Unfamiliar territory for the Yarmouth Mariners.
The team will not take part in the MHL playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Head Coach and GM Laurie Barron says it’s disappointing.
“It’s crushing, we’ve always been in the mix. It’s a bad feeling, and you feel like you cheated the fans. The players feel that way as well. It’s about mending fences for us, and we’ve been trying to do that since the trade deadline,” said Barron.
The teams’ run since 2016 has included two MHL championships and three finals appearances, along with several first place finishes.
The Mariners host Summerside Saturday and Pictou County on Sunday in their final games of the season.
Barron says there’s lots to play for, as young players look to next season for roster spots.
“We’ve played well and had a winning record over our last 10 games, there have been bright spots with our young players and our two goalies, Keegan Warren and Carter Arnold both playing very well,”
Both netminders are eligible to return next season.
Barron says they’ll also have some younger local players in the line-up this weekend.
“For our returning players, it’s a showcase to see who we want back next year, and our 20s are finishing their run in Junior hockey and want to earn a place to play at the next level.”
Ludovik Tardif just committed to the Dalhousie Tigers next season, and Barron says schools have been calling about the other veterans.
Captain Keefe Marshall, defenders Beren Simard and Kyle McGuire and forwards Liam Bridger and Ethan Johnson will all be honoured before Sunday’s game.
Barron adds that the 50-man roster is the envy of the league.
“We’ve got a ton of very good players, some moves coming at the draft, and the deals we made at the deadline bode well for the future. I’m hungry to get back into playoffs next year, and it’s not a spot we want to be in again.”
The playoff matchups are set in the Eastlink South Division.
The Summerside Western Capitals finished first, and will take on the fourth ranked Pictou County Crushers, while an old rivalry is renewed in the other series between the Amherst Ramblers and Truro Bearcats.
