Latest news with #MemorialCups
Hamilton Spectator
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
London Knights return to Memorial Cup final with 5-2 win over Moncton Wildcats
RIMOUSKI - The London Knights are going back to the Memorial Cup final. Blake Montgomery scored the winner 3:35 into the third period to lift the Knights past the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the tournament's semifinal Friday. London will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's battle for the top prize in Canadian junior hockey. Denver Barkey — with an assist — Landon Sim and Jesse Nurmi also scored, while Austin Elliott made 21 saves for the Knights, who lost 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit in last year's final. Easton Cowan had an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Jacob Julien provided two helpers. The Knights fell short of clinching a spot in this year's championship game earlier in the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Tigers in their round-robin finale. London has lost twice consecutively only once in its past 120 games — including playoffs and Memorial Cups — dating back to March 1, 2024. It's a fifth Memorial Cup final appearance for the Ontario Hockey League champions. Only the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers have more with six apiece. Caleb Desnoyers had a goal and an assist while Dyllan Gill also scored for Moncton. Mathis Rousseau stopped 32 shots. The Wildcats, who also fell 3-2 in overtime to London in their tournament opener, beat the host Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in the final-round robin game Wednesday to reach the semifinal. Montgomery gave London a 3-2 lead early in the third when Sam Dickinson beat Moncton's Etienne Morin wide and set up the Ottawa Senators prospect, who'd snuck in behind Gill to score his first of the tournament. Nurmi converted a centring feed from Julien to double the lead with 6:49 remaining. Julien knocked the puck between Markus Vidicek's legs off a faceoff to set up Nurmi. The Wildcats jumped on a power play with 4:36 left — and eventually pulled the goalie for an extra attacker — but couldn't cut into the lead before Cowan made it 5-2 with 1:49 remaining. The Knights swarmed the Wildcats in the first period and dominated shot count 18-5 after 20 minutes, but London struggled to hold the lead — and stay out of the penalty box. Sim opened the scoring with a wraparound 4:07 into the game. He picked up a bouncing puck off the end boards after Oliver Bonk missed the net before quickly swinging around the net to give London the early lead. Moncton's Etienne Morin fired a one-timer off the crossbar on a power play midway through the frame. Desnoyers later equalized on the man-advantage, ripping a wrist shot from the left circle through Elliott at 18:20 after Sim took an interference penalty. The Knights went ahead again 5:24 into the second period when Barkey hammered a slick feed from Cowan into a gaping net after the Knights skated circles around the Wildcats in the offensive zone. Jesse Nurmi, however, took a slashing penalty 22 seconds later, leading to Gill's third goal of the tournament. Gill took a pass from Desnoyers and picked his spot with a shot off the post and in past a screened Elliott at 7:40. The Knights finally jumped on the power play with nine minutes left in the second. Cowan, who had seven shots on goal, nearly scored off a dangerous give-and-go with Dickinson but couldn't solve Rousseau once again. Moncton almost took its first lead late in the period when Gill's point shot deflected twice before bouncing off the post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Star
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
London Knights return to Memorial Cup final with 5-2 win over Moncton Wildcats
RIMOUSKI - The London Knights are going back to the Memorial Cup final. Blake Montgomery scored the winner 3:35 into the third period to lift the Knights past the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the tournament's semifinal Friday. London will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's battle for the top prize in Canadian junior hockey. Denver Barkey — with an assist — Landon Sim and Jesse Nurmi also scored, while Austin Elliott made 21 saves for the Knights, who lost 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit in last year's final. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Easton Cowan had an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Jacob Julien provided two helpers. The Knights fell short of clinching a spot in this year's championship game earlier in the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Tigers in their round-robin finale. London has lost twice consecutively only once in its past 120 games — including playoffs and Memorial Cups — dating back to March 1, 2024. It's a fifth Memorial Cup final appearance for the Ontario Hockey League champions. Only the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers have more with six apiece. Caleb Desnoyers had a goal and an assist while Dyllan Gill also scored for Moncton. Mathis Rousseau stopped 32 shots. The Wildcats, who also fell 3-2 in overtime to London in their tournament opener, beat the host Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in the final-round robin game Wednesday to reach the semifinal. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Montgomery gave London a 3-2 lead early in the third when Sam Dickinson beat Moncton's Etienne Morin wide and set up the Ottawa Senators prospect, who'd snuck in behind Gill to score his first of the tournament. Nurmi converted a centring feed from Julien to double the lead with 6:49 remaining. Julien knocked the puck between Markus Vidicek's legs off a faceoff to set up Nurmi. The Wildcats jumped on a power play with 4:36 left — and eventually pulled the goalie for an extra attacker — but couldn't cut into the lead before Cowan made it 5-2 with 1:49 remaining. The Knights swarmed the Wildcats in the first period and dominated shot count 18-5 after 20 minutes, but London struggled to hold the lead — and stay out of the penalty box. Sim opened the scoring with a wraparound 4:07 into the game. He picked up a bouncing puck off the end boards after Oliver Bonk missed the net before quickly swinging around the net to give London the early lead. Moncton's Etienne Morin fired a one-timer off the crossbar on a power play midway through the frame. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Desnoyers later equalized on the man-advantage, ripping a wrist shot from the left circle through Elliott at 18:20 after Sim took an interference penalty. The Knights went ahead again 5:24 into the second period when Barkey hammered a slick feed from Cowan into a gaping net after the Knights skated circles around the Wildcats in the offensive zone. Jesse Nurmi, however, took a slashing penalty 22 seconds later, leading to Gill's third goal of the tournament. Gill took a pass from Desnoyers and picked his spot with a shot off the post and in past a screened Elliott at 7:40. The Knights finally jumped on the power play with nine minutes left in the second. Cowan, who had seven shots on goal, nearly scored off a dangerous give-and-go with Dickinson but couldn't solve Rousseau once again. Moncton almost took its first lead late in the period when Gill's point shot deflected twice before bouncing off the post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
London Knights return to Memorial Cup final with 5-2 win over Moncton Wildcats
RIMOUSKI – The London Knights are going back to the Memorial Cup final. Blake Montgomery scored the winner 3:35 into the third period to lift the Knights past the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the tournament's semifinal Friday. London will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's battle for the top prize in Canadian junior hockey. Denver Barkey — with an assist — Landon Sim and Jesse Nurmi also scored, while Austin Elliott made 21 saves for the Knights, who lost 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit in last year's final. Easton Cowan had an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Jacob Julien provided two helpers. The Knights fell short of clinching a spot in this year's championship game earlier in the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Tigers in their round-robin finale. London has lost twice consecutively only once in its past 120 games — including playoffs and Memorial Cups — dating back to March 1, 2024. It's a fifth Memorial Cup final appearance for the Ontario Hockey League champions. Only the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers have more with six apiece. Caleb Desnoyers had a goal and an assist while Dyllan Gill also scored for Moncton. Mathis Rousseau stopped 32 shots. The Wildcats, who also fell 3-2 in overtime to London in their tournament opener, beat the host Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in the final-round robin game Wednesday to reach the semifinal. Montgomery gave London a 3-2 lead early in the third when Sam Dickinson beat Moncton's Etienne Morin wide and set up the Ottawa Senators prospect, who'd snuck in behind Gill to score his first of the tournament. Nurmi converted a centring feed from Julien to double the lead with 6:49 remaining. Julien knocked the puck between Markus Vidicek's legs off a faceoff to set up Nurmi. The Wildcats jumped on a power play with 4:36 left — and eventually pulled the goalie for an extra attacker — but couldn't cut into the lead before Cowan made it 5-2 with 1:49 remaining. The Knights swarmed the Wildcats in the first period and dominated shot count 18-5 after 20 minutes, but London struggled to hold the lead — and stay out of the penalty box. Sim opened the scoring with a wraparound 4:07 into the game. He picked up a bouncing puck off the end boards after Oliver Bonk missed the net before quickly swinging around the net to give London the early lead. Moncton's Etienne Morin fired a one-timer off the crossbar on a power play midway through the frame. Desnoyers later equalized on the man-advantage, ripping a wrist shot from the left circle through Elliott at 18:20 after Sim took an interference penalty. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Knights went ahead again 5:24 into the second period when Barkey hammered a slick feed from Cowan into a gaping net after the Knights skated circles around the Wildcats in the offensive zone. Jesse Nurmi, however, took a slashing penalty 22 seconds later, leading to Gill's third goal of the tournament. Gill took a pass from Desnoyers and picked his spot with a shot off the post and in past a screened Elliott at 7:40. The Knights finally jumped on the power play with nine minutes left in the second. Cowan, who had seven shots on goal, nearly scored off a dangerous give-and-go with Dickinson but couldn't solve Rousseau once again. Moncton almost took its first lead late in the period when Gill's point shot deflected twice before bouncing off the post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dale Hunter Becomes Winningest Coach In Memorial Cup History
Dale Hunter is one of the most accomplished coaches in the CHL. In terms of former and current CHL coaches, you'd be hard pressed to find a record that can stand toe to toe with Hunter's. He's won five OHL Championships, tying him for the most in OHL history, as well as two Memorial Cups and two gold medals coaching Canada on the international stage. He's also been named the CHL Coach of the Year once and the OHL Coach of the Year on three occasions. Hunter holds the record for fastest coach to win 1,000 games in the OHL. He trails only the great Brian Kilrea when it comes to all-time wins, and seems poised to take that mantle in the coming years. Yesterday, Hunter added another accolade to his distinguished coaching career, becoming the winningest coach at the Memorial Cup. London's 3-1 victory over Rimouski gave Hunter his 15th win at the Memorial Cup, surpassing Don Hay's previous record of 14 wins. "I didn't think about it until two minutes ago," said Hunter after the game. He was quick to turn the attention to his players, commenting that they are the ones blocking shots and doing the work on the ice. He went on to add that he's coached great players over the years. Big Third Period Powers Knights Past Oceanic Yesterday, the London Knights defeated the Rimouski Oceanic 3-1, registering their second win at the Memorial Cup. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan picked up two points in the third period to give the OHL representatives the win over the host team. Many of today's NHL greats spent time in London under Hunter's watchful eye before making it to the big league. Standout names include Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk, John Tavares, Patrick Kane and Evan Bouchard to name only a few. Before becoming an OHL coach, Hunter had a distinguished NHL career during the 80s and 90s. In 1409 NHL games, he scored 1020 points and is second all-time in terms of penalty minutes with 3565. He's the only player in NHL history to record more than 1000 points and at least 3000 penalty minutes. He started his career playing for the Quebec Nordiques before being traded to the Washington Capitals before the 1987-88 season. He went on to captain the Capitals for five years starting in 1994. He finished his career playing for the Colorado Avalanche during the 1998-99 season. "Dale is constantly evolving, figuring out how to make players and getting teams to win," said London GM Mark Hunter, who is Dale's sibling. CHL Hosts Meet The Coaches Press Conference Ahead of Memorial Cup Earlier today, London Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter took part in a pre-tournament press conference alongside the Head Coaches of the other three participating teams. The panel consisted of Hunter, Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat), Gardiner MacDougall (Moncton) and Joël Perrault (Rimouski). Becoming the winningest coach at the Memorial Cup mid-tournament will not be enough to satisfy Hunter, who has his eyes set on a third Memorial Cup victory. This is especially true when you take into account London's Memorial Cup Finals defeat at the hands of the Saginaw Spirit just last year. Unfinished business has been a consistent theme for this year's team since the beginning of the season. They've already secured a semi-finals appearance by taking down Rimouski and Moncton to start the tournament. Beating Medicine Hat would secure them another appearance in Memorial Cup Final. Their next game takes place this evening starting a t 7:00 p.m. when they will faceoff against young star Gavin McKenna and the rest of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
CHL Hosts Meet The Coaches Press Conference Ahead of Memorial Cup
Earlier today, London Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter took part in a pre-tournament press conference alongside the Head Coaches of the other three participating teams. The panel consisted of Hunter, Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat), Gardiner MacDougall (Moncton) and Joël Perrault (Rimouski). Each of the coaches answered questions fielded by members of the media generally responding in jovial and upbeat fashion. These are four star-studded coaches whose shelves are weighed down by some serious hardware. In 2022, MacDougall won the Memorial Cup in spectacular fashion as the Head Coach of the Saint John's Sea Dogs. He'd only been with the team for a few short weeks prior to the tournament. While Desjardins has not won a Memorial Cup, he has won multiple medals on the international stag,e coaching Team Canada at various levels. Perrault is the least decorated of the quartet, though he is also the youngest of the four coaches. MacDougall was especially complementary of Perrault praising him and Rimouski for battling through injuries in the QMJHL Finals. Hunter is by far the most decorated coach in this group. Not only has he won two Memorial Cups, he's also the winner of five OHL Championships which ties him for the most in OHL history. He and the Knights are the favourite to win the Memorial Cup this year, largely based on the fourteen returning London players who made it to the finals of last year's tournament. Hear from Dale Hunter (@LondonKnights), Willie Desjardins (@tigershockey), Gardiner MacDougall (@monctonwildcats) and Joël Perrault (@oceanicrimouski) at the 2025 #MemorialCup Meet the Coaches press conference! 🎙️ — Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 22, 2025 Despite being the favourites, Hunter emphasized how difficult it is to win the Memorial Cup. The Knights cruised through the OHL Playoffs, dropping only one game on their way to their second straight J. Ross Robertson Cup. They were undefeated going into the OHL Finals. Twenty years ago, Hunter won the Memorial Cup in London by defeating the Rimouski Oceanic in the final. That team included veteran Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry as well as former Ottawa Senator Marc Methot. The two teams will rematch in London's second game at the tournament. This time the Oceanic will look to take a win on home ice. One question directed towards Desjardins focused on WHL superstar Gavin McKenna making his first appearance at the Memorial Cup. The young star averaged more than two points per game during the WHL playoffs, scoring nine goals and adding 29 assists in 16 games. As the coach of the host team, Perrault fielded quite a few questions. In a heartfelt moment, he told reporters that the bracelet he wears around his wrist is a token given to him by his daughters who made it for him during his first year in Rimouski. The Oceanic will kick off the tournament tomorrow evening against Medicine Hat. The game is set to start at 7:00 p.m. The OHL representatives will start their tournament the following evening with a contest against Moncton. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.
