Garden River Nation forward joins Greater Sudbury Cubs for Centennial Cup tourney

The disappointment of thinking his hockey season had come to an end didn’t last long for Lincoln Moore.

Moore, a member of Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario, will now have the opportunity to compete for a prestigious hockey title, the Centennial Cup, annually contested by Canada’s top Junior A clubs. Competition runs May 8 through May 18 in Calgary. Ten teams will participate.

Moore thought his season had come to an end on April 29 when his team, the St. Mary’s Lincolns, were downed 4-3 by the Chatham Maroons in Game 7 of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s (GOJHL) Western Conference best-of-seven championship.

While the Maroons moved on to the league finals, Moore felt that he’d be packing up his belongings and heading back to his home community. As it turned out, following the Lincolns’ loss, a post-game phone call from his father changed those plans.

The brass of the Greater Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) had been in touch with the elder Moore that evening to inquire whether his son would be interested in joining the Cubs for the conclusion of their league final.

Moore jumped at the opportunity, driving more than 500 km the next day to be in Sudbury for the Cubs’ series-clinching Game 7 final against the visiting Hearst Lumberjacks. He arrived at the Sudbury rink about 30 minutes before the opening faceoff.

“I kind of rushed in the room,” he said. “I couldn't even park my car. I had to get somebody to park my car. I rushed in the room and literally just put my gear on. I think I got out to warmups with just like 10 minutes left.”

Moore not only made it to the game, he earned three assists and helped the Cubs register a 6-4 victory over Hearst. With that triumph, the Cubs qualified for the Centennial Cup.

Moore, a 19-year-old forward, had bounced around to various teams this season. He started the 2024-25 campaign in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Michigan-based Saginaw Spirit. Last spring with Moore’s help, the Saginaw squad captured the Memorial Cup, the top prize in the Major Junior ranks in Canada. Moore opted to leave the Spirit last fall to join the GOJHL’s St. Thomas Stars. A mid-season trade saw Moore move on to the Stars’ league rival the St. Mary’s Lincolns.

Moore is eligible to suit up for the Cubs as he signed as an affiliate player with the team this past December.

He had a buddy who was an affiliate with the Cubs last year, Moore said. “He told me it was a good time playing there and they had a good room.”

Though he said he was physically drained, having finished off his GOJHL playoffs less than 24 hours earlier, Moore was placed on the Cubs’ top line in their Game 7 against Hearst.

“I wouldn’t say it made things easy,” he said. “But they were giving me a lot of shifts early in the game. And I just got comfortable.”

Moore and his Cubs’ teammates are expected to fly to Calgary on May 6 to prepare for the Centennial Cup.

“I’ve only played the one game with them and I’ve practiced with them once,” Moore said. “I’m still learning the team a little bit. It seems like a hardworking and good group of guys. So, I'm excited.”

The Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are hosting the national tournament. The AJHL finalist Grande Prairie Storm will also take part.

Three other clubs from Ontario are competing, the Trenton Golden Hawks, Rockland Nationals and Kam River Fighting Walleye.

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard, Saskatchewan’s Melfort Mustangs, Quebec’s Valleyfield Braves and New Brunswick’s Edmundston Blizzard also qualified for the event.

The Cubs’ first game is May 9 versus Grande Prairie.

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.