Clarenville, Deer Lake to face off for N.L. hockey's 'holy grail' in 90th Herder final

Newfoundland's top hockey prize is back up for grabs, as the Clarenville Ford Caribous and Deer Lake Red Wings face off for the 90th Herder Memorial Trophy starting on Friday.

The trophy, first presented in 1935, is awarded to the island's best senior hockey team. It's traditionally an east coast versus west coast match-up — in this case, the winner of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League versus the winner of the Central-West Senior Hockey League.

Friday will mark the first time the two teams have faced each other for the Herder in 14 years.

"I expect it to be a very, very close series," Ivan Hapgood, the Caribous' general manager, told CBC News Thursday.

"We had many a trips there in the day. But listen, really looking forward to getting back to it. That's what it's all about."

Deer Lake reached the final by defeating Grand Falls-Windsor and Stephenville. This year marks the third straight year they'll compete for the Herder, losing to the Southern Shore Breakers in 2023 and the St. John's Caps in 2024.

"The eastern league obviously comes with quite a bit of competition, but this team is set to take this on," Deer Lake Mayor Mike Goosney said Thursday. "This is going to be a third run, and we're optimistic for a different outcome."

Clarenville lost their first four regular season games and finished fifth in the Avalon East League, but put it together in the playoffs with series victories over Conception Bay South, Harbour Grace and the Southern Shore.

"Anytime you go 0-4 in a 20-game schedule, you know, it's never easy to bounce back," Hapgood said.

"I never did consider us a fifth-place team. I thought we were as good as any in the league right from the start. It was just a matter of getting things together."

Ninety years later, Hapgood says the Herder is still what every player in Newfoundland aims for.

"The Herder is hockey in Newfoundland. That's it, that's what it's all about," he said. "[People] consider the Herder the holy grail of hockey in Newfoundland."

Games 1 and 2 will be held in Deer Lake on Friday and Saturday before the series moves to Clarenville next weekend.

Goosney said passion for senior hockey and the Red Wings runs deep in Deer Lake, and expects the energy inside the Hodder Memorial Arena to be high on Friday.

"I think the roof's going to be just nearly lifting off, and that's an understatement," he said.

Goosney said some friendly competition is also underway with Clarenville Mayor John Pickett. They've made a bet for the losing team's mayor to wear the winning team's jersey at a future council meeting.

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