The Ridge Meadows Flames won their third straight Pacific Junior Hockey League championship in dramatic fashion, with a 4-3 comeback win over the Langley Trappers on Thursday night, April 2.
Veteran forward Cohen Muc scored twice in the second period to give the Flames a 2-0 lead, but the Trappers came back, and with just over two minutes left in the game, they held a 3-2 lead.
A dramatic final minute left the Flames celebrating another great season.
Flames rookie of the year Manny Sandhu got the tying goal on the power play with 50 seconds left, and then defenceman Tyler Blatz scored the championship goal with 21 seconds left in the game.
“Coming back from 3-2 with two minutes left it’s a storybook ending, it’s what we wanted,” said forward Max Wingrove.
Goaltender of the year Matthew Candusso said the comeback showed what this team is made of.
“That just shows our true character, how we don’t give up and we always work hard,” he said. “It shows what we’ve built over the past three years – champions.”
GM Derek Bedard, the league executive of the year said: “This is as sweet as it gets – first time in 41 years there’s been a threepeat, it’s unbelievable.”
Flames captain Zack Lagrange was the playoff MVP, and he had with nine goals and 32 points in 14 playoff games. He’s finished a career that saw him put up 397 points in 276 regular season and playoff games, over five season.
“It’s unreal. It’s the most fun that I’ve ever had in my life, and I’m so happy that we ended it off with a win,” said Lagrange. “Everyone bought in early, and we just kept getting better as the season went on.”
Flames head coach Brent Hughes, a former NHL player, said he still loves to win.
“It’s hard enough to win one, let alone three in a row,” said Hughes. “I’ve been in this game a long time, and you would think it gets old after a while, but it doesn’t.”
The @flamesjunior ownership group on a three-peat at the Lodge last night! #MapleRidge #PittMeadows #ThePJHL #Madeofhockey pic.twitter.com/WvRo6U4TRD
— Andrew Cheverie (@andrewcheverie) April 3, 2026
It was a year of transition in Junior A hockey in B.C. The PJHL was divided into two conferences that did not play each other, and the league hosted two championships. The Flames were grouped with the most competitive teams in the league in the Tom Shaw Conference, leaving no doubt among fans they are the top team in the league for the third season in a row.
There were tributes to the late Martin Hak, an assistant coach who had left the team to work as a head coach in Mission, and passed away after a car crash in November of 2025.
“A big shout out to Hakker this is a huge one for him, he did a lot for our organization,” said Blatz in his post-game interview. “To see him pass was something that deeply hurt in our dressing room, being such a close guy. That was for you Hakker.”