The Dawson Creek Canucks defeated the Quesnel Kangaroos 4-1 in the 2026 Coy Cup final on Saturday.
The Canucks, led by Coach Marcelle Capelle, battled their way to a championship in front of a sold-out home crowd at Memorial Arena.
“These guys deserve to be British Columbia champions. I’m so proud of them,” Capelle said.
The Quesnel Kangaroos struck first early in the game, putting the Canucks on their heels. However, goaltender Josh Round said that goal allowed him to settle into the game.
“Sometimes you play better when you give up a stinker early, and that’s what that was,” Round said. The Canucks goaltender was strong the rest of the way, stopping 30 of 31 shots.
Capelle said they were able to win because of a dominant defensive effort. “I was just talking with some of the guys. They said that was one of the best defensive showdowns we’ve ever had.” Capelle said.
Dawson Creek got rolling in the second period with goals from Chase Henrickson and Matthew Schmermund.
In the third period, Dolan Bjornson scored the goal of the tournament, going coast-to-coast to put his team up by two. “When that happens, you just black out. It’s all a reaction, and I was lucky to have two teammates who got me the puck,” Bjornson said.
Schmermund then scored his second goal of the evening into the empty net to seal the deal.
The championship caps off an incredible season for the Dawson Creek Canucks. The team finished at the top of the NPHL standings with an impressive 15-1 record.
However, Dawson Creek was swept by the Manning Comets in the NPHL final. A week later, the Canucks were back on the ice to face the best senior AA teams in the province.
“I’m just so ecstatic. A lot of these boys work hard all year. They go home late and then have to get up and work the next day, so to get a payoff like this in front of all the families and friends is just unreal,” Bjornson said.
Dawson Creek hosted the five-day tournament for the first time, and Canucks fans were taken on a roller-coaster of emotions.
After the first two round-robin games, all four teams were tied in the standings, leaving the Canucks on the brink of elimination.
Dawson Creek punched its ticket to the Coy Cup final with a win against the Rossland Warriors. In that game, the crowd witnessed an entertaining goalie fight involving Josh round after he was hit in his crease by a Rossland player.
“I looked up and the other goalie was at centre ice ready to go. Once I got the nod from the coach, I was like, ‘you’re never going to have a better time to do it,’” Round said.
Dawson Creek’s coach, Marcel Capelle, played for the team before taking on coaching duties. This is the first time Capelle has won the Coy Cup, a moment he will remember forever.
“This is the first Coy Cup for me. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group of guys,” Capelle said.