ELSTON

Mongrain foresaw demise as boss of Mooseheads

Bob Mongrain knew his job was on the line, but he didn’t expect to lose it before the Memorial Cup. The ex-Halifax Mooseheads’ coach-GM spent a year preparing his team to host the major junior showcase (May 20-28), but was fired April 20, leaving him with a sense of unfinished work. “There was talk it could happen any day,” said Mongrain, who guided the Mooseheads to fourth overall (41-25-6-5) in the Quebec League this season. “It’s not like it’s a shock or anything, but the timing is the shocking part. “The organization was under a lot of pressure. The team was under a lot of pressure. I was under a lot of pressure. When you win, what you’re doing is buying time in this business.” Mongrain heard rumblings mid-way through the season and criticism…

Long shot Lynx stun top-seeded Everblades in first round

Near the mid-point of the season, the Augusta Lynx were a team in disarray. They had lost 21 of 33 games and appeared destined for the scrap heap of the East Coast League. So what were they doing in the Southern Conference quarterfinal, stunning the regular season champion Florida Everblades 3-2 in one of the biggest upsets in league history? “It’s some luck and a tremendous amount of work and belief in ourselves,” said center Dean Tiltgen to the Augusta Chronicle. Tiltgen scored two goals in the decisive game and goalie Judd Lambert did the rest, making 46 saves as the Lynx won Game 5 by a 4-2 score in Estero, Fla. Augusta’s victory stands as the third-biggest shocker in the 12-year history of the ECHL, based on regular season point differential. The Everblades…

Lightning hold the line on ticket prices, now offer some $8 seats

The new season is only six months away, but Tampa Bay Lightning fans can already chalk up a victory. The team is holding the line on prices for season ticket holders and holders of half-season plans who renew their deals. It is also lowering prices for almost all the Ice Palace’s upper-level seats. There are exceptions. The price of lower-level seats increased up to eight per cent. But upper-level seats that cost $29 last season are either $25 or $21. Tickets that were $21 are $16. About 1,500 upper-level seats are $10. Several hundred more are $8, a price Lightning president Ron Campbell said is the lowest in the NHL. Campbell said season ticket holders of club seats who renew contracts can also expect a price reduction, though the amount has not been determined. “The…