By Bernadette Larose via Hockey Canada

The Notre Dame Hounds are heading to Okotoks with a wealth of TELUS Cup experience. With 54 wins and a record five national titles across their 11 appearances at Canada’s National Men’s U18 Club Championship, the Hounds are on the hunt for another success in Southern Alberta.

After edging out the Saskatoon Blazers by a single point atop the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) during the regular season, the Hounds dropped just two of 11 playoff games en route to the SMAAAHL championship, including a sweep of Warman in the final.

Notre Dame ran through the preliminary round at the West Regional without a loss, and looked to be in control of the final with an early 3-0 lead over the host Southwest Cougars. But the Cougars battled back, and it took an Andrew Altwasser goal with 17.2 seconds left to give the Hounds a 4-3 victory and a spot in Okotoks.

They’re back at the national championship for the first time since they won it all in Sudbury, Ont., in 2018, looking to prove once again why they’re considered among the premier hockey programs in the country.

The Hounds own a high-powered offence, with Cole Wirun and Ethan Look, who finished second and third, respectively, in SMAAAHL scoring, leading a group that potted a league-leading 233 goals.

But Jeremy Mylymok, Notre Dame’s director of hockey, is quick to point out it’s a well-rounded roster, one that will serve the Hounds well in a seven-games-in-seven-days tournament like the TELUS Cup.

“We have four lines that can play,” he says. “We don't rely on one line or one power player or one goalie.”

Notre Dame is also built on cohesiveness, with a large portion of the group having grown up together at the Wilcox, Sask.-based school.

“We have some first-year, second-year guys, too, but over half the team is three- or four-year players that have developed here at Notre Dame,” Mylymok says. “So we know these players well, they really put in the work to get where they're at today.”

And let’s not forget the experience behind the bench. Head coach Del Pedrick returned to the Hounds this season after a short stint in Romania; he was the bench boss when Notre Dame won back-to-back TELUS Cup championships in 2009 and 2010.

The Hounds open their TELUS Cup schedule against the Atlantic Region champions, the Moncton Flyers, on May 16.

HOW THEY GOT TO OKOTOKS

Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Battlefords Stars 3-1 (5-2, 3-4, 6-2, 3-2)

Semifinal: defeated Regina Pat Canadians 3-1 (2-3, 4-2, 5-2, 4-0)

Final: defeated Warman Wildcats 3-0 (4-3 OT, 5-4, 6-3)

West Regional

Preliminary round: 3-0-0 – first place (defeated Winnipeg Wild 3-2, defeated Southwest Cougars 3-0, defeated Thunder Bay Kings 8-3)

Final: defeated Southwest Cougars 4-3

REGULAR SEASON

Regular season record: 35-9-0 (1st in SMAAAHL)
Goals for: 233 (1st in SMAAAHL)
Goals against: 118 (T-3rd in SMAAAHL)
Longest winning streak: 12 (Jan. 30-March 11)
Top 3 scorers:

• Cole Wirun – 38G 41A 69P (2nd in SMAAAHL)
• Ethan Look – 19G 49A 68P (3rd in SMAAAHL)
• Ben Aucoin – 23G 28A 51P (11th in SMAAAHL)

PLAYOFFS

Playoff record: 12-2
Goals for: 65
Goals against: 35
Top 3 scorers:

• Ethan Look – 7G 11A 18P
• Ben Aucoin – 7G 11A 18P
•  Ishan Mittoo-Khulbe – 9G 7A 16P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

• 1979 – Notre Dame Hounds | bronze medal | 5-1-0 | 32GF 16GA
• 1980 – Notre Dame Hounds | gold medal | 6-0-0 | 36GF 15GA
• 1981 – Notre Dame Hounds | fifth place | 3-2-1 | 24GF 17GA
• 1982 – Notre Dame Hounds | fifth place | 2-3-0 | 21GF 15GA
• 1984 – Notre Dame Hounds | silver medal | 4-3-0 | 26GF 16GA
• 1986 – Notre Dame Hounds | gold medal | 7-0-0 | 51GF 16GA
• 1987 – Notre Dame Hounds | silver medal | 4-3-0 | 28GF 20GA
• 1990 – Notre Dame Hounds | bronze medal | 4-2-1 | 25GF 17GA
• 2009 – Notre Dame Hounds | gold medal | 6-0-1 | 44GA 21GA
• 2010 – Notre Dame Hounds | gold medal | 4-0-3 | 29GF 22GA
• 2018 – Notre Dame Hounds | gold medal | 7-0-0 | 28GF 10GA

PLAYERS TO WATCH

• ETHAN LOOK: confident playmaker … lethal shot … fast skater … always has the puck on his stick
• LUKE MARSHALL: smooth-skating defender … produces offence from the back end … great at retrieving pucks and making the first pass

WHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

• Van Eger – Swift Current 2020 (4th round, 88th overall)
• Joey Rocha – Swift Current 2020 (5th round, 109th overall)