Dozens gathered at the Campbellton Memorial Regional Civic Centre in Campbellton, N.B. on Saturday night as the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) hosted its inaugural Alumni Gala, which was broadcast on Eastlink Community TV and hosted by Mavs Gillis, with musical guest Josh Norrad.
PWHL San Jose Head Coach and General Manager Troy Ryan, the former head coach of Hockey Canada’s national women’s team, as well as former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie were the initial inductees into the MHL Alumni Legacy Club, which celebrates some of the league’s most influential players, coaches, and builders. Ryan is a three-time MHL Coach of the Year and won the last of those awards with the Campbellton Tigers. Labrie joined the Tigers for the 2005-06 season as a 19-year-old and was named an All-Star after finishing ninth in league scoring with 43 goals and 43 assists for 86 points in 54 games.
The event also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Tigers and the 60th season of the MHL in 2026-27. Gillis gave a brief overview of the league’s history before Labrie was brought to the stage for a jersey presentation from Tigers President Pierre Girard, Governor Brad Mann, and General Manager Charles Leblanc. After a speech to those gathered talking about his time in Campbellton and hockey journey, Gillis joined Labrie on stage for a few questions. He was later joined on stage by friend, and former teammate, Marc-Antoine Pouliot.
Troy Ryan was brought to the stage next by the Tigers’ leadership group and thanked countless individuals in Campbellton and the franchise. Ryan and Gillis spoke about his journey from a player in the MHL in the early 90s to coaching and joining the Tigers after a brief stint as a university coach. From there, they discussed the transition to coaching female hockey and eventually the national women’s team, culminating in a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Both Labrie and Ryan expressed gratitude to the Tigers organisation and for the opportunities they had in the MHL, which ultimately led to their successful hockey careers.
Before closing, MHL Commissioner Matt Moore spoke to the newest Moe Bent Builders Award winner: Clair Sudsbury. The award was announced following the league’s AGM yesterday.
The gala was the final event of a successful weekend for the MHL in Campbellton, which included the Annual General Meeting on Friday and the 2026 MHL Entry Draft, presented by McDonald’s Canada, on Saturday morning.