The Chaleur Lightning have announced that forward Ben Cross has committed to the University of New Brunswick for next season.
The 21-year-old from Fredericton, N.B. was drafted by the Fredericton Red Wings in the 2nd Round, 19th overall, in the 2022 MHL Entry Draft. He played three games for his hometown team in 2022-23 before heading to the QMJHL with the Rimouski Océanic in 2023-24 and the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2024-25.
With the franchise now in Bathurst, N.B., Cross joined the Lightning for the 2025-26 season and was named an Eastlink North All-Star after finishing second in league scoring with 78 points. His 42 goals were the most in the MHL, and Cross also had the most powerplay goals at sixteen. He finished the season with a 20-game point streak, gathering 40 points in that time, and had an eight-game goal streak, second only to the ten-game goal streak he achieved from January 9th to February 6th. From his first game when the calendar flipped to 2026, Cross had at least one goal in eighteen of his last 20 games.
Cross had points in 39 of 51 games for the Lightning and 23 multi-point games. His 78 points are third-most in franchise history, with his 42 goals in a single-season ranking second all-time for the team. Cross was named the MHL’s Top Forward for February/March and was named to the Eastlink North Team of the Week six times.
The MHL congratulates Cross on his post-secondary commitment