Don Johnson Memorial Cup ready to go in Mount Pearl

Tournament starts today with all-nl matchup between Blades and St. John’s Junior Caps

The best in Atlantic Canadian Junior B hockey are set to show their stuff in Mount Pearl this week.

On Tuesday, April 23, the 2024 Don Johnson Memorial Cup gets underway at the Glacier in Mount Pearl and there is hope this year will be the end of the province’s championship drought.

When the host Mount Pearl Blades and the St. John’s Junior Capitals, who are the province’s representative, hit the ice in the tournament, they’ll be looking to become the first Don Johnson champion from Newfoundland since 2009.

That’s when the St. John’s Caps defeated the Sherwood Falcons in the tournament held in Bay Roberts.

Since then, there have been a pair of silver finishes but no gold medals. The latest second-place finish came in 2018 to the Kensington Vipers.

Before that, the Avalon Junior Capitals finished second in 2016.

The Blades previously finished second in 2003 behind the Sackville Blazers.

Between Mount Pearl, St. John’s and the DOJO title is a field featuring both last year’s champion and runner-up.

The Antigonish Munro Junior Bulldogs defeated the Vipers in last year’s final and they’re back to defend their title as Nova Scotia’s representative.

The Vipers enter the tournament with a little bit of revenge on their mind as they return as Prince Edward Island’s top Junior B team.

The tournament is rounded out by New Brunswick’s Kent Koyotes. They come into the tournament having won in 2022.

The Caps won the right to represent the province after knocking off the CBN Junior Stars in the St. John’s Junior Hockey League finals earlier this month.

They finished the regular season in second place behind this year’s hosts, the Blades.

The Blades were the top team in the province over the season before bowing out in the league semifinals.

The Caps and Blades will kick off the 2024 Don Johnson tournament against each other on April 23 at the Glacier at 7:30 p.m.