The Val-d’Or Foreurs are crowned QMJHL Champions

BAIE-COMEAU – The Val-d’Or Foreurs captured the third President Cup title in franchise history after defeating the Drakkar 4-3 in game seven of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs which was held at the Henry-Léonard Centre in Baie-Comeau.
 
Anthony Mantha was the big hero on the night, scoring the game-winner with only 52 seconds left after the Drakkar had stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the final twenty minutes of play.
 
The Foreurs took a 3-0 lead after forty minutes of play thanks to goals from Samuel Henley, Louick Marcotte and Randy Gazzola. But the Drakkar kept plugging away at the Foreurs’ lead in the final frame and were rewarded with three goals of their own off the sticks Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau, Félix Girard and Jérémy Grégoire.
 
The Guy Lafleur Trophy was awarded to the Foreurs’ goaltender, Antoine Bibeau, who faced 43 shots in the seventh game and an average of just over 40 shots during the President Cup final.
 
Now the Foreurs are headed to London to take part in the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament which begins on Friday. The host London Knights will battle Val-d’Or in the tournament’s opening game.

The Foreurs will try to win a fourth consecutive MasterCard Memorial Cup for the QMJHL, a feat that has never been accomplished in Canadian Hockey League history.

They will face the Western Hockey League Champions, the Edmonton Oil Kings, the Ontario Hockey League Champions, the Guelph Storm and the host team, the London Knights.

Fans can catch all the action live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports starting at 7pm on Friday.