The Great 8 Debate

With the 25th Anniversary season of Moncton Wildcats hockey set to start October, is it time to retire a number?

As the summer is filled with uncertainty in Moncton due to Covid-19, we know one thing. The Moncton Wildcats are part of the fabric of this community and will be back for a 25th season.

When that will happen, no one quite knows yet. The league is hoping October 1 as of this article. What we do know for sure in this upcoming season is that it will be like no other.

The 2019-2020 Moncton Wildcats were poised to raise some banners last season. They had all three key positions loaded with all stars, as well as role players that helped along the way. They made deals at the Christmas trading period that allowed them to go on a run, seeing them lose one game at home in three months.

There was excitement in the air as the playoffs were looming, but sadly the season, playoffs and Memorial Cup tournament was shut down due to a worldwide pandemic. A season with such high expectations ended with only one banner, a Maritimes Division championship banner.

What if that’s not the only banner they raise this year?

It’s the 25th anniversary of the Moncton Wildcats. That’s 25 years of very talented players to come through this organization. Some NHLers plyed their trade here, so I ask you: is it time to raise a banner to retire a number?

If you ask me, it’s a simple answer: YES!

But, retiring junior hockey numbers can become a slippery slope. Do you retire a number on junior success only, or does NHL success factor in? If you look at the Wildcats, considering NHL success, it HAS to be Corey Crawford for two Stanley Cups and two William Jennings trophies, right?

Maybe Keith Yandle, David Savard, J.F. Damphousse…

I believe, if your retiring a number for the Moncton Wildcats franchise, it HAS to be the franchise leader in points -- number 8, Conor Garland.

He arrived as a fifth round pick for the Wildcats in 2013. Coincidentally, he was also drafted in the fifth round by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015. He started slow in 2013, playing only 26 games and amassing 17 points, but he got better in his sophomore season with 54 points in 51 games in 2014.

He then exploded for 129 points in 2014-15, and then 128 points in 2015-16. He holds the franchise records for most points in a season and most assists in a season with 94. He is the all-time team leader in assists with 224 and points with 328. He also has tied the Wildcats record for most goals in a game with six. Fans may have thought that Jakob Pelletier had a chance to catch Garland, but after the Wildcats sent Pelletier to the Val-d’Or Foreurs this off-season, it became evident it may be a long time before someone comes close to that record again.

In five years, no one has worn the number 8 that Garland so proudly wore night-in and night-out for this franchise. I reached out to ask Conor what would it mean to have his number retired by the team.

“Obviously, it’s not just any organization in junior. It’s a top tier organization in the CHL so it would be quite something to have that happen,” Garland explained. “I think there are some guys like Yandle, Crawford, [Brad] Marchand and [Ivan] Barbashev, who are older and as deserving, but it would be very nice if the organization started retiring numbers, and I’d very proud to be one of those numbers.”

It’s going to be a long season in Moncton this winter, and with the NHL uncertain to return to play, no one knows when you can have Garland arrive in Moncton for the night, but it HAS to happen this season.

It’s simple, really. The The Maritimes Division Championship banner is raised during the home opener, and then a Garland 8 banner on a Saturday night in November.

It’s time the team starts to recognize the past successes of this franchise, and with fans needing something to look forward to this season,it starts with retiring the number of the greatest player to put on a Wildcats Jersey!

It's simple, there is no debate.

Retire the number 8 this season!