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Acadie–Bathurst Titan

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Acadie–Bathurst Titan
Titan d'Acadie–Bathurst
CityBathurst, New Brunswick
LeagueQuebec Major Junior Hockey League
DivisionTelus Maritimes
Founded1969
Home arenaK. C. Irving Regional Centre
ColoursRed, gold, and white
     
General managerSylvain Couturier
Head coachBryan Lizotte
CaptainJeffrey Truchon-Viel
Websitewww.letitan.com
Franchise history
1969–1971Rosemont National
1971–1979Laval National
1979–1985Laval Voisins
1985–1994Laval Titan
1994–1998Laval Titan Collège Français
1998–presentAcadie–Bathurst Titan
Championships
Playoff championships2018 Memorial Cup Champions
1999, 2018 QMJHL Champions

The Acadie–Bathurst Titan are a major junior ice hockey team based in Bathurst, New Brunswick. They are members of the Telus Maritimes Division in the Telus Conference of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team plays its home games at the K. C. Irving Regional Centre. The team won the 2018 Memorial Cup.

History

The franchise was granted in 1969–70 as the Rosemont National. In 1971, they moved from Rosemont to Laval to become the Laval National, and later the Laval Voisins. In 1985, they became the Laval Titan, and in 1994, they became the Laval Titan Collège Français following a merger with the Verdun Collège Français, and then in 1998, they moved to Bathurst. The "Acadie" term in the team name refers to the city's surroundings, where the Acadian population is a majority.

The franchise has won five President's Cups, one of which (in 1999) came during the team's tenure in Bathurst. In the Memorial Cup that year, the team finished winless in the round-robin. The most famous player that has come through the organization would undoubtedly be Mario Lemieux, who was drafted in 1984 by the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lemieux played for the team during its tenure in Laval. Other famous franchise alumni include Mike Bossy, Gino Odjick and Vincent Damphousse. Notable NHL alumni from Bathurst include Patrice Bergeron, François Beauchemin, Bruno Gervais and Roberto Luongo.

In the 1999–2000 season, the Titan had the first female to be drafted by a QMJHL team, Charline Labonté, a 17-year-old Quebec goaltender who spent parts of two seasons with the team.[1]

In 2018, the team won its first Memorial Cup championship, defeating the Regina Pats in the centennial edition of the tournament.

The Titan play in the smallest market in the Canadian Hockey League. With a population of 13,424 residents, the city of Bathurst is smaller than Swift Current, Saskatchewan, home of the WHL's Swift Current Broncos.

Relocation speculation

On February 7, 2009, amid much speculation, the Titan franchise was given a 30-day relocation application extension by the QMJHL Board of Governors. With the club continuing to struggle with attendance and the recent struggles of the economy in the area, the team was rumoured to be on the move if things did not turn around in the foreseeable future. The team's owner, Léo-Guy Morrissette, entertained offers from a group of local investors in the Bathurst area, as well as a group from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Morrissette eventually decided to sell the team to his daughter Annie Morrissette-Hébert and his son Stéphane Morrissette, who would each own 50 per cent of the club. The move also ensured the team would remain in Bathurst for the 2009–10 season.

At the end of the 2009–10 season, Léo-Guy Morrissette bought back control of the team from his children at their request. He retained ownership of the team through to April 2013, but after the Titan were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and with several years of consistently low attendance records, Morrissette began contemplating selling the team. Local investors approached Morrissette about purchasing the Titan to keep them in Bathurst. Morrissette, in part pressured by low attendance figures and personal health issues, opted to sell the club to a group of local investors including steel industry businessman Leopold Theriault, Darryl Stohart and current NHL player Sean Couturier. The investors would all be part of a new 28+ member group led by Theriault. At the time of the sale, the team was reported to be worth just over $3 million.[2]

Players

NHL alumni

Retired numbers

List of retired numbers from 1969 to present.

Season-by-season record

  • Acadie–Bathurst Titan 1998–2017[5]
OL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss, Pct = Winning percentage
Season Games Won Lost Tied OL SL Points Pct Goals
for		 Goals
against		 Standing
1998–99 70 42 25 3 — — 87 0.621 315 255 3rd, Dilio
1999–2000 72 20 40 8 4 — 52 0.361 227 311 4th, Maritime
2000–01 72 29 38 4 1 — 63 0.438 239 281 3rd, Maritime
2001–02 72 45 18 4 5 — 99 0.688 257 225 1st, Maritime
2002–03 72 44 21 4 3 — 95 0.660 276 189 2nd, Atlantic
2003–04 70 18 49 3 0 — 39 0.279 184 314 5th, Atlantic
2004–05 70 18 42 7 3 — 46 0.329 163 244 5th, Atlantic
2005–06 70 43 19 — 3 5 94 0.671 291 223 2nd, Eastern
2006–07 70 35 28 — 2 5 77 0.550 291 269 5th, Eastern
2007–08 70 41 25 — 2 2 86 0.614 289 241 3rd, Eastern
2008–09 68 20 35 — 7 6 53 0.294 187 256 5th, Atlantic
2009–10 68 25 37 — 3 3 56 0.368 208 286 5th, Atlantic
2010–11 68 44 21 — 2 1 91 0.669 261 197 2nd, Maritimes
2011–12 68 32 31 — 2 3 69 0.507 250 264 3rd, Maritimes
2012–13 68 26 35 — 5 2 59 0.434 232 278 4th, Maritimes
2013–14 68 22 40 — 4 2 50 0.368 144 249 4th, Maritimes
2014–15 68 17 43 — 6 2 42 0.309 158 271 6th, Maritimes
2015–16 68 27 35 -- 3 3 60 0.441 244 254 5th, Maritimes
2016–17 68 39 23 -- 4 2 84 0.618 284 242 3rd, Maritimes
2017–18 68 43 15 -- 8 2 96 0.706 270 183 1st, Maritimes

Playoffs

Season 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Finals
1998–99 W, 4-1, Cape Breton W, 4-1, Halifax W, 4-2, Quebec W, 4-3, Hull
1999–2000 L, 4-0, Moncton - - -
2000–01 W, 4–0, Quebec W, 4-1, Cape Breton W, 4-2, Baie-Comeau L, 4-0, Val-d'Or
2001–02 Bye W, 4–1, Quebec W, 4–1, Cape Breton L, 4-2, Victoriaville
2002–03 W, 4-2, Chicoutimi L, 4-3, Halifax - -
2003–04 - - - -
2004–05 - - - -
2005–06 W, 4–2, P.E.I. W, 4-0, Cape Breton L, 4-3, Quebec -
2006–07 W, 4–2, P.E.I. L, 4-1, Cape Breton - -
2007–08 W, 4–2, St. John's L, 4-1, Saint John - -
2008–09 L, 4–2, Gatineau - - -
2009–10 L, 4-1, Quebec - - -
2010–11 L, 4-1, Victoriaville - - -
2011–12 L, 4-2, Chicoutimi - - -
2012–13 L, 4-1, Blainville-Boisbriand - - -
2013–14 L, 4-0, Val-d'Or - - -
2014–15 - - - -
2015–16 L, 4–1, Saint John - - -
2016-17 W, 4–0, Quebec L, 4-3, Blainville-Boisbriand - -
2017-18 W, 4–2, Chicoutimi W, 4-0, Sherbrooke W, 4–0, Victoriaville W, 4-2 vs Blainville-Boisbriand

See also

References

  1. ^ Canadian Gold 2010, Andrew Podnieks, p. 152, Fenn Publishing, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55168-384-3
  2. ^ CBC News (April 11, 2013). "QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan sold to local investors". CBC. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  3. ^ "Acadie-Bathurst Titan News Article".
  4. ^ Titan website, Article on the Titan website.
  5. ^ Season-by-season on hockeydb.com
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