Voyageurs undefeated at holiday break

St. Boniface

The Voyageurs are off to a perfect start.

In the Winnipeg High School Hockey League’s Winnipeg Free Press Division, Collège Louis-Riel was undefeated going into the winter break, earning all possible 42 points over 14 games.

“We’re new in the (WFP Division) this year, so still getting an understanding of (how) the upper competition compares to where we were last year,” CLR coach Justin Buissé-Laroche said. “As teams are adjusting to us, we’re trying to tighten up the penalty kill and run new ideas through the guys so we don’t get outplayed or outcoached.”

Led by a core of Grade 12 players, including captain Davinault Lafrenière, Buissé-Laroche feels his team this year is well-rounded, on and off the ice.

“They’re a very good group, down to earth. Above anything, they’ve come together off the ice,” he said. “On the ice, they’re just a very well-rounded team. Guys are willing to play any position if it’s for the betterment of the team. No egos. A really tight group of players who have played together for a while now, growing up.”

While Buissé-Laroche noted that the team’s goal at the start of the season was to “compete and have fun above all,” the boys have since set their sights a little higher for the playoff push.

“We still want to have fun, but the boys are aiming towards the championship,” he said. “That would be an awesome way to cap it off.”

CLR rivals Dakota Collegiate held onto second place in the WFP Division at press time, with an 11-3-0 record, good for 33 points.

With the winter holiday season, players across all three divisions of the WHSHL will take a well-earned breather before the final push to the playoffs begins in the new year.

In the top Platinum Promotions Division, Oak Park held top spot going into a Dec. 19 game against Lord Selkirk, though both Vincent Massey and Sturgeon Heights were within a pair of wins at press time.

In the Price Division, the top three spots were held by teams from Warren, Lorette, and Niverville (respectively). However, West Kildonan sat in fourth place with a 9-1-0 record after 10 games, good for 27 points, while Murdoch MacKay was not far behind with 26 points and a 9-4-0 record over 13 games.