Lumberjacks Storm Back to Force Game Six Against Cubs in the 2025 NOJHL Copeland McNamara Cup Series -

Looking to clinch their second straight NOJHL Copeland McNamara Cup Championship, the Greater Sudbury Cubs returned to home ice on Friday, April 25th, holding a 3-1 series lead over the Hearst Lumberjacks. However, the Lumberjacks had other plans, battling back in an explosive game five to earn a 10-6 victory and extend the series.

The Cubs struck first on the powerplay just 3:47 into the opening frame when Noah Kohan buried his fifth of the postseason, lifting a rebound over Hearst goaltender Alexandre Boivin. Daks Klinkhammer and Lucas Signoretti picked up the assists.

Hearst responded shorthanded at 9:33 when Mathieu Comeau ripped a low snapshot under Cubs netminder Karsen Chartier, knotting the game at 1-1. Brayden Hindman and Adam Shillinglaw assisted on Comeau’s seventh of the playoffs.

Early in the second, William Pâquet gave Hearst a 2-1 lead, beating Chartier top corner with a wicked shot from the right faceoff circle. Tyler Patterson and Cole Miller added the helpers.

Sudbury fought back less than a minute later. With a delayed penalty coming, Cameron Shanks rifled home the tying goal through traffic, his third of the playoffs. Then, at 4:19, Michael McLean capitalized on a weird bounce off the boards to slip the go-ahead marker past Boivin, putting Sudbury back ahead 3-2.

Hearst answered with a five-on-three powerplay goal at 9:51, when Liam Boswell snapped a wrist shot past Chartier to tie the game once again.

The Cubs reclaimed the lead at 15:03 with a powerplay marker from Lucas Signoretti — his 17th of the playoffs — as he tucked the puck past Boivin from beside the net. Spencer Horgan and Klinkhammer assisted. Horgan followed up with his fourth of the postseason just 81 seconds later, extending Sudbury’s lead to 5-3.

Comeau added his second of the game for Hearst at 18:21, cutting the deficit to one, before Kohan’s second of the night restored Sudbury’s two-goal cushion with a brilliant shorthanded effort, sending the Cubs into the intermission up 6-4.

Hearst made a goalie change to start the third, inserting Owen Bonthuis between the pipes. The move sparked the Lumberjacks.

At 8:21, Boswell tallied his second of the game to pull Hearst within one. Then, at 13:28, DonHeaven Veilleux scored from the doorstep to give the Lumberjacks their first lead since early in the second, 7-6.

Henry Ouellet and Veilleux each added insurance goals — Veilleux with his second of the night on the powerplay — to stretch Hearst’s advantage to 9-6.

With the Cubs’ net empty, Bronson Babyak sealed it at 17:44, scoring Hearst’s 10th goal of the night and sending the series back to Hearst for Game 6.

Chartier made 37 saves on 45 shots in the loss for Sudbury, while Boivin and Bonthuis combined for 23 saves on 29 shots for Hearst.

The Cubs still lead the best-of-seven final 3-2, but the Lumberjacks have new life as they head home to the Claude Larose Arena for a crucial game six on Monday, April 28th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.