The 2023–24 MHL season was the 56th season of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL). The Miramichi Timberwolves won their first league championship in franchise history.
Season highlights
The South Shore Lumberjacks from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia relocated to Kent County, New Brunswick and were renamed the West Kent Steamers. The Summerside Western Capitals shifted from the North division to the South division.
Former MHL president, Troy Dumville, resigned after one year in the role to take up a scouting position with the Winnipeg Jets. The league appointed Connor Cameron as its new president.
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) mandated the use of certified protective neck guards during all on-ice activities, including games and practices.
The Town of Truro, Nova Scotia, home of the Truro Bearcats, hosted the World Junior A Challenge, an international showcase featuring players from Canada, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.
Regular season
Teams played a 52-game regular season schedule, including 8 matches against each team in their division, and two against each team in the other division.
|+ style="background:#003277; border-top:#63ADE4 5px solid; border-bottom:#63ADE4 5px solid"| ! style=width:15em | Team ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Games Played">GP</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Wins">W</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Losses">L</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Overtime Losses">OTL</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Shootout losses">SOL</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Points">Pts</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Goals For">GF</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Goals Against">GA</abbr title> |- align=right | align=left| Edmundston Blizzard || 52 || 39 || 12 || 1 || 0 || 79 || 229 || 136 |- align=right | align=left| West Kent Steamers || 52 || 34 || 16 || 2 || 0 || 70 || 187 || 151 |- align=right | align=left| Miramichi Timberwolves || 52 || 31 || 16 || 3 || 2 || 67 || 211 || 182 |- align=right | align=left| Fredericton Red Wings || 52 || 22 || 25 || 2 || 3 || 49 || 209 || 218 |- align=right | align=left| Campbellton Tigers || 52 || 18 || 32 || 2 || 0 || 38 || 175 || 229 |- align=right | align=left| Grand Falls Rapids || 52 || 15 || 33 || 1 || 3 || 34 || 150 || 214
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|+ style="background:#003277; border-top:#63ADE4 5px solid; border-bottom:#63ADE4 5px solid"| ! style=width:15em | Team ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Games Played">GP</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Wins">W</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Losses">L</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Overtime Losses">OTL</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Shootout losses">SOL</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Points">Pts</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Goals For">GF</abbr title> ! style=width:2.2em | <abbr title="Goals Against">GA</abbr title> |- align=right | align=left| Summerside Western Capitals || 52 || 38 || 5 || 3 || 6 || 85 || 274 || 170 |- align=right | align=left| Amherst Ramblers || 52 || 27 || 20 || 3 || 2 || 59 || 204 || 216 |- align=right | align=left| Yarmouth Mariners || 52 || 26 || 20 || 3 || 3 || 58 || 178 || 186 |- align=right | align=left| Weeks Crushers || 52 || 27 || 21 || 4 || 0 || 58 || 223 || 217 |- align=right | align=left| Truro Bearcats || 52 || 25 || 21 || 4 || 2 || 56 || 212 || 193 |- align=right | align=left| Valley Wildcats || 52 || 10 || 40 || 2 || 0 || 22 || 179 || 319
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Individual awards
Individual awards are voted on by the general managers of each team, except the leading scorer award which is based on overall points scored during the regular season. General managers may not vote for their own team.
Player of the year - Ludovic Dufort, Miramichi Timberwolves (52 games, 82 points, 46 goals, 36 assists, second in power-play goals with 13, nine multi-goal games, 14 games with at least three points).
Goaltender of the year - Nicholas Sheehan, Edmundston Blizzard (2,383 minutes played, 40 wins, 2.29 goals-against average, .926 save percentage, five shutouts).
Defenceman of the year - Olivier Beaudoin, West Kent Steamers (49 games, 12 goals, 37 assists).
Rookie of the year - Spencer Caines, Valley Wildcats (50 games, 67 points to finish atop the rookie scoring race).
Character player of the year - Will Chisholm, Yarmouth Mariners (recognized for community involvement, work with minor hockey program and the Mariners Icy Knights group).
Coach of the year - Phil Fife, Amherst Ramblers (27-20-3-2 record after taking over a team that missed the playoffs last season).
Top goaltending tandem - Nicholas Sheehan and Samuel LeBlanc, Edmundston Blizzard (136 goals in 52 games).
Regular season scoring champion - Carter McCluskey, Fredericton Red Wings (47 goals, 59 assists).
Scholastic Player of the Year - Salem Johnson, Fredericton Red Wings.
Community Spirit Award - Peter Amanatidis, Edmundston Blizzard.
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Post-season
The top 4 teams from each division advanced to the playoffs. The Miramichi Timberwolves emerged as league champions despite their middling finish in the regular season. It was the Timberwolves's first league championship.
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Centennial Cup
The 2024 national championship tournament took place at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario from 9 to 19 May 2024. The competition included all nine CJHL championship teams and hosts the Oakville Blades. The format consisted of a 4-game round-robin with two groups of five teams, followed by a six-team single-elimination play-off. The top team from each group of the round-robin had a bye to the semifinal round.
The Miramichi Timberwolves won 3 of their 4 games in the round-robin. In the quarterfinal round, they defeated fellow first-timers, the Navan Grads of the CCHL by a score of 8-4. The Timberwolves then lost to the Collingwood Blues of the OJHL by a score of 5-2 and thus were eliminated from the competition. The Collingwood Blues went on to win the competition after defeating the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL in the final by a score of 1-0.
References
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