It’s down to the fab four in the Central Region, with the Cochrane Crunch, Hearst Lumberjacks, Oakville Blades and Thunder Bay North Stars set to face off at the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

One of these teams will be either make history or end a long drought; Cochrane and Hearst have never appeared at Canada’s National Junior A Championship, while Oakville (2010) and Thunder Bay (2006) have made only one trip each.

The North Stars and Blades have been season-long success stories, finishing second and third, respectively, in the final CJHL top-20 rankings before embarking on dominant playoff runs, combining for a 24-5 record. The Lumberjacks had to go the distance twice in the NOJHL, erasing a 3-1 series deficit against Timmins in the quarter-finals before downing Soo in Game 7 of the league final, while the Crunch will be well-rested after losing out in the first round (its last game was March 10).

RECENT CHAMPIONS (NJAC FINISH)
2018 – Wellington Dukes (second place)
2017 – Trenton Golden Hawks (fifth place)
2016 – Trenton Golden Hawks (third place)
2015 – Soo Thunderbirds (fifth place)
2014 – Toronto Patriots (fifth place)

COCHRANE CRUNCH
HOST

Regular season record: 31-20-5 (6th in NOJHL)
Goals for: 200 (6th in NOJHL)
Goals against: 186 (9th in NOJHL)
Power play: 33 for 245 (13.5% – 12th in NOJHL)
Penalty killing: 232 of 268 (86.3% – 2nd in NOJHL)
Leading scorer: Nicolas Flanders (18G 26A 44P – 25th in NOJHL)

Playoff record: 0-2
Goals for: 3
Goals against: 7
Power play: 1 for 6 (16.7%)
Penalty killing: 8 of 9 (88.9%)
Leading scorer: Trent Grimshaw (1G 1A 2P)

ROAD TO THE DUDLEY HEWITT CUP
Preliminary round: lost to Timmins 2-0 (2-5, 1-2 OT)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

HEARST LUMBERJACKS
NOJHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 33-16-7 (2nd in NOJHL)
Goals for: 210 (2nd in NOJHL)
Goals against: 159 (4th in NOJHL)
Power play: 62 for 286 (21.7% – 2nd in NOJHL)
Penalty killing: 241 of 281 (85.8% – 4th in NOJHL)
Leading scorer: Jake Desando (30G 45A 75P – 3rd in NOJHL)

Playoff record: 12-6
Goals for: 64
Goals against: 51
Power play: 10 for 58 (17.2%)
Penalty killing: 54 of 72 (75.0%)
Leading scorer: Max Johnson (12G 13A 25P)

ROAD TO THE DUDLEY HEWITT CUP
Quarter-final: defeated Timmins 4-3 (6-3, 2-6, 1-2 OT, 1-2, 2OT, 5-3, 5-4, 3-2)
Semifinal: defeated Powassan 4-0 (4-3 OT, 4-3 OT, 5-2, 3-1)
NOJHL championship: defeated Soo Thunderbirds 4-3 (2-3, 7-3, 3-2, 5-3, 2-4, 0-2, 6-3)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

OAKVILLE BLADES
OJHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 44-5-2-4 (1st in OJHL)
Goals for: 247 (1st in OJHL)
Goals against: 124 (5th in OJHL)
Power play: 50 for 243 (20.9% – 3rd in OJHL)
Penalty killing: 187 of 219 (85.4% – 7th in OJHL)
Leading scorer: Spencer Kersten (20G 40A 60P – 14th in OJHL)

Playoff record: 16-3
Goals for: 80
Goals against: 31
Power play: 15 for 79 (19.0%)
Penalty killing: 61 of 65 (93.9%)
Leading scorer: Spencer Kersten (12G 12A 24P)

ROAD TO THE DUDLEY HEWITT CUP
Preliminary round: defeated Brampton 4-1 (6-1, 5-1, 3-5, 3-1, 7-0)
Quarter-final: defeated Buffalo 4-1 (3-1, 0-1, 6-1, 4-3 OT, 4-1)
Semifinal: defeated Markham 4-1 (2-4, 5-2, 7-2, 5-2, 4-0)
OJHL championship: defeated Wellington 4-1 (6-0, 4-3, 3-1, 3-2)

Last national championship appearance: 2010 (fifth place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2010)

THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS
SIJHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 49-5-2 (1st in SIJHL)
Goals for: 363 (1st in SIJHL)
Goals against: 122 (1st in SIJHL)
Power play: 52 for 210 (24.8% – 1st in SIJHL)
Penalty killing: 227 of 254 (89.4% – 1st in SIJHL)
Leading scorer: Keighan Gerrie (41G 61A 102P – 1st in SIJHL)

Playoff record: 8-2
Goals for: 38
Goals against: 28
Power play: 13 for 52 (25.0%)
Penalty killing: 34 of 43 (79.1%)
Leading scorer: Keighan Gerrie (8G 8A 16P)

ROAD TO THE DUDLEY HEWITT CUP
Semifinal: defeated Dryden 4-1 (4-3 OT, 3-2 2OT, 3-5, 3-2 2OT, 4-1)
SIJHL championship: defeated Red Lake 4-1 (1-6, 5-2, 4-2, 7-4, 4-1)

Last national championship appearance: 2006 (fourth place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2006)