1983 AQHL Playoffs

 Round 1

Moncton Bears vs. New Glasgow Highlanders

New Glasgow swept the Bears in the season series, but Moncton got the last laugh as they swept the Highlanders in four games; all of them were blowouts, with game three being the only game that was a blowout, but at least the Highlanders got three goals, in that game the rest were only a goal. The Bears wins the series 4-0.

Sherbrooke Loups vs. Verdun Knights

The Sherbrooke Loups have the advantage of winning this series over the Knights, but both Shawn Thomas and Lenny Tardif got called up by their own reprehensive minor-pro hockey clubs, so the Loups call up some players from lower-tier level leagues to fill some holes in one of them is Jesse Matthews, a tough forward from St. John, Newfoundland. The crowd at Arena Commemorative de Sherbrooke was shocked to see that Jesse is a girl. Some felt uncomfortable with this, but after she gave Knights Tom Acomb a clean hit in game two and added two assists for a Loups win, the crowd started cheering for her. In game six, history was made as Jesse scored an overtime winner, which would be her first AQHL goal, and she became the first female hockey player to be named player of the game; many fans now got warmed up and hoped that the Loups could go all the way. The Loups wins the series 4-2.

Fredericton Vikings vs. Portland Clippers

The Vikings got themselves some luck in their side as Ed Thibault returned from playing most of this season with the Minnesota Pro Hockey club, with the team right now out of the playoff picture the team decide to send Ed to the Vikings to finish off this season. On paper, it’s an even series match, but the Vikings did everything right, while the Clippers did everything wrong as Dave Messier made 5 goals and 11 points within 5 games as the Fredericton Vikings took the series and moved ahead to round two. The Vikings wins the series 4-1.

Shawinigan Voltages vs. Manchester Americans

Both the Volts and the Americans went back and forth throughout the series all the way to game seven, but many Volts fans wish the series should have ended in game five as the team was falling apart; even some reporters saw the Voltages owner Pierre Leflar at the Casino Manchester, one asked an employee from the casino of how long he’s been there, the employee said that he has been making stops during the Volts games with the Americans both season and playoff games without letting anyone know about it. In game seven in Shawinigan, the Americans were winning 4-2 late in the third. Some fans look up and see Pierre Leflar acting unprofessionally throughout the game, too even throwing beer cups on the ice; as the game comes to an end, the Manchester Americans win their first-ever playoff series in their first-ever playoff appearance while the Volts got eggs on their faces with the owner’s bad behaviour. The Americans wins the series 4-3.

Round 2

Moncton Bears vs. Manchester Americans

The Manchester Americans came in Moncton with momentum on their side, but as the puck dropped to start game one, the Bears dominated that game in game two, both game three and four; however, the Americans fought back and only fell short in overtime. After being eliminated from the playoffs, the crowd at the Manchester Forum gave the team a standing ovation, thanking the Americans for a wild ride and hoping for a better result next season. The Bears wins the series 4-0.

Sherbrooke Loups vs. Fredericton Vikings

The Vikings almost had the Loups on the ropes after winning the first two games in Sherbrooke, but in game three, however, Timothy Moreau was finally back from injury before the playoffs started and became a brick wall with Jesse scoring a goal to win it 1-0 to turn this series around. In game four, the Loups were on a scoring frenzy all over the Vikings, winning it 8-2. Both games, five and six, were all Loups as they won 5-2 and 6-2 and went on to win the series and headed to the Bronz Cup for the second time in three seasons. The Loups wins the series 4-2.

Bronz Cup Finals

Moncton Bears vs. Sherbrooke Loups

For the third season in a row, the Moncton Bears are back in the finals and hope for a third time of charm. In game one, the Bears got themselves in a groove as Andrew Jones scored a hat-trick for a 4-2 win and became the first player in the AQHL history to score a hat-trick from each round of the playoffs. The Loups would get their payback in game two as Shawn Thomas scored two goals to tie the game, and Jesse became the first female to score a goal in a Bronz Cup finals as the Loups took game two 3-2. In game number three, the Bears took down the Loups in a blowout way with a 6-0 win, but the big news was that the Bears' defence, John Handley, elbowed Jesse, but she got back up ready for a scrap, but John got off the ice after the hit, many Bears fans question the hit, luckily Jesse background is she also play hockey with her brothers that’s how she got toughness in her. As game four came, Jesse got her payback on John from the check by playing hockey, scoring a goal off John’s skate and in the net, and putting in 3 assists to give the Loups a 5-3 win. In game five, the Bears thought they had it in hand, but the Loups turned it around by scoring to tie the game, and in overtime, Shawn scored the winner to give the Loups one win away from claiming the Bronz Cup. In game six, the Bears did everything they could to even the series, but the Loups had all the answers with three goals in the third period for a 5-2 final, and the team celebrated after the clock hit zero; the Sherbrooke Loups are the 1983 AQHL Bronz Cup Champions there was a happy moment were Shawn received the Bronz Cup he handed the Cup over to Jesse Matthew as she was the reason the Loups went all the way to the Bronz Cup, as the Bronz Cup event ended the Loups have to be ready for a trip to Medicine Hat for the Valor Cup Tournament.