasdale had assists.
Evan Fitzpatrick made 29 saves for the win while Emile Samson stopped 24 shots in the loss. Fitzpatrick was one of a half-dozen players picked up during the season in trades to boost the club for a playoff run.
It can be difficult to get everybody on board when a team makes a number of moves during a two-year period. But Acadie-Bathurst was able to get everybody to play together for a common goal.
“We’re a real close group,” Balmas said. “Everybody loves everybody. I think that goes a long way.”
Balmas was taken seventh overall by the Islanders at the 2014 draft and traded to the Gatineau Olympiqes in the Alex Dostie deal a year ago. The Titan acquired him at this year’s deadline.
Balmas’ billets in Charlottetown for two seasons were Jeremy and Kellie Davies of Stratford, P.E.I.
Jeremy and his nephew Dylan Matthews, who plays for the Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride, made the trip to northern New Brunswick on Sunday.
“It’s fantastic,” Davies said of Balmas winning the title.
He described Balmas as quiet and shy, but extremely personable and proud of his family with a “true heart of a champion.”
Acadie-Bathurst defeated Chicoutimi in six games in the first round of the playoffs before sweeping Sherbrooke and the high-powered Victoriaville Tigres in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Balmas sustained an upperbody injury in Game 1 with the Tigres and missed the next three games.
“It killed me not to be able to play with the guys,” he said. “It was just great that I was able to come in the lineup (for the final) and help them.”
The Titan finished second in the regular season behind the Armada.