2026 Eastlink South Division Final
(1) Summerside Western Capitals vs (2) Truro Bearcats
- Game 1 – Thursday, April 2nd, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place
- Game 2 – Saturday, April 4th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
- Game 3 – Monday, April 6th, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place
- Game 4 – Wednesday, April 8th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
- Game 5 – Friday, April 10th, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place*
- Game 6 – Sunday, April 12th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre*
- Game 7 – Thursday, April 16th, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place*
*if necessary
| Summerside | Truro | |
| 32-12-5-3 (1st) | Regular Season Record (MHL Rank) | 34-14-3-1 (2nd) |
| 4-3 vs Amherst | Semifinal Result | 4-1 vs Pictou County |
| 3.29 | Playoff Goals For per game | 4.20 |
| 2.57 | Playoff Goals Against per game | 1.40 |
| 26.7% | Playoff Powerplay % | 34.8% |
| 90.9% | Playoff Penalty Kill % | 95.5% |
| Justin Ouellette – 7 GP, 2 G, 9 A | Playoff Top Scorer | Callum Aucoin – 5 GP, 6 G, 2 A |
| Matthew MacLean – 7 GP, 1 G, 4 A | Playoff Top Scoring Defenseman | Jayden Connors – 5 GP, 1 G, 4 A |
| Kolten Bourret – 4-1-1, 2.17 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO
Justin Robinson – 0-1-0, 3.05 GAA, .885 SV% |
Playoff Goaltender Stats | Sam Berthiaume – 4-1-0, 1.31 GAA, .962 SV%, 1 SO |
| 3-3-1-1 | Head-to-Head Record | 5-2-1-0 |
| Simon Mullen – 3 G, 4 A | Leading Scorer in Season Series | Éli Baillargeon – 7 G, 4 A |
Previous Meetings
- September 26th – Truro 2 Summerside 3 (OT)
- October 12th – Summerside 4 Truro 5 (OT)
- November 27th – Truro 2 Summerside 1 (SO)
- December 11th – Summerside 2 Truro 1
- December 13th – Truro 4 Summerside 3
- December 20th – Summerside 1 Truro 7
- January 15th – Truro 3 Summerside 5
- February 19th – Summerside 1 Truro 2
Notes
- Summerside has beaten the Bearcats in their last three playoff meetings, all of which were for the league championship (2021-22, 2012-13, and 2008-09), as they were in opposite divisions until 2023-24. Truro last beat Summerside in the MHL playoffs in the 2006-07 season, winning the league title in six games, but did top the Western Capitals for the 2013 Fred Page Cup.
- The teams tied in points during the regular season, with Summerside’s 29 regulation wins giving them the top overall seed in the Metalfab MHL Cup Playoffs. Six of their eight meetings were decided by one goal, and only one game was decided by more than two.
- Summerside’s Justin Ouellette leads the MHL with nine assists and is second in playoff scoring to Chaleur’s Jack Hayne with eleven points. Elliott Mullen is second in goals with five, only trailing the six from Truro’s Callum Aucoin and Grand Falls’ Jonah Leard. Mullen has two game-winning goals, tied with Hayne for the most thus far in the playoffs.
- Summerside found goals up and down their lineup in round one against Amherst, with fifteen different players scoring at least one goal. Mullen was the only player with more than two. Truro scored two fewer goals in two fewer games, but was a little more top-heavy as Aucoin, Antoine Fontaine, and Samuel Vachon combined for thirteen of their 21 goals against Pictou County.
- Truro’s special teams play led the way in round one, topping the MHL with a 34.8 per cent powerplay and a 95.5 per cent penalty kill. They were second to Summerside in the regular season, where they were fifth in penalty killing. The Western Capitals had a 26.7 per cent powerplay in the first round against Amherst, slightly behind their league-leading mark during the regular season of 30.7 per cent. Amherst were just 3-for-33 against Summerside in the first round.
- In goal, it’s youth versus experience. 16-year-old Sam Berthiaume easily leads the MHL with a 1.31 goals against average and a .962 save percentage, going 4-1-0-0 for Truro in the first round with one shutout. 20-year-old Kolton Bourret’s 2.17 goals against average is second to Berthiaume in the playoffs. He also had a 4-1-1-0 record against Amherst and a .915 save percentage with one shutout. Berthiaume also made more saves in five games than Bourret did in six: 175 to 150.
- Truro allowed just seven goals in five games against Pictou County, with five coming in the 2nd period. However, they were able to close out games, outscoring the Weeks Crushers 6-0 in the 3rd period. Summerside had a +3 goal differential in the 1st period, +2 in the 2nd period, and were even in the 3rd period against Amherst.