Tigers snarl in Spokane as Medicine Hat locks down Chiefs in 6-0 victory
The Medicine Hat Tigers and Spokane Chiefs in action Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The Tigers won 6-0 to take a 2-1 lead in their WHL final series. (Photo: X@WHLTigers)
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CBC
40 minutes 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
3 hours ago
- The Province
SIMMONS SAYS: What McDavid, SGA are doing, Canadian sports fans may never see again
Simultaneously, Connor McDavid and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are embarking on something Canadian sports fans may never witness again. Photo by Getty Images photos There is no highlight that can compare Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the once-in-a-lifetime series-winning goal that Connor McDavid scored on Thursday night in Dallas. 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 There is no natural comparison. Part of that comes from the difference in the games they play. Part of that comes from the singular genius that is McDavid. He does what no one else in his game can do. On occasion, he Secretariats the rest of the field. All Gilgeous-Alexander does is score and win, more than anyone else in basketball, purposefully and artistically leading the best team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the two young Ontario men, born one year apart in Toronto and Richmond Hill, respectively, are championship bound. McDavid leading the Edmonton Oilers to a second straight Stanley Cup final appearance; SGA leading OKC into its first championship series under this new group of players. What a time this is for Canadian sport — the best Canadian hockey player leading the best Canadian team to a possible championship season and the best Canadian basketball player leading the best NBA team to what looks like a certain title. 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. Steve Nash never played for the NBA championship. McDavid has never won a Stanley Cup. This could — and should — be the year for McDavid's Oilers and certainly for Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder. And that should link their names together, because nothing like this has ever happened simultaneously before. Pretty much everybody in Canada knows McDavid's name. He's all over television. He's everywhere you look. The same isn't true for Gilgeous-Alexander: Sometimes, I mention his name in conversation — after all he has accomplished — and still get blank looks from friends. Part of that is because the NHL tramples on the NBA on Canadian television. But this isn't a time to divide. It's a time to appreciate. This has never happened before in our lives, should Oke City and Edmonton come away with championships at the very same time. That would be sweet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And it may never happen again. One of the teams eyeing Mitch Marner in free agency is the Vegas Golden Knights, which doesn't have enough cap room to sign the Maple Leafs' free agent come July. That has never stopped the Golden Knights from getting what they want in the past. They found a way to Alex Pietrangelo. They found a way to Jack Eichel. They found a way to win a Stanley Cup. Vegas has just more than $10 million to spend. It is going to take much more than that in order to sign Marner … One odd juxtaposition: The Leafs, who claim interest in Marner, haven't won anything with him. Vegas is a go-for-it team every year. It wants Marner because it wants to win. The Leafs quietly figure they can't win with him and the combination remaining. Somebody is going to be very wrong here in the end … I was with coach Peter DeBoer in my mind when he pulled Jake Oettinger after two goals in Game 5 against Edmonton. But I would have put Oettinger back in net after Dallas came back to make the score 3-2. That might have made a difference. But to follow up pulling Oettinger by bad-mouthing him post- game wasn't DeBoer's finest moment … The only thing Dallas doesn't have is a first-line centre … Oettinger and Connor Hellebuyck are supposed to battle for the starting spot in goal on Team USA in the upcoming Olympics, but both had dubious playoff runs this year. The third American goalie, Jeremy Swayman, had a tough regular season in Boston but a shutout in the gold-medal game at the world championship. Which means all bets may be off for February … When Canadian teams won eight Stanley Cups from 1984-93 — eight Cups in 10 seasons — all of the starting goaltenders were Canadian: Grant Fuhr four times, Patrick Roy twice, Bill Ranford and Mike Vernon being the others. Now Edmonton has a chance to win with the unflappable Stuart Skinner in goal … If a single Leafs player, including captain Auston Matthews, has publicly commented on the dismissal of team president Brendan Shanahan, I must have missed it … Don't expect Shanahan to say anything public about his time with the Leafs. He released a water-downed statement when he was let go. He's not looking to do post-Leafs newspaper or radio interviews. Like Greta Garbo, he wants to be alone … Thought the Buffalo Sabres would have been a perfect stop for Shanahan before they added Jarmo Kekalainen to their front office. The Sabres have some talent. What they need is direction … Not surprised that Leafs' associate coach Lane Lambert wound up as the head guy in Seattle. Lou Lamoriello raved about the job Lambert did as both an assistant and head coach with the Islanders. He said it wouldn't be long before he gets another head coaching opportunity … After Pat Quinn stopped coaching in the NHL, he told me that one of his largest regrets was how hard he was on officials. He would have liked to have a do-over in that area. I thought of that watching Rod Brind'Amour in the final game against Florida, screaming from the Carolina bench. I wish Brind'Amour could have a conversation with the late Quinn. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Department of Rather Small Thinking: Attributing the success of the Panthers to the notion that Florida has no state tax, as some have done, is an insult to the work of general manager Bill Zito. In five years on the job Zito has traded for Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Eetu Luostarinen, Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, and claimed Gustav Forsling off waivers. That is spectacular work. He did all of that after inheriting Sergei Bobrovsky, Sasha Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Anton Lundell and the players he eventually traded away. Zito also made terrific small signings such as Niko Mikkola, Evan Rodrigues and Carter Verhaeghe (who have all turned into a big signings). And he hired coach Paul Maurice. That's as good a five-year run as any GM has ever had … What doesn't get mentioned often: The team Florida beat out to originally sign Verhaeghe was the Leafs … Word out of Florida is that free agent Bennett would like to remain a Panther and they would like to keep him if the dollars work out. Also, word out of Florida is that the Panthers don't have a whole lot of interest in re-signing the veteran defenceman Ekblad … If Bennett is available, the Maple Leafs will be among those bidding for the centre from Holland Landing. He's the perfect fit, price aside, for the DNA roster switch the Leafs are attempting … Leafs apparently have no interest in Ekblad … If Bennett is unavailable in free agency, expect Treliving to be an active trader this summer … Should Bennett leave Florida, the returning to the NHL Jonathan Toews would be a perfect fit for the Panthers. Few players comprehend winning the way Toews does. And if you slide Lundell up to second-line centre — and he's capable of that — Toews would be an ideal third-line fit for Florida … Where wouldn't Toews fit, depending on the kind of contract he's asking for? He would probably fit in perfectly in Vegas, in Colorado, in Dallas, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver: We could go on … Toews has won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, two world junior titles … Another fit for Toews: Anaheim, where former Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville has landed … Lane Hutson of the Habs, drafted 62nd overall in 2022, is the likely winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL's rookie of the year. He's just the latest high-end defenceman improperly identified by the NHL scouting fraternity. You can add Hutson to the list of misdiagnosed wonderful blue-liners such as Shea Weber (drafted at 49), Duncan Keith (54), Chris Chelios (46), P.K. Subban (43), Nick Lidstrom (53) and Adam Fox (66) … When Dave Hodge began hosting at Hockey Night in Canada, Darryl Reaugh was playing minor hockey in British Columbia. Hodge was at HNIC for 16 fine seasons, and later moved on for two decades of hockey broadcasting at TSN. So, how do NHL broadcasting voters explain the annual passing of Hodge, Ron MacLean, James Duthie and the late Don Wittman — four of the best of all time — for a team broadcaster such as Reaugh, who came after most of them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is the stuff of baseball dreams: Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani, Yankees vs. Dodgers, on a weekend series at Dodger Stadium. Judge hit a home run in the first inning on Friday night. Ohtani followed up with a home run in the bottom of the first. Then, just to make it more fun, Ohtani hit a second one … The past four MVPs in the American League: Judge, Ohtani, Judge and Ohtani. The most recent NL MVP: Ohtani … There would be nothing wrong with the Blue Jays offence if it had a schedule with more games against the West Sacramento Athletics … Go figure the Blue Jays. They sweep the San Diego Padres at home then get swept in Tampa Bay by the Rays … Anthony Santander's month of May: 70 at-bats, 24 strikeouts, one double, two home runs, a batting average of .186 and an OPS of .582. That is beyond atrocious for the first-year Blue Jay … More interesting Canadian news: If Indiana gets to the NBA Finals, there will be two Montrealers playing head-to-head in the final. Lu Dort for OKC, Ben Mathurin for the Pacers. I don't think that's ever happened before … What many don't seem to understand about offer sheets in the NHL: All a player has to say is no, not interested, and the offer goes away … Should the Jays make a move in the AL East, that game-winning Bo Bichette home run in the series finale at Texas might be the team's most important hit of this wonky season … Congratulations to old friend and colleague Francois Gagnon, who got Hall of Fame recognition in the writers category, by being named winner of the Elmer Ferguson Award. Anyone who has been around hockey long enough is well aware of Gagnon's work out of Montreal, his passion for the sport, his insider knowledge, his dogged work ethic. Gagnon is pure Hall of Famer, in the arena and out … When Team USA won gold at the world hockey championship, I found myself thinking about the late trio of Bob Johnson, Art Berglund and Herb Brooks, how much they did for American hockey and how happy this win would have made them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Two things were obvious near the end of the sexual exploitation trial of hockey's David Frost in 2008. One, he was clearly guilty in the court of public opinion. Two, he was found not guilty by the presiding judge. Too many witnesses lied in the trial. Too many didn't hold up under cross examination. And too many conveniently changed their stories. For legal purposes, there was far too much doubt to find Frost guilty. There was also a mismatch in court between the defence attorney and the lead prosecuting attorney. And now, some of this seems to be repeating itself in a court room in London, Ont., where five former Team Canada junior players currently stand trial for sexual assault. Don't know what the verdict will be for the any of the accused players. The daily reports, though, remind me so much of the terribly frustrating trial of the junior hockey mogul Frost, where discovering the truth became a challenge all its own … When he was Blackhawks GM, Stan Bowman brought in puck-moving defencemen at the bottom of his roster late to bolster his team. He won Stanley Cups with Kimmo Timonen and Michal Rozsival. He's getting nice play now from the unlikely John Klingberg, who looked like he was finished when he tried to play for the Leafs … Big props to Victoria Mboko, the local tennis kid who had an impressive first major appearance at the French Open. There's nothing quite like Roland Garros in Paris for atmosphere. This tournament, she will remember forever … Happy birthday to Joe Namath (82), Paul Coffey (64), Iga Swiatek (24), Erik Karlsson (35), Roman Josi (35), Jim Craig (68), Kenny Lofton (58), Nikki Glaser (42), Jake (The Snake) Roberts (70) and Dave Roberts (53) … And hey, whatever became of Gizmo Williams? Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Canucks Sports News Junior Hockey
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Knights capture third Memorial Cup title with dominant 4-1 win over Tigers
London Knights' Easton Cowan (7) scores on Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Harrison Meneghin (35) while Oasiz Wiesblatt (7) defends during second period Memorial Cup final hockey action, in Rimouski, Que., on Sunday, June 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov RIMOUSKI — The London Knights are Memorial Cup champions for a third time. Denver Barkey scored twice, Sam Dickinson had three assists and Austin Elliott made 31 saves in a dominant 4-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the championship game Sunday. Jacob Julien and Easton Cowan also scored for London, which also won in 2005 and 2016. Cowan, with seven points, became the first player since 1972 to lead the tournament in scoring for consecutive years. Barkey also had seven this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect also tied Mitch Marner for the most Memorial Cup points in franchise history with 15 in nine games. The back-to-back Ontario Hockey League champions redeemed last year's heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Saginaw Spirit in the final. The Spirit scored with 22 seconds remaining to win the trophy on home ice. Gavin McKenna — the projected top choice in next year's NHL draft — replied for Medicine Hat, which defeated the Knights 3-1 in round robin play to qualify directly for the final and earn four days off. Harrison Meneghin stopped 20 shots for the Western Hockey League champions at Colisée Financière Sun Life. A WHL team hasn't won the Memorial Cup since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014. The Knights defeated the Moncton Wildcats, who the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, 5-2 in Friday's semifinal. The Rimouski Oceanic also played in the tournament as hosts, but lost all three games. London poured it on with three goals in the second period Sunday to take a commanding lead. After Elliott turned away a flurry of shots — including a tricky deflection from Cayden Lindstrom — Cowan buried his third of the tournament to make it 2-0 at 3:13. Cowan left the puck for Sam O'Reilly in the corner before circling the zone and finding an opening in front. Barkey added to the lead 1:40 later, capitalizing on a breakaway after Dickinson forced Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt into a turnover at the blue line. Cowan appeared to make it 4-0 with his second of the night, but the officials ruled no-goal after O'Reilly interfered with Meneghin on a drive to the net. Barkey then scored his second of the night with a wrist shot from the left circle off the post and in past a screened Meneghin at 12:08. The Tigers peppered Elliott with shots on an ensuing power play. Bryce Pickford nearly scored but shot wide with the Knights netminder sprawling in the crease. McKenna finally broke Elliott's shutout bid by cutting into the slot and converting a wrist shot glove side 2:43 into the third period for his third goal in four games. The star winger was at it again with 5:21 remaining, beating Elliott with a slick shot into the top left corner. The goal, however, was called off following a review due to Ryder Ritchie's high stick earlier in the play. Medicine Hat pulled the goalie for an extra attacker with 3:50 left and held the puck in London's zone for much of the remaining time. The Knights held off the pressure before pouring out of the bench in celebration. The Tigers came out with energy in the first period, piling up nine shots in the first five minutes. Jonas Woo's shot snuck under Elliott's arm but hit the side of the net. London weathered the storm and responded with pressure of their own. Dickinson missed a chance in front after a give-and-go with Barkey. Julien broke through with the opener 11:21 into the first period when Henry Brzustewicz found him up the middle. The Knights forward beat Meneghin to the backhand for his second of the tournament. Ethan Neutens nearly got Medicine Hat on the board with 42 seconds remaining in the period, but ripped his shot from the right circle off the crossbar. London and Medicine Hat dominated their respective leagues en route to the Memorial Cup. The Knights — a team loaded with 12 NHL draft picks — went 55-11-2 in the regular season and lost only once in the playoffs. The Tigers, meanwhile, lost twice in the post-season after a 47-17-4 campaign. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
