The Pinnacle AAA Growlers are Champions once again!

The St. John's based club won the 2023 NLU18MHL Playoff Championship on Saturday, March 11 with a 5 – 3 win over the Traction Central Impact in Grand Falls-Windsor. Growlers rookie Daniel Kearley scored the winning goal in the fourth and final game of the series.

The Growlers, who finished first overall in the regular season, went a perfect 8 – 0 in the post-season. They swept the Tri Pen Osprey in the semi-finals before winning the finals in four straight games over the Impact.

It's the second straight league championship for the Growlers, who were also crowned Provincial champions in 2022.

Central had a very strong season, finishing third in the regular season, and getting past the East Coast Blizzard in a four game sweep in their playoff semi-final.

2005 born Growlers goalie, Clay Ryan, was named Playoff MVP. Ryan won all four of his playoff starts, posting a pair of shutouts against the Impact in the finals.

With the Provincial Championship, the Growlers advance to the Atlantic Championships for the second straight season. The 2023 Atlantics will be held March 30 – April 2 in Fredericton, NB, hosted by the Fredericton Caps.