St. James Canucks win MMJHL crown to end more than 20 year drought

The St. James Canucks are the champions of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League for the first time in more than two decades.

The Canucks defeated the Pembina Valley Twisters 5-0 in game five at the Bell MTS Iceplex on Monday to secure their first league title since 1998.

The Canucks won the rematch of the last championship series to exact revenge on Pembina Valley who were the defending champs from 2019. No playoffs were held in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.

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St. James won the final three games of the series to take the best-of-seven affair 4-1.

1:35 HIGHLIGHTS: St James claims MMJHL title with game 5 win over Pembina Valley

St. James lost just four games in regulation in the regular season, and dropped only two playoff contests en route to winning the Jack McKenzie Trophy. They swept the Charleswood Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, and knocked out both the Raiders Jr. and the Twisters in only five games.

It’s just the Canucks second league championship in the 44-year history of the franchise.