Reestablished

“Numb”

That’s how Gardiner MacDougall described his emotions after the Moncton Wildcats loss to the London Knights last night.

Words like grit and resiliency resonated through the press room as MacDougall gave an emotional and poignant synopsis of the Wildcats season.

We have grown accustomed to hearing those words and sound bites, throughout the Wildcats history altering championship run, but that’s a far cry from last years playoff exit. This season’s exploits and triumphs are well documented and still fresh in the minds even if that loss will sting the Wildcats loyal fan base for a longtime.

The Wildcats were at a crossroads last spring and it didn’t take a deductive mind to figure that out. The general feel around the organization was way off.

You could throw all the sporting cliches out there, but rock bottom could be the best descriptor.

You could have cut the tension with a knife at the Cats final goodbye and media day last March after being eliminated from playoff contention in disappointing fashion. The uncertainty that surrounded the team at that point took on a life of itself.

That’s the past and no one wants to think about that now, because they’re QMJHL champions, but all of the returning players, the core group and some staff had to answer for that. Those kids had to process and deal with all questions, ups and downs, underachieving, losing and all of the shit that went on last season.

The Wildcats organization had to take a long look the mirror and at that point re-evaluate everything. You can endlessly talk about change and it’s benefits, but taking action and finding the right people to elicit that change is a monumental task. Not even 24 hours have past since what MacDougall also called a “heart wrenching” loss in the Memorial Cup Semifinals, but there’s hope and reassurance around the organization. The MacDougall’s, their staff and those kids have reestablished that.

The whispers of what could have been in 2020 will now morph into “they were only a 3rd period away from the Memorial Cup final” and that’s perfectly ok, because there’s a new standard that was set and reestablished.

Their magical championship season is over, but the Wildcats have regained what some would say is the greatest accomplishment of any organization, it’s culture and identity.

The parade and all of the celebrations will happen and the group will go it’s separate way:, but the buzz and memories created by the 2024-25 version of the Moncton Wildcats has set a new standard, a new starting point and a foundation in which to build.

They are 2024-25 QMJHL Champions, but that group of players and coaches have reestablished the standard of what it means to be a Moncton Wildcat