Patrick King

Tomas Jurco, left, and Ryan Tesink, bottom, collide with Majors' Marc Cantin.

A seven-game series between the Sea Dogs and Majors could be an ageless classic.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- For a moment, the opening game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup looked like a time capsule of tournament's past.

Prior to 1972, the national championship was determined in a best-of-seven series where emotions would run high and animosity would build with each passing game.

The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors and Saint John Sea Dogs were making up for lost time in that regard, and although they won't meet another six times, the bad blood in this game was reminiscent of the way the championship was previously decided.

The Sea Dogs and Majors may not meet again in the tournament, and would only do so in an elimination game. But the opening game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup between two non-league opponents leaves one wondering how magical a series between these two teams could have been.

"It would be a great series," Sea Dogs forward Michael Kirkpatrick said. "I probably would say it would go seven (games)."

Luckily for the players and ice bags everywhere, these teams won't meet another six times to determine the national championship.

The Sea Dogs-Majors tilt was a classic throwback style and although there weren't any bench clearing brawls, which was also the norm during a time when the championship was decided with a seven-game series, Friday's tilt was clearly a game played in the wrong era.

The brash, physical style resulted in a lot of undisciplined penalties and a sometimes wide-open, back-and-forth play. There were 15 power-plays with the Sea Dogs converting on three, while the Majors capitalized twice with the man advantage.

"It wasn't the most disciplined game you would ever see," Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco chimed in. "It was just a hard game where both teams were playing hard. Both teams had penalties."

And therein is the surprise from the tournament opener. Not that a scrappy, undisciplined game could only be attributed to previous decades, but the fact there were so many penalties in a game with so much on the line is a far cry from the structure we've grown accustomed in this era.

Mississauga head coach Dave Cameron acknowledged the cachet of the MasterCard Memorial Cup may have contributed to the team's lack of discipline.

"We lost our composure -- there's no doubt about that," he said. "It's something you talk about all year and as you get into bigger events and the games take on more meaning there's more emotion and you have to walk a fine line between good emotion and good karma, playing hard, whistle to whistle, to (not) lose your composure. I thought we did tonight and it hurt."

Alexandre Beauregard, one of Saint John's tougher players, was twice penalized for jostling with Majors defenceman Dylan DeMelo behind the play. Justin Shugg, a veteran playing in his third tournament, was also uncharacteristically sent off twice in the third period.

When asked if the referees dictated the game, Shugg paused before simply offering "no comment."

While some penalties teetered between being questionable to surprising, the arms didn't stop going up even until late in the third period of a one-goal game. Mississauga defenceman Michael D'Orazio took a tripping penalty when he lay across the ice to block a two-on-one. His skate connected with Zack Phillips' and the Sea Dogs forward spilled into the corner boards. There was less than three minutes remaining in regulation at the time.

And yet, the Majors produced the best scoring chance while down a man. Captain Casey Cizikas broke down the left wing and unleashed a shot that hit the post.

It was the type of wild and unpredictable game the national championship generally offers. Both teams acknowledged either team could have won and that emotions ran high. It wasn't exactly like the run and gun 1980s, but at times it did resemble it.

Whether it was Joseph Cramarossa jabbing his stick at Pierre Durepos before a faceoff to the many extended, not-for-print conversations on the ice, the game turned back the clock a couple decades.

"Our Quebec league is known for not being a physical league and we have a different team than most of the Quebec teams," Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant said. "We're a little bit more physical, a little more grittier and I thought tonight our guys tried to prove that a little bit."

We may be dreaming, but a seven-game series between these two teams could be an ageless classic.

"I think it would be very physical and a lot of fights and a lot of battles out there," Sea Dogs defenceman Nathan Beaulieu imagined. "It would be interesting to play them in a seven-game series, but I think we're happy just with one."

If that's all we're getting, we are too.