Knights capture third Memorial Cup title with dominant 4-1 win over Tigers

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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