2022-23 Season Recap

It was an exciting year for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan! When the puck dropped on the 2022-23 season, the team officially marked its 25th anniversary along the Bay of Chaleur. Can you believe it? The Titan have proudly called northern New Brunswick home for more than two decades.

In honour of the milestone anniversary, Historical Moment and Alumni Profile articles were published on the team website every week. Here, we pressed rewind to showcase some great moments and players from our past. Names like Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Viel, Noah Dobson, Mathieu Perreault, Jordan Clendenning, Mathieu Benoit, Roberto Luongo and Ramzi Abid made it to the forefront every week as we celebrated our alumni and their achievements. Oh, and let’s not forget how we managed to win the President Cup in 1999 and 2018 as well as the Memorial Cup in 2018. Pretty cool, right?

The Titan kicked-off the 2022-23 season under the leadership of new Head Coach and General Manager, Gordie Dwyer. New players were welcomed into the Titan organization and veterans of the team settled into another year wearing the red and gold. Cole Larkin was named the team’s 2022-23 captain, with Ben Allison, Riley Kidney, Jacob Melanson, and Ty Higgins serving as alternates throughout the year.

Speaking of Larkin, the 20-year-old defenceman set the record for most consecutive games played in team history having suited up in a total of 247 straight games. Fellow defenceman Ty Higgins also set a team record for the most goals by a defenceman in one game when he scored a hat trick on March 12 against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Three times this year Titan players proudly wore special jerseys. The first two jerseys were designed by our talented Content & Media Relations coordinator Bryer MacPherson. December 4 against the Victoriaville Tigres players rocked retro jerseys featuring a blending of our iconic Viking-like logo from when the team first moved to the Chaleur region in 1998, and our current red and gold colour scheme. The 25th Anniversary jerseys, which were worn January 20 against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, were a beautiful silver jersey with our 25th logo front and centre of the hockey sweater.

The third was an initiative highlighting the rich and beautiful culture of the region’s Indigenous community, while also strengthening our relationship with our friends at Pabineau First Nation. For the first time in our 25-year history, our players wore a jersey honouring Pabineau First Nation. The beautiful and meaningful logo design was a collaboration between Pabineau First Nation Mi’gmaq artists Phyllis Grant and Felicia Mae Galbraith.

On January 27, we hosted the first Pride Night in Acadie-Bathurst Titan history! The Titan Foundation was honoured to host the event alongside our partners Fierté Chaleur Pride and Acadie Love.

In front of a roaring home crowd, we also retired one of our esteemed alumni’s jerseys. In November, Titan players, friends, fans, staff and the community watched as Thomas Beauregard’s No. 28 jersey was hoisted to the rafters. Beauregard was with Acadie-Bathurst for his entire major junior career, spanning five seasons from 2002 until 2007. Throughout his time with the Titan, he suited-up in three playoff appearances (2003, 2006, and 2007) and finished with a career total of 172 goals and 151 assists for 323 points in 289 games. His career-high was during his final year in 2006-07 when he tallied 71 goals and 53 assists in 69 games for 124 points. Beauregard was named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team that season and registered the most goals of any player in the QMJHL that season.

You might have noticed a new seating section inside the Eddy Rink. This year the new Fred Best Superfan section was unveiled, in honour of our ultimate Titan fan, Fred Best! Fred – who can be spotted at any game cheering on his beloved team and sporting his Viking-style helmet – is a staple of the Titan family.

An internet star hit the ice at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre as well! The furry and lovable German Shepherd hockey star – AKA Maggie the Goalie – was in the house last month to stop pucks and win the hearts of Titan  fans! Who doesn’t love dogs, and a dog that loves hockey? Priceless!

Your Acadie-Bathurst Titan found the back of the net more than 200 times this season! This means the team will be planting 203 trees in the Chaleur Region as part of our Interfor sponsored One Goal, One Tree initiative!

And, lastly we named our 2022-23 award winners this month as we celebrated our dedicated and talented players, staff and volunteers. Ty Higgins was named the Humanitarian Personality of the Year; Joseph Henneberry received the Most Courageous Player award; Emile Perron, took home the Most Improved Player award and Harry Clements received the Most Underestimated Player.

Donovan Arsenault picked up the Fan Favourite Award, while Mylene Ouellet-Leblanc was named the Volunteer of the Year and Content & Media Relations Coordinator Bryer MacPherson, won the Employee of the Year. Captain Cole Larkin was named the Student of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year, while Joshua Fleming was named the Rookie of the Year and the Stars Cup winner. Ben Allison was named the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player.

What a year for your Acadie-Bathurst Titan! We can’t wait for the puck to drop on the 2023-24 season and to see you back at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre. GO TITAN GO!