25-05-2025
Looking Back On The Last WHL Team To Win The Memorial Cup, The 2014 Edmonton Oil Kings
It has been a while since the Memorial Cup has been won by a WHL team. 11 years to be exact, as the previous champions were the 2014 Edmonton Oil Kings. A roster stacked with talent, here is a look back at the last team from the West that captured the CHL's greatest prize.
After a successful regular season that saw them collect 103 points, the Oil Kings cruised through the first three rounds of the playoffs, only losing two games. Edmonton then was tested in the WHL Final, before defeating the Portland Winterhawks in seven games. Overall, there were some impressive performances during the post-season run, as three players (Henrik Samuelsson, Edgars Kulda and Curtis Lazar) recorded at least 20 points, while Tristan Jarry posted three shutouts and a save percentage of .925.
After their impressive playoff run, the Oil Kings headed off to the 2014 Memorial Cup, where they faced some tough competition. After losing their first game to the Guelph Storm, Edmonton picked up a win against the London Knights, before falling in double overtime during Game 3 of the round-robin to the Val-d'Or Foreurs. In the end, Edmonton finished the round robin in third place and was off to the semi-final.
While it took three overtimes, the Oil Kings got their revenge on the Foreurs, defeating the QMJHL champions 4-3 in the semi-final. Lazar played hero that night, as he beat Antoine Bibeau at the 2:42 mark of the third overtime. The win was an iconic moment in WHL history and one that fans in Edmonton won't soon forget.
The semi-final victory then set up a rematch with the Storm for the 2014 Memorial Cup. While the Oil Kings did enter the first intermission down 2-1, they stormed back, scoring five goals in the second and third en route to a 6-3 victory. Mitchell Moroz would score the winner 14:19 into the second period, while Edgars Kulda picked up the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy, which was handed out to the MVP of the Memorial Cup.
With the 2025 Memorial Cup in full swing, the question remains: Will the Medicine Hat Tigers be able to break this 11-year drought? Just like Edmonton in 2014, they have assembled a deep roster that looks ready to go on a historic run. With one win already under their belt, the Tigers are off to a strong start and very well could be the team that ends the WHL's Memorial Cup drought.
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