The Cape Breton Eagles are a major junior ice hockey team in the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...

(QMJHL). Their home rink is

Centre 200 Centre 200 is Cape Breton's primary sports and entertainment facility, located in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It is home to the QMJHL's Cape Breton Eagles. Besides ice hockey, the arena hosts many other events, such as rock concerts, figure skating, ...

in Sydney,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada.

History

The franchise was originally granted to the

Sorel Éperviers The Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, ...

(Black Hawks) for the 1969–70 season. They then moved from Sorel to

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

in 1977 to become the Verdun Éperviers. In 1979, they played in both Sorel and Verdun before moving back to Sorel for the next season. In 1981, they moved to Granby to become the

Granby Bisons The Granby Bisons were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Granby, Quebec, and played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They team was founded in 1981 in after the team moved from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, where they had previousl ...

, and in 1995 changed their names to the

Granby Prédateurs The Granby Prédateurs ("Predators") were a junior ice hockey team founded in 1981 after the team moved from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, where they had been known as the Sorel Éperviers. The team had been known as the Granby Bisons, but changed their ...

. In 1996, the Prédateurs won the

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...

. In 1997, the franchise was relocated to Sydney to become the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Prior to the Eagles' arrival, Sydney played host to the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL)'s

Cape Breton Oilers The Cape Breton Oilers were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team was the top minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers' organization relocated the team from Hali ...

from 1988 to 1996.

Early years in Cape Breton (1997–1999)

The Screaming Eagles' first captain was Daniel Payette under coach Dany Dubé.

The Vincent era (1999–2008)

In 1999, Pascal Vincent was hired as the new head coach and general manager. The Screaming Eagles attempted to strengthen the club by drafting future

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) star

Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montrea ...

tenth overall in the 2000 CHL Import Draft. However, Kovalchuk declined to report to the team. Along with star players

Marc-André Fleury Marc-André Fleury (born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsbur ...

, Dominic Noel, Stuart MacRae and Stephen Dixon, the Screaming Eagles reached the QMJHL's conference final in 2002, only to lose in five games to Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Fleury's number 29 jersey went on to be retired by the Screaming Eagles in 2008. Kovalchuk's number 71 was retired in 2014, as an April Fools' Day prank. Vincent stacked the Screaming Eagles lineup with many NHL prospects for the 2003–04 season in hopes of bringing a league title to Cape Breton. After the Screaming Eagles won 49 games and captured a division title, with Fleury also returning from the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

before the playoffs, but the Screaming Eagles lost in the second round to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. At the 2004 QMJHL Draft, the Screaming Eagles chose James Sheppard with the first overall pick. In 2006–07, along with star players

Luc Bourdon Joseph Luc Bourdon (February 16, 1987 – May 29, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League from 2006 until 2008. After overcoming childhood arthritis, he was s ...

, Ondrej Pavelec and Oskars Bartulis, Sheppard led the Screaming Eagles to the league semifinals, only to lose in seven games to the

Val-d'Or Foreurs The Val-d'Or Foreurs are a junior ice hockey team based in Val-d'Or, in the region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. The team was founded for the 1993–94 season of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, a member of the Canadian Hock ...

. The 2007–08 season saw 16-year-old goaltender Olivier Roy rise to prominence. The Screaming Eagles finished fourth in their division and won their first round playoff series despite having a roster that normally dressed at least ten rookies. Vincent went on to be named the 2008 QMJHL Coach of the Year. Following the end of the season, Vincent became the head coach and general manager of the

Montreal Junior Hockey Club The Montreal Junior Hockey Club ('' French: Le Club de Hockey Junior de Montréal'') was a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team was based out of the Verdun Auditorium, in Verdun, Quebec, Canada. The ...

2010s history (2008–2019)

Following Vincent's departure, assistant coach Mario Durocher took over the role of head coach and general manager. In a bid to host the

in 2012, Durocher added former NHL players Mike McPhee and

Guy Chouinard Guy Camil Chouinard (born October 20, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the 1970s and 80's for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues. He has also had a lengthy career as a coach in the QMJH ...

, former NHL coach Pierre Creamer and Michel Boucher to the hockey staff in consulting roles in 2010. Durocher was relieved of his duties on April 12, 2011, after a lackluster season in which the team finished 16th in the league and last in the Atlantic Division with just 41 points. The team's then-head coach Ron Choules replaced Durocher as general manager in April 2011, though the team failed to improve on the ice. After a poor start to the 2012–13 season, Choules himself was fired on December 3, 2012, with former Val-d'Or head coach Marc-André Dumont announced as his replacement. The Screaming Eagles failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in the 2012–13 season. At season's end, assistant coach

Jean-François David Jean-François David (born April 29, 1982) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously has served as an assistant coach with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Maj ...

was fired. After being eliminated in the second round of the 2019 playoffs, the Screaming Eagles fired their coaching staff. Dumont was replaced with Nova Scotia native, Jake Grimes, along with former Eagles alumni Chris Culligan as assistant coach. The team mascot is an eagle named Screech.

Cape Breton Eagles (2019–present)

On August 14, 2019, the team rebranded itself as the Cape Breton Eagles. On November 30, 2021, head coach Jake Grimes resigned as head coach citing personal reasons. He finished with a winning record overall with the club, at 46–34–0–7 record over one-and-a-half seasons but had started the 2021–22 season with a 6–14–0–4 record. The Eagles spent approximately two months with an interim head coach before hiring Chadd Cassidy on January 7, 2022.

NHL alumni

List of alumni to play in the

(NHL): *

Luke Adam Luke Adam (born June 18, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabre ...

* Mark Barberio * Oskars Bartulis *

Drake Batherson Drake Batherson (born April 27, 1998) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round, 121st overa ...

* Clark Bishop *

* William Carrier *

Jean-Philippe Côté Jean-Phillipe Marc Joseph Côté (born April 22, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He appeared in 27 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2005–06 and 2 ...

* Pierre-Luc Dubois *

Giovanni Fiore Giovanni Fiore (born August 13, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He is currently playing under contract with Admiral Vladivostok of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Playing career Fiore played minor ice hockey with the La ...

* Ryan Flinn * Martin Houle * Tomas Kloucek *

Guillaume Lefebvre Guillaume Lefebvre (born May 7, 1981) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played four seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins. Playing career Lefebv ...

* Maxime Lagacé * Adam Pardy * Ondrej Pavelec *

Alexandre R. Picard Alexandre Remi Picard (born July 5, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career As a youth, Picard played in the 1999 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournamen ...

* Tim Ramholt * Logan Shaw * James Sheppard * Egor Sokolov * Evgeny Svechnikov

NHL first round draft picks

List of first round picks in the

NHL Entry Draft The NHL Entry Draft (french: Repêchage d'entrée dans la LNH) is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the rights to available ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirem ...

: * 2003 –

, #1 overall

* 2006 – James Sheppard, #9 overall

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

* 2015 – Evgeny Svechnikov, #19 overall Detroit Red Wings *

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

– Pierre-Luc Dubois, #3 overall

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

Retired numbers

*#7 – Chris Culligan *#29 –

Award winners

List of award winners:

CHL Scholastic Player of the Year The CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award is awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League player who is best combines success on the ice with success in school. It is chosen from the winners of the constituent league awards; the Daryl K. (Doc) ...

*2007–08: Robert Slaney Humanitarian Award *2009–10: Nick MacNeil Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy *2003–04: Martin Houle (2.32) *2005–06: Ondrej Pavelec (2.51) *2006–07: Ondrej Pavelec (2.52) Kevin Lowe Trophy *2019–20: Adam McCormick Luc Robitaille Trophy *2006–07: Cape Breton (308) Marcel Robert Trophy *2004–05: Guillaume Demers *2007–08: Robert Slaney

Maurice Filion Trophy The Maurice Filion Trophy is awarded annually to the general manager of the Year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ' ...

*2006–07: Pascal Vincent

Mike Bossy Trophy The Michael Bossy Trophy (''French:Trophée Michael Bossy'') is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League judged to be the best professional prospect. The award is named after former New York Islanders forward Mike Boss ...

*2002–03: Marc-André Fleury Philips Plaque *2001–02: Pierre-Luc Emond Raymond Lagacé Trophy *2005–06: Ondrej Pavelec *2007–08: Olivier Roy

RDS Cup The RDS Cup is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the overall Rookie of the Year. The Cup was known as the Molson Cup from 1991 to 1994, and the New Face Cup from 1994 to 1996, but is now sponsored by the French-language s ...

*2005–06: Ondrej Pavelec *2007–08: Olivier Roy Robert Lebel Trophy *2003–04: Cape Breton (2.33) Ron Lapointe Trophy *2007–08: Pascal Vincent Telus Cup – Defensive *2002–03: Marc-André Fleury *2004–05: Martin Houle

Season-by-season record

As of the 2020–21 season:Cape Breton Screaming Eagles season-by-season record on www.hockeydb.com
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Regular season

:OL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss, Pct = Winning percentage

Playoffs

References

External links

Official Site
{{Nova Scotia Sports Sport in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams Ice hockey teams in Nova Scotia 1969 establishments in Nova Scotia Ice hockey clubs established in 1969