‘We are all just pumped’
St. John’s Senior Caps ready for Herder finals
Growing up, Kyle Mcgrath didn’t see himself as a future star in provincial senior hockey.
Like any kid growing up in the game, the St. John’s native likely aspired to play pro hockey at the top level.
However, once his junior days were behind him, Mcgrath, now 24, came home and the idea of playing locally started to appeal to him.
He spoke with some family members who played senior hockey. Mcgrath listened to their stories about selling out the Mary Brown’s Centre, then Mile One Stadium, and soon started playing in the Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL) with the St. John’s Senior Caps.
Now, he’s trying to help the Caps to their first Herder Memorial Trophy since 1990.
“Trying to bring that back now is extremely exciting,” said Mcgrath. “To me, it’s the pinnacle of hockey in Newfoundland. It’s the biggest trophy you can win in the province.
“So, it’s pretty exciting.”
FIRST HERDER FINAL
Mcgrath is in his fifth season with the Caps, but this will be his first Herder final. It’s also his first AESHL league championship.
It comes after a couple of years of coming close to winning the AESHL, but never quite getting over the hump.
Last season, they lost to the Southern Shore Breakers, the eventual Herder champions, in the league finals. A year earlier, the Caps lost to the Clarenville Caribous in Game 7 of the AESHL semifinals.
“We’ve been knocking on the door, for sure, we’ve been building it and adding more guys every year and all that,” said Mcgrath.
There’s excitement about getting ready to play for the top prize in provincial senior hockey, he said.
“It’s a long time coming somewhat,” said Mcgrath. “It feels like it’s been growing with the same group of guys, obviously, some more older guys and stuff this year.
“So, it’s a fun vibe around the room. It’s exciting. We are all just pumped.”
A FAIR SHOT
The Caps have made the Herder final twice since 2016, but both times ran into powerhouse teams from an older edition of the Central West Senior Hockey League (CWSHL), not to be confused with the newly formed outfit.
Now, however, things are different and it feels like the Caps enter the series with a real shot to end their Herder drought.
Some of the guys from those teams are still playing, and they’re drawing off that going into the finals.
“All of our old guys have been around for a little bit and some of them haven’t gotten a chance to win a Herder yet, so, we’re feeding off how pumped they are is exactly what we are doing,” said Mcgrath.
WEST COAST OPPONENTS
The Caps’ opponent in the Herder final will be last year’s runner-up, the Deer Lake Red Wings.
They recently knocked off the Grand Falls-windsor Cataracts in the finals of the CWSHL finals.
While the Red Wings represent a new opponent, Mcgrath says his team can play whatever style Deer Lake wants.
“We can play it any way you want it. I think we are a fast team both offensively and when it comes to the rough stuff,” said Mcgrath.
When the puck drops on the 2024 Herder final, the Caps know their season isn’t finished and there’s still one more hill to climb.
“It’s going to be a challenge either way, we’re just looking forward to getting her going,” said Mcgrath.
That climb starts on Friday, March 29, when they welcome the Red Wings to the CBS Stadium.
The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.