Family Matters

Whispers of “what could have been” in 2020 still haunt the Moncton Wildcats. Living in the past and “what if” scenarios tend to cloud the mind even after four years.  Those thoughts and emotions are buried deep, reflecting on that time and the potential that team had only make the cuts and wounds deeper for their loyal fanbase.

The time to build a championship contender is right now.

In the hockey world when you set out to build a championship program there’s always one common denominator and that’s family. Gardiner and Taylor MacDougall are now part of the equation for the Moncton Wildcats.

After weeks of speculation and no doubt the worst kept secret in hockey, Gardiner and Taylor MacDougall have officially been named as the Head Coach and General Manager of Hockey Operations of the Moncton Wildcats.

The MacDougall’s are a hockey family, there’s no other way to put it and as we all know family matters most.

When the news broke last week that Gardiner MacDougall was the frontrunner for the Wildcats vacant Head Coaching job very few people ever thought Taylor would be part of the equation.

That announcement might have been significantly premature given where the MacDougall’s were in their specific and current roles within the game of hockey, but family matters.

To land both MacDougall’s at this point of their careers is the real story behind the story. 24 seasons at UNB, the construction of a hockey dynasty for Gardiner while in Taylor’s case, a massively successful partnership with a multitude of players and their families for the Roy Sports Group.  

Why now? Why Moncton? That’s the other side of the story, but a new challenge and a chance to work together would be more than enough of an answer.

Obviously, the MacDougall’s want a new opportunity to cease the day and build something special in Moncton and to represent the province of New Brunswick.

Gardiner’s expertise and winning formula behind the bench is the stuff of legend. Taylor’s exploits in the game might not be as well known, but to say he has lived all aspects of the game would be a massive understatement.

Five years in the QMJHL as a player, four years at UNB, two National Championships, an Academic All Canadian while graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from UNB Law. He went on to play professionally in the ECHL and in Europe where he received honors while attending Edinburgh Business School. During his time with RSG he was part of the contract research and structuring process while overseeing all legal matters.

Taylor MacDougall is more than qualified to run a Major Junior hockey club, he’s a brilliant hockey mind in his own right. Taylor goes about his business quietly with the utmost class, dignity and respect. MacDougall is as connected as anyone in the hockey world as an agent/advisor and an amazingly savvy hockey mind who will be able to negotiate with anyone.

Family matters in the game of hockey.

Why now? Why Moncton?

No one has been able to lead the Moncton Wildcats in their 29-year history to the promise land to claim junior hockey supremacy, the Memorial Cup.

Gardiner and Taylor MacDougall will start that process and championship journey today. History awaits, for the MacDougall’s winning is a family tradition.