The 2025 Herder Memorial Final was the championship series of Newfoundland senior hockey's 2024–25 season and the culmination of the 2025 Herder Memorial playoffs. The Central West Senior Hockey League champion Deer Lake Red Wings defeated the Avalon East Senior Hockey League champion Clarenville Caribous four games to zero in the best-of-seven series, earning their third title in team history.
The series began in Deer Lake with games one and two at the Hodder Memorial Complex on March 28 and 29 and concluded in Clarenville with games four and five at the Eastlink Events Centre on April 4 and 5.
On April 5, after the Championship-winning game, Hockey NL Chair of Senior Hockey Gary Gale presented the Herder Memorial Trophy to Red Wings' captain Stephen Simms. Deer Lake goaltender Bryan Gillis was presented with the Cliff Gorman Memorial Award as the series MVP.
Paths to the Final
Clarenville Caribous The Caribous finished the season in fourth place in the Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL) with a record of 8–9–3.
In the first round of the AESHL playoffs, Clarenville defeated the fifth place HGOE CeeBee Stars 2-games-to-0 in a best-of-three series. In the second round, the Caribous eliminated the first-place Baker's Flooring Conception Bay Blues 4-games-to-2 in a best-of-seven league semi-final.
In the league final, Clarenville defeated the second-place Puglisevich Southern Shore Breakers 4-games-to-1 and were awarded the Joe Maynard Trophy as the AESHL champion. The leading scorer in the 2025 AESHL playoffs was Clarenville's Adam Dawe with 18 points in 13 games (5G 8A).
Deer Lake Red Wings The Red Wings finished in first place in the Central West Senior Hockey League 18-game regular season with a record of 13-3-2.https://cwshl.ca/standings/
After eliminating the Stephenville Lightning in four straight games in the CWSHL semi-final, Deer Lake defeated the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts 4-games-to-2 in the best-of-seven league finals, winning their fourth Cliff Gorman Memorial Trophy.
Game summaries
Game one
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1st CLA Chad Earle Thomas Hedges, Graham Oldford 11:34 1-0 CLA CLA Adam Dawe Unassisted 13:48 2-0 CLA2nd DRL Brandon Hynes Stephen Simms, Jacob Oake 15:37 2-1 CLA3rd DRL Michael Hynes Luke Robinson, Jacob Oake 01:49 2-2OT None2OT None3OT DRL Kristopher Thomas Lucas McKay, Jonny Anderson 04:42 3-2 DRLPenalty summaryPeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM1st CLA Andrew Mercer Cross-checking 12:16 2:00 CLA Adam Dawe Cross-checking 14:44 2:00 2nd DRL Drew Langdon High Sticking 03:44 2:00 DRL Reilly Mayne Tripping 10:22 2:003rd CLA Patrick Farrell Hooking 03:22 2:00 DRL Reilly Mayne Holding 08:28 2:00 CLA Chad Earle Cross-checking 10:28 2:00OT CLA Adam Dawe Roughing after whistle 08:40 2:00 DRL Lucas McKay Roughing after whistle 08:40 2:002OT None 3OT None Shots by periodTeam123OTTotal 14 9 1217 52 13 13 10 19 55
Penalties by periodTeam123OTTotal 4 0 42 10 0 4 2 2 8
Note: SA = saves against. GA = goals against, SV = saves, SV% = save percentage, TOI = time on ice, PIM = penalty minutes
GoaltendingTeamGoaltenderSAGASVSV%TOIPIM A.J. Whiffen 55 352 0.945 94:42 0 Bryan Gillis52 2 50 0.962 94:42 0
Game Two
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1st DRL Stephen Gillard Matthew Grouchy, Cody Drover 11:04 1-0 DRL 2nd CLA Adam Dawe Kevin Reid, Chad Earle 02:26 1-1 DRL Cody Drover Jordan Maher, Matthew Grouchy 06:33 2-1 DRL3rd DRL Drew Langdon Brandon Hynes 18:45 3-1 DRLPenalty summaryPeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM1st CLA Jacob Evans Slashing 17:52 2:002nd DRL Lucas McKay Boarding 03:44 2:00 CLA Thomas Hedges Hooking 11:50 2:00 DRL Michael Hynes High-sticking 19:31 2:00 CLA Graham Oldford Slashing 19:43 2:003rd CLA Justin Pender Cross-checking 13:10 2:00 CLA Thomas Hedges Roughing after whistle 20:00 2:00 Shots by periodTeam123Total 10 181139 7 11 9 27
Game Three
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1st DRL Ryan Smith Brandon Hynes, Drew Langdon 15:27 1-0 DRL 2nd None 3rd None Penalty summaryPeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM1st None 2nd DRL Bryan Gillis Tripping 04:24 2:00 DRL Drew Langdon Closing Hand on Puck 06:22 2:003rd CLA Patrick Farrell Cross-checking 09:12 2:00 CLA Patrick Farrell Slashing 13:11 2:00 Shots by periodTeam123Total 10 4822 9 12 5 26
Game Four
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1st DRL Brandon Hynes Reilly Mayne, Stephen Simms 05:41 1-0 DRL CLA Thomas Hedges Kevin Reid, Adam Dawe 08:52 1-1 DRL Drew Langdon Stephen Simms, Brandon Hynes 11:57 2-1 DRL2nd DRL Reilly Mayne Darren Langdon, Lucas McKay 20:00 3-1 DRL3rd DRL Lucas McKay (EN) Reilly Mayne, Lucas Robinson 18:10 4-1 DRLPenalty summaryPeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM1stCARJacob EvansHooking05:212:00CARMason ReidRoughing07:472:00DRLLucas McKayRoughing07:472:00CLALiam LeonardCharging11:272:00DRLJosh DayCross Checking13:352:00CLAJustin PenderRoughing18:112:00CLAAndrew MercerRoughing18:112:00DRLReilly MayneGoaltender Interference18:112:00DRLReilly MayneRoughing18:112:00DRLDrew LangdonRoughing18:112:002nd DRL Paul Hutchings Jooking 02:37 2:00 DRL Kevin Reid Goaltender Interference 05:10 2:003rd None Shots by periodTeam123Total 8 19 7 34 9 8 9 26
Player statistics
Skaters These are the top ten skaters based on points. Player Team Brandon Hynes Deer Lake Red Wings 4 2 3 5 Drew Langdon Deer lake Red Wings 4 2 2 4 Reilly MayneDeer lake Red Wings 4 1 3 4 Adam DaweClarenville Caribous4 2 1 3 Lucas McKayDeer Lake Red Wings4 1 2 3 Stephen Simms Deer Lake Red Wings 4 Cody DroverDeer Lake Red Wings 4 Chad EarleClarenville Caribous 4 Thomas Hedges Clarenville Caribous 4 Matthew GrouchyDeer Lake Red Wings 4
Goaltenders
Player Team Bryan Gillis Deer Lake Red Wings 4 4 0 143 4 0.972 A.J. Whiffen Clarenville Caribous 4 0 4 138 11 0.920
Team rosters (work-in-progress)
Deer Lake Red Wings
# Nat Player Position HandAge AcquiredPlace of birthFinal appearance 72 Jonathan Anderson LW L 25 2023Rocky Harbour, NL second 32 Billy Clarke G R 31 2019Dayspring, Nova Scotia third 31 Bryan Gillis G L 36 2024Elmsdale, Nova Scotia second 91 Brandon Hynes RW R 32 2022Norris Point, NL third 89 Michael Hynes C L 34 2022Norris Point, NL fifth
Clarenville Caribous
# Nat Player Position HandAge AcquiredPlace of birthFinal appearance 29 A.J. Whiffen G L 35 2021Grand Falls-Windsor, NL seventh
References
External links www.theherder.ca www.hockeynl.ca/tune-into-ao-live-to-watch-the-herder www.facebook.com/deerlakeredwings www.saltwire.com www.eliteprospects.com www.vocm.com