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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Memorial Cup: London Knights Capture Crown And Redemption With Win In Final
The London Knights are once again Memorial Cup champions. The OHL's most dominant franchise over the last quarter century has once again asserted itself as CHL royalty, and it was a long, winding road to get there. Almost three years ago, the London Knights began what was supposed to be a rebuild or retool, an unusual spot for the franchise. That year, they made it all the way to the OHL final with a new core of stars emerging along the way. Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson were the future of the franchise and their growth and improvement over the following two seasons would set the Knights up for a historic run. Advertisement Last year, they were looking to build off that relatively surprising season and they were dominant en route to an OHL championship before falling just short in the Memorial Cup final, losing on a last-second goal against Saginaw. They took a step – winning the OHL championship – but ultimately still finished their season with an agonizing loss in their final game. This year, they weren't going to let the heroics of an opposing player or anything else get in there way. After dismantling every opponent that they came up against in the OHL and cruising to a league title for a second straight year, along with gaining entrance into the Memorial Cup, they finished second in the round robin. This was because of a loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers in a very hard fought game, but they breezed by the Moncton Wildcats to reach the final and a rematch with those same Tigers. After Jacob Julien opened the scoring in the first period, the Knights' core began to take over in the second period. Cowan scored on a net drive play, tapping a pass from below the goal line in from the top of the crease. About a minute and a half later, Barkey picked up a puck in the neutral zone, burst up ice for a breakaway and scored a beauty to put the Knights up three goals early in the second period. After Barkey added another for his second of the night, the Knights were up 4-0 heading into the third period against a very strong Medicine Hat squad that hadn't lost a game to this point at the Memorial Cup tournament after ripping through the WHL for a league title. A team that strong wouldn't go down without a fight. Advertisement As London looked to park the bus a bit and lock down their big lead, Medicine Hat pushed back, and it was no shock that 2026 NHL draft phenom Gavin McKenna was at the center of it all. Under three minutes into the final frame, McKenna caught a pass on the half wall and cut to the middle quickly before firing a laser by the London netminder. The shiftiness of McKenna finally broke through the tight defense that London had played on him to that point. The Tigers continued to push, but the Knights continued to do their best not to break. With time winding down and their hopes beginning to be lost, McKenna found the back of the net once again, but the goal was reviewed and called back for a high stick earlier in the play by the Tigers. McKenna and the Tigers were understandably upset on the bench, but they kept pushing. Advertisement When the Tigers pulled their goalie, it was all of the Knights' core players who were leading shifts out on the ice. Barkey was blocking shots. Dickinson was clearing the slot. Bonk was making defensive stops. Cowan was winning puck races. The core four were doing what it took to win in the biggest game of the year. The London Knights were celebrating on the bench as the clock wound down and gloves went flying as the clock hit zero and the CHL finally crowned their kings. This was a team of destiny. They began a rebuild and immediately got to the league final before losing. They came back the next year to win the OHL final but lost the Memorial Cup. They followed that up with this year's Memorial Cup win. The progression of the core and the team around them was incredible. Advertisement Dale Hunter had a special tournament in his own right behind the bench. He became the winningest coach in Memorial Cup tournament history, finishing off with 17 wins after the championship game. He tied Don Hay for most Memorial Cup wins by a head coach as well. He didn't want any of the spotlight, though, making it very clear in the aftermath of the game that this was a special team that he had the opportunity to coach. 'Skill and will to win, that's always the key,' noted Hunter. 'We came up short last year, it hurt a lot, these boys were determined right from the get-go.' The stars were grateful for the opportunity that this team and the fans in London gave them over the years as they look to appreciate this championship before the large group of them look to move to pro hockey this year. 'We hung out every day. We'd get ice cream together and watch horror movies together, even though I'm not a big fan of the horror movies,' laughed Cowan, who won MVP and led the tournament in scoring. 'What a team we had.' Denver Barkey, Jared Woolley, Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan and Sam O'Reilly (Vincent Ethier / CHL) The Knights were a deserved champion. They built this team up and developed all of the key players on this team. Advertisement 'We've kind of been working towards it for all four years here. To come up short last year and then get it done tonight, it's a surreal feeling,' Knights captain Barkey said, overjoyed. 'I'm so proud. I went down in the Kitchener series, and I didn't know if I'd play again this year, but these guys stepped up and made sure I played hockey again this year.' The London Knights are sitting atop the CHL throne, once again as Memorial Cup champions. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
London Knights beat Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 for 3rd Memorial Cup title
RIMOUSKI, Quebec — Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey scored twice in the second period and the London Knights beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 on Saturday night for their third Memorial Cup title. Jacob Julien and Easton Cowan also scored and Austin Elliott made 31 saves to help the Ontario Hockey League champion Knights win the junior hockey championship a year after losing in the final to host Saginaw. 'This is something I'll never forget,' said Barkey, London's captain. 'We worked all year toward this, and this is the tightest team I've ever played on. To be able to do it with these guys. It's so surreal. Going to remember this for life.' After a 3-1 loss to Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat on Tuesday night in round-robin play, London beat Moncton 5-2 on Friday night in the semifinal game to set up the rematch with the Tigers. London also won the Memorial Cup in 2005 and 2016. The Knights are owned by former NHL players Dale and Mark Hunter and Basil McRae, with Dale Hunter serving as president and coach and Mark Hunter as general manager. Dale Hunter won his third title to match former Kamloops and Vancouver coach Don Hay's record. 'It's an empty feeling when you go home with nothing,' Dale Hunter said. 'When you come to this tournament, you had a good year, but when you don't win the last game, it's not successful.' Medicine Hat star Gavin McKenna spoiled Elliott's shutout bid early in the third period, and Harrison Meneghin stopped 20 shots for the Tigers. They won the Memorial Cup in 1987 and 1988. 'They cared, they tried,' Tigers coach Willie Desjardins said. 'Coming in, we only have one problem, that's London's a really good hockey team. It wasn't that we didn't want it, wasn't that we didn't try. They're just a good team.' Julien opened the scoring midway through the first period. Cowan, a first-round pick by Toronto, and Barkey scored in a 1:40 span early in the second and Barkey made it 4-0 on a power play with 7:52 left in the period. sports: /sports
Global News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
London Knights capture third Memorial Cup title
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. Story continues below advertisement 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. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 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. Story continues below advertisement 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. Story continues below advertisement 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.
Global News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
The London Knights beat Moncton 5-2 to get back to the Memorial Cup final for a second straight year
The London Knights became just the sixth team in 40 years to get to back-to-back Memorial Cup championship games as they knocked off the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 on Friday, May 30 in the tournament's semi-final. Sam Dickinson slid a beautiful backhand pass to Blake Montgomery for a goal at 3:35 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and put the Knights ahead to stay. London got off to a great start with an early goal by Landon Sim who got to an Oliver Bonk shot that went wide and then wrapped it into the Wildcats net at 4:07 of the first period. The Knights also outshot Moncton 18-5 in the opening period but a Caleb Desnoyers power play goal knotted the score at the 18:20 mark and the teams entered the second period tied. Easton Cowan found Denver Barkey for Cowan's team-leading fifth point of the Memorial Cup tournament and a 2-1 London lead at 5:24 of the second. The goal was Barkey's since Game 2 of the second round of the OHL playoffs. Barkey missed seven straight games in the post-season due to a lower body injury. Story continues below advertisement The Wildcats came back again on a power play goal by defenceman Dyllan Gill just 2:16 after the Knights had gone ahead and the teams went into the final 20 minutes in a 2-2 tie which was exactly the same spot that they were in going back to their first meeting of the tournament. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy That game went to overtime. This game didn't need it. After Montgomery's early third period goal Jacob Julien won a faceoff forward, got to the puck and fed Jesse Nurmi for some insurance at 13:11. London's penalty kill had to go to work not once but twice but the Knights held Moncton to hardly a single chance and then Barkey got a puck to Cowan and he walked down the middle of the Wildcats zone and deposited the puck into an empty net to end the scoring. Cowan and Barkey each had a goal and an assist. Julien had a pair of assists. Oliver Bonk had an assist and was a plus-4. The Knights outshot Moncton 37-23. London was 0-for-1 on the power play. The Wildcats were 2-for-5. Story continues below advertisement All-Stars in their midst Five London Knights players and Head Coach Dale Hunter all received All-Star nods from the Ontario Hockey League on Semi-final day at the 2025 Memorial Cup. Sam Dickinson of the was named to the OHL's 1st All-Star team. Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Head Coach Dale Hunter were named to the 2nd All-Star team while Austin Elliott was named to the 3rd All-Star team. Elliott's partner in the Knights crease, Aleksei Medvedev was named to OHL's 1st All-Rookie team. Up next The championship game at the 2025 Memorial Cup tournament between London and the Medicine Hat Tigers will take place on Sunday, June 1 at 7 p.m. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
