The Summerside Western Capitals earned their first win of the 2026 Centennial Cup on May 9, 2026, defeating the top-ranked Rockland Nationals 4-2 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
This victory was a significant turnaround for the host team, which opened the tournament on May 7, 2026, with a tough 5-4 overtime loss to the Niverville Nighthawks. Rockland entered the match as the number one ranked team in the country, having set a league record with a .945 win percentage during their regular season.
Goaltender Justin Robinson was instrumental in the win, making 29 saves in his first start since March 16, 2026. Head coach Billy McGuigan, who recently reached the milestone of 500 regular-season wins, credited Robinson for his performance. He noted that the team successfully executed their game plan against a bigger, stronger opponent and showed greater intensity following their opening game loss.
Owen MacPherson scored the game-winning goal for the Capitals. Additional goals were contributed by Alexandre Guy, Elliott Mullen, and Brennan Murphy, who secured the win with an empty-net goal in the final minutes of the match.
The win comes during a notable week for the organization. On May 8, 2026, team captain Simon Mullen was named the national junior hockey league’s top defenceman for the 2025-26 season.
