Wildcats eliminated from Memorial Cup after 5-2 loss to Knights
The dream season for the Moncton Wildcats, one of promise and outstanding achievement, came to an emotional end after a 5-2 semifinal loss to the London Knights Friday at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski.
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London's Blake Montgomery and Jessi Nurmi scored 10 minutes apart in the final period to snap a 2-2 tie and the Knights' star forward Easton Cowan clinched the win with an empty net goal late as London advances to the championship Sunday against the Medicine Hat Tigers.
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For the Wildcats, it was oh so close.
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'I am super proud of everyone on our team, the coaches down to the Black Aces who didn't play,' said Wildcats captain Markus Vidicek. 'We knew it was going to be a battle all night long. We threw punches, they threw punches but, in the end, they won a third period, and we didn't.'
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The Cats set franchise records in many areas, including best winning percentage with a 53-11-2-0 mark in the regular season and captured their third QMJHL title with a victory over Rimouski to claim the Gilles Courteau Trophy on May 19.
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The 16-3 playoff record was also a franchise best, exceeding the 16-5 slates the team recorded in winning the 2006 and 2010 QMJHL titles.
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This season proved to be a mammoth improvement from the previous campaign in which lofty expectations were met with a devastating turn in a four-game opening-round playoff sweep to Chicoutimi.
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But this year was different, with new head coach Gardiner MacDougall behind the bench and new general manager Taylor MacDougall, his son, pulling the strings on numerous high quality player acquisitions to form a lineup that gelled almost from the get-go.
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They were ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League many times during the year and after clinching the regular season title in March, they were even better in the post-season to earn a berth to their third Memorial Cup tournament.
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'It is gut wrenching because of the faith Mr. (Robert) Irving put in us,' said Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall after Friday's loss.
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'When you don't win your last game, you are very disappointed as a coach, but the group came so far. You are representing a city, you are representing a province, you are representing our league. There is certainly disappointed feelings but the other part of it is you see the growth of the group and what a difference they made. They set new standards, and we just came a little short.'
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Trial continues for five hockey players accused of sexual assault
A composite image of five photographs show former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team, left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne Warning: This story contains graphic details and allegations of sexual assault The sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team is expected to hear today whether another one of the players will take the stand. Alex Formenton's legal team is expected to tell the court whether they will call any witnesses, including their client. Another accused, Carter Hart, testified over two days last week, which included one day of cross-examination by the Crown. Formenton, Hart and their ex-teammates Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault. The trial centres on an encounter with a woman inside a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018. If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis: If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911. A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found on the website for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres. Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here. National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419 24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808 Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010 Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366 Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648 Read about your rights as a victim here.
CBC
5 hours ago
- CBC
Making sense of some of the evidence in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
Social Sharing WARNING: This article references sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone impacted by it. The sexual assault trial of five players who were on Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team isn't just being followed closely in sports circles and by advocates against gender-based violence. The legal community is also watching the proceedings, where there have been many dramatic developments since they began in late April in London, Ont. The accused men — who all at one time had NHL careers — are Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod. All have pleaded not guilty. The charges stem from allegations by the complainant, E.M., and their time at a London hotel in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada gala to celebrate the hockey team's world title. CBC News spoke to three lawyers who are not involved in the case but are closely watching it. "Every episode of this trial is jam packed with legal drama," said Nick Cake, a London-based criminal lawyer and former Crown. Since the trial began, there has been a mistrial, followed four weeks later by a second jury being discharged as the case shifted to being heard by Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia alone. There have also been numerous evidentiary applications and arguments in voir dires, or trials within a trial. "For me, it's really a love of the law. I think there are very interesting issues that have arisen," said London-based criminal defence lawyer Sam Puchala, who frequently slips into the courtroom to watch the world junior proceedings. "These are some of our colleagues in the defence bar who are very notorious. They have very good techniques, and so it's just been a pleasure to watch but also learn. So I'm learning things every day in this trial as well." Keeping on top of the proceedings from Vancouver, Sarah Leamon, a defence lawyer and prosecutor, says, "It's a very unusual trial given that we have five different co-accused all on trial. "Not only that, but there's also a great deal of interest given the fact that this is a Hockey Canada issue," Leamon said. (Hockey Canada hosted the London gala for the world junior team in 2018, and has also faced criticism over eventually settling a civil lawsuit by the complainant, whose identity is protected under a standard publication ban. During this trial, defence counsel for the accused have also noted Hockey Canada settled the suit without communicating with or seeking the consent of the players.) There has also been a preponderance of evidence. The exhibits shown in court include surveillance footage from a bar, photos of a hotel room, the phones of hockey players, text messages and even a pair of stilettos. In one memorable moment during cross-examination, Julianna Greenspan, who represents Foote, hoisted a pair of stilettos into the air. They were, she said, the same make as the ones worn by E.M. Greenspan's questioning revealed the shoes — with long, thin high heels — were difficult to put on, and the lawyer used them as part of her arguments that E.M. never actually was wearing them when she tried to leave the room. Greenspan suggested it was because she never intended to leave. A photo of E.M.'s shoes was also entered into evidence. Here are more thoughts from Cake, Puchala and Leamon, focusing on how some of the evidence/exhibits may play into the trial. The '3 way' text One of the first exhibits the Crown put forward was a screenshot of a text from McLeod that timestamped 2:10 a.m. on June 19, 2018. Sent after McLeod and E.M. left Jack's bar and had sex in Room 209 at the Delta hotel (court heard the first time they had sex was consensual), the text appears to invite teammates to his room for a "3 way." " Without any context, it's just one small piece of the puzzle," Cake says of that text. "I don't think that this particular piece of evidence does a whole heck of a lot because all it does is explain what we already know, that there were a lot of men in that room with one woman and the allegations are that something happened." Leaman said it needs to be viewed more as narrative evidence — which is evidence that helps tell the story. "We know that this message was sent, and we know who sent it, what time they sent it. But again, the context, as [Cake] has pointed out, it needs to be filled in." Puchala said the message helps support the Crown's narrative of how the night unfolded. "It really is just something that leads to how it begins in a concrete way so that you know there can't be any sort of denial about this message being sent." Puchala said the text inviting players to the room for a "3 way" doesn't really serve as evidence of consent or lack thereof even if E.M. consented to the text being sent. "That's not what her evidence is, that she wanted a three-way, but this is really suggesting something that isn't even what ends up happening in terms of the allegations." The 'consent videos' The trial also saw two videos of E.M. that were taken from McLeod's phone. One video is timestamped 3:25 a.m. In it, McLeod is heard saying: "You're OK with this?" E.M. responds: "I'm OK." The next video is timestamped 4:26 a.m. A male voice is heard saying: "It was all consensual?" E.M. is heard replying: "It was all consensual. Are you recording me? K, good. You are so paranoid. Holy. I enjoyed it. It was fine. I'm so sober — that's why I can't do this right now." " I've had a lot of members of the public ask me, why is it that we're even coming to a trial if there are videos that confirm her consent?" Puchala said. "I know lawyers have spoken up about this before, that just because a video is recorded of you saying that you were fine with something that happened, doesn't mean that you are consenting at the time of the act." Puchala has watched the videos several times in court. One thing she says Carroccia will have to take into account is E.M.'s demeanour, particularly in the second video. "Some could view that as very skittish, right? That she wants to get out of there. So I think it really comes down to the analysis," Puchala said. In the first video, E.M. appears to be wiping her eyes. She has testified to weeping at times in the night. "This will be up to Justice Carroccia now that she is the trier of fact. She is going to rewatch that video many, many times, and that is going to be for her to determine in weighing the complainant's credibility and reliability." Leaman suggests the fact the videos even exist raises questions useful to the Crown. " Why would somebody feel the need to get a consent video after they've engaged in what they believe to be consensual sexual activity with an individual?" Because, under Canadian law, consent has to occur at the time of the sexual activity, Leaman said she would find defending the videos problematic. "We could make the argument, of course, that this is consent and it was valid consent, and this is documenting the valid consent that was obtained at the time. It just seems unusual." Cake pushed back on Leaman's assessment. "If you're wearing a world juniors championship ring, you're on the verge of a 10-year, $12.5-million contract to play in the professional hockey association that dominates North America, and you've just engaged in sexual activity," Cake said. 'Isn't there a part of you that might think, 'You know what, I want to protect myself from this exact situation or from a potential civil lawsuit. And so I'm going to grab this video.' That's potentially one of the ways that I see it." Texting between McLeod and E.M. McLeod found E.M. on Instagram a day after the alleged assaults and the two started texting. "I think text messages are always useful in terms of framing the evidence that the parties give," Puchala said. She sees several different ways the Crown and the defence teams could interpret the exchange. "When E.M. says, 'I was really drunk, didn't feel good about it at all after,' I think the word 'after' is interesting because of course not feeling good, or feeling shame or disgust even after an otherwise consensual encounter does not amount of sexual assault," Puchala said. "When she says, 'But I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble,' that could be true, even if there's a sexual assault. So, even if she was not consenting, and lots of sexual assault victims do not want accused persons to get into trouble." Puchala said the texts corroborate E.M.'s testimony that the initial encounter with McLeod was consensual and "'it was everyone else after that I wasn't expecting." "So, again, what exactly was it that you were not expecting?" Puchala said, adding that "needs to be a determination from Justice Carroccia." Puchala then zeroed in on E.M.'s line "just felt like I was being made fun of and taken advantage of." "Being 'made fun of' is not a crime," Puchala said. "But if it's really being taken advantage of, 'I did not consent to these other men coming into the room and engaging in the behaviours that they did,' that's a whole other story." Leaman zeroed in on the text in which E.M. tells McLeod she "didn't feel good about it at all after." "You can have buyer's remorse, to put it that way, after a sexual encounter that was consensual at the time, but now you look back and you think, 'Oh, I really wish I hadn't done that,'" Leaman said. "That does not vitiate the consent that was given at the time. And this may also speak to the defence that I expect these young men will likely mount." WATCH | WARNING: This video contains graphic content: Crown questions complainant E.M.: E.M. grilled again at Hockey Canada trial as cross-examination wraps 19 days ago Duration 1:54 WARNING: Video contains disturbing details | The Hockey Canada trial complainant, known only as E.M., was again questioned by the defence over her drinking and her account of her alleged sexual assaults, as the defence wrapped seven gruelling days of cross-examination at the sexual assault trial of five former junior hockey players. Leaman was also struck by the manner in which McLeod texted E.M. "He's being very, I think, you know, firm in instructing her to straighten things out right now," Leamon said. " When you look at what MacLeod's doing here, I think that he's incredibly pushy," Cake said. "I mean, the texts started at 10:51 in the morning. And they go, sure, until 7:40. "You can see that E.M. is like, 'Hey, I can't talk right now, I'm at work. I'm sorry. I'm unavailable.' And he's like, 'Are you going to fix this? Are you going to do it today? What are you gonna say to the police?'" Cake said. "I think that these text messages are a fantastic way to frame what obviously the Crown would be pushing as the power dynamic inside that hotel room." "Mr. McLeod comes across as somebody who is sophisticated enough to know he's in some trouble and he's trying to get himself out of it," Leaman said of the text exchange. "And he might just be papering this conversation with things that may assist him later. So that's also a possibility." Puchala said Carroccia will have to view these messages within the context of all the other evidence. "He [McLeod] ends it off with, 'I appreciate you telling the truth. Thank you all the best.' So is it, as [Leamon] was saying, to try to paper the file to make it look a certain way or is it genuinely, 'Oh phew we agree … that it was a mistake.'" The players' group chat On June 26, 2018, as they learned Hockey Canada was starting an investigation, the players who were in Room 209 that night began a group chat. The Crown has suggested there was collusion, but McLeod tells other players in the group chat that they need to tell the truth. "When I read through this group chat — it's just so difficult to determine what's going on here," Leaman said. "Are these guys getting together to collude, to create a narrative that assists them because they know they've done something that's questionable, if not just wrong? Or is this a situation where they're concerned about something that was consensual and they felt it was consensual at the time, but now they're looking back and they're a little bit worried?" Puchala said: "You have young men here that are sort of trying to grapple with what's going on and it doesn't necessarily seem like they really think that it's going to be sort of a criminal affair. "It's really, I think they're nervous about dealing with their families and with Hockey Canada, so in these messages, there's a lot a lot going on. "It has to be analyzed," said Puchala, who noted Carroccia has to think about these exchanges without having heard from many of the players who were in the group chat. "If there's uncertainty about something, like, it can look bad," Puchala said, but pointed out the judge will apply a standard of reasonable doubt that is very high. "Any sort of question about that lack of certainty usually favours the defence."
The Province
5 hours ago
- The Province
London Knights win third Memorial Cup in last 20 years
Ryan Pyette Published Jun 01, 2025 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 5 minute read A shot by Easton Cowan of the London Knights is saved by Medicine Hat Tigers goalie Harrison Meneghin during their game at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que. on May 27, 2025. (Canadian Press) RIMOUSKI, Que – They finally wrote their storybook ending. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The London Knights converted last year's Memorial Cup heartbreak into the ultimate comeback tale by scoring the game's first four goals in a 4-1 victory over Medicine Hat to claim the Canadian Hockey League's biggest prize before 4,512 Sunday at Sun Life Financial Coliseum. They shrugged off an early push from the well-rested and previously unbeaten Tigers, then held them off during a furious finish. You need your best players to rise to the occasion and, after a dud a year ago at Saginaw, London got that and more here in rainy Rimouski. The OHL champs won their record-tying third Cup title in their fifth trip to the final in the last 20 years. Their coach Dale Hunter equalled Don Hay as the only two bench bosses with three CHL crowns. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hunter has three Cups, 1,000 major junior wins, five OHL titles and world junior gold to his credit. That's a Hall of Fame resume and, one day, the committee should recognize his contribution to the game. The Knights were ready for anything. They didn't let any missed call or lapse in momentum bother them. They were the best team in junior hockey this year and proved it when it mattered most. 'It's a tough tournament,' London defenceman Sam Dickinson said. 'It's one game. You never know what can happen going into it. I think of last year and how the game went from the flat start to the comeback to 22 seconds left. You can't have any idea of what's going to happen out there.' The Tigers' best player, Gavin McKenna, got the Western champs on the board in the third period. But a second goal by the wunderkind was called back because of a missed high stick with 5:30 left in regulation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It was a break for the Knights and they shut it down from there. THE TWINS: Dale Hunter reunited Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey – nicknamed the 'Twins' – and it turned into a master stroke. Barkey scored twice in the decisive second period and Cowan had another as London built the four-goal lead. Cowan should have had two, as well, in the middle frame but one was snuffed out on a goalie interference call against linemate Sam O'Reilly. The foundation of the Knights' three-year run of success started with the drafting of Barkey, Cowan and Oliver Bonk in 2021. Once they added Sam Dickinson to the mix the following season, they were on their way. And Sunday, they finished the job. EXTRA GAME: The Tigers had to kill a lot of time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Knights brass and 12 of their players know that drill. They went through it last year while hanging out in Frankenmuth near Saginaw before the final last year. 'It's a different way to look at it,' Dickinson said. 'We got another game under our belts and a little more time to get back in the groove of things. I definitely think our legs are a little more fresh so we'll see how that adds up.' The Tigers, at times, looked sluggish. That four-day rest, at times, adds up to a disadvantage. AROUND THE RINK: London goaltender Austin Elliott's final win-loss record? He was 55-3 in his last junior season. We won't see that again for a long time, if ever . . . This was London's first time facing a Western league team in the Cup final. The OHL champs faced a fellow OHL team once (Saginaw last year) and three QMJHL teams (Rimouski in 2005, Shawinigan in 2012 and Rouyn-Noranda in 2016). It was the first OHL-WHL final since Oshawa beat Kelowna, which featured Leon Draisaitl, in 2015 at Quebec City . . . Kasper Halttunen entered the final with points in all eight of his tournament games over the past two years . . . Cowan entered the final one point shy of his childhood idol Mitch Marner's franchise record 15 points in Cup play and matched it in the second period . . . The Knights had the worst dressing room setup at the Coliseum all week. They had to walk through the ice resurfacing entrance to get to it . . . Dickinson said several of the Knights from last year had texted the current roster to finish the job. They wanted them to win so badly. Usually, a lot of grads make their way to the championship game but Rimouski isn't the easiest place to get to from London. They got the job done for them . . . Londoner Jacob Julien, the Jets prospect, played his best hockey of the season at this tournament . . . Knights agitator Ryder Boulton was scheduled to participate in warmup but didn't and was a scratch for the final. He was suspended for the semifinal against Moncton for a warmup violation committed the last time London faced Medicine Hat . . . Earlier in the day, Medicine Hat star defenceman Tanner Molendyk described London as the best team he had faced all year. 'They have a lot of skill but when a team works hard and has skill, it's one of the hardest things to beat,' the Predators first-rounder said. He felt it and the rest of the hockey world saw it up close this week. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. rpyette@ MEMORIAL CUP FINAL Knights 4, Tigers 1 London goals: Denver Barkey (2), Jacob Julien, Easton Cowan Medicine Hat goal: Gavin McKenna Sunday at Sun Life Financial Coliseum Knights 4, Tigers 1 First period 1., London, Julien 2 (Brzustewicz, Dickinson) 11:21 Penalties – None. Second period 2. London, Cowan 3 (O'Reilly, Dickinson) 3:13 3. London, Barkey 2 (Dickinson) 4:53 4. London, Barkey 3 (unassisted) 12:08 (pp) Penalties – Lindstrom, MH (high-sticking) 10:42, Nicholl, Ldn (tripping) 13:01, Woolley, Ldn (cross-checking) 17:01, Lindstrom, MH (faceoff violation) 17:01. Third period 5. Medicine Hat, McKenna 3 (Vaisanen, Molendyk) 2:43 Penalties – Cowan, Ldn (high-sticking) 6:54, Wiesblatt, Ldn (high-sticking) 7:31. Shots on goal by Ldn 12 9 3–24 MH 11 17 4–32 Power plays: Ldn 1-2. MH 0-2. Goalies: Elliott, Ldn (W, 4-1). Meneghin, MH (L, 3-1). Referees – Nicolas Leduc, Taylor Burzminski. Lines – Nicolas Boivin, Spencer Knox. Attendance – 4,512 Read More
