2024 Memorial Cup Preview: Breakdowns, players to watch and more
SAGINAW, Michigan – The 2024 DOW Memorial Cup is set to kick off in Saginaw on May 24, with four of the best teams in Canadian major junior set to determine who the top team in the Canadian Hockey League is.
It’s one of the top events on the junior hockey calendar, pitting three league champions going up against the host team in a battle for CHL supremacy. The Quebec Ramparts aren’t back to defend their title, but Moose Jaw, London and Drummondville are hoping to build upon their championship series sweeps and win the biggest prize of all.
Here’s a look at the four competing teams:
- (Host) – Saginaw Spirit
- (WHL Champion) – Moose Jaw Warriors
- (OHL Champion) – London Knights
- (QMJHL Champion) – Drummondville Voltigeurs
Saginaw Spirit
Captain: Braden Hache
Head Coach: Chris Lazary
General Manager: Dave Drinkill
OHL Championships: 0
Memorial Cup Championships: 0
Top 5 playoff scorers:
Rodwin Dioncio (Anaheim Ducks) – 17 points
Calem Mangone (Undrafted) – 14 points
Owen Beck (Montreal Canadiens) – 14 points
Hunter Haight (Minnesota Wild) – 13 points
Michael Misa (2025 NHL Draft) – 11 points
What an opportunity this is for the Spirit. For a team that has never played in an OHL final, Saginaw can win junior hockey’s ultimate prize.
They were seemingly on the path to qualifying for the Memorial Cup in the “traditional” path, advancing to the Western Conference final for the first time in five years. They ended up losing to the Knights in six games, but were the only team to beat London in the playoffs.
After being awarded the bid last March, heavy lifting was done to update the 52-year-old Dow Event Center, but general manager Dave Drinkill also put in a ton of work to put together a winning team.
Like a lot of previous hosts, the Spirit sold the farm to get some of the best players available, most notably Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Owen Beck. Beck was on the Petes team that made it to Kamloops last year, and was also on the Canadian team that won gold at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Spirit acquired him at the deadline and helped spark the team’s strong second half, which saw Saginaw go 26-5-1 since Jan. 8, finishing second in the West behind London.
Beck scored 34 goals and 81 points in 57 games during the regular season and 14 points in the team’s 17 playoff games.
One acquisition that has arguably paid off the most is Rodwin Dioncio. The Anaheim Ducks fifth-round pick from last year’s draft came over from Windsor and had a respectable regular season, scoring 53 points in 44 games with Saginaw. In the playoffs, Dioncio’s playmaking abilities shined, leading the Spring with five goals and 12 assists in 17 games.
While players like Beck, Dioncio and Zayne Parekh will be key in Saginaw’s success, all eyes will be on 17-year-old Michael Misa. The Oakville native came into the OHL with high expectations after being granted exceptional status in 2022. Misa performed as advertised, earning OHL Rookie of the Year honors, and was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team.
Misa’s game has continued to develop in year two with the Spirit, scoring a career-high 75 points in 67 games. The 2025 draft-eligible prospect has not been as heavily relied on to be “The Guy” as he was in his rookie season, allowing him to craft his game even more. Misa scored four goals and 17 points during the OHL playoffs.
By Tyler Kuehl
London Knights
Captain: N/A (Alternate captain – Max McCue)
Head Coach: Dale Hunter
General Manager: Mark Hunter
OHL Championships: 5
Memorial Cup Championships: 2
Top 5 playoff scorers:
Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs) – 34 points
Denver Barkey (Philadelphia Flyers) – 27 points
Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks) – 26 points
Max McCue (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 22 points
Jacob Julien (Winnipeg Jets) – 18 points
That’s right, haters, the Knights are back in town.
After bowing out to the Peterborough Petes a year ago, the Knights swept the Oshawa Generals to win the franchise’s fifth J. Robertson Cup, and first since 2016 – the last time London took home the Memorial Cup.
No team has appeared in the tournament in the last 20 years more than London, with this being the team’s sixth appearance in that span.
There are some notable similarities between the 2016 team that featured Matthew Tkachuk, Mitch Marner, and Christian Dvorak and today’s roster. The Knights finished this season with 104 points, the best record in the OHL and the most since posting 105 points eight years ago. They made short work of their opponents, losing just twice on their way to a fifth league championship.
Like the team that won it all in Red Deer, London has many NHL-ready players up and down its roster. They are led by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who has just been a firecracker all season long.
After suggestions that he might join the Leafs prior to the season, last year’s 28th overall pick was clutch for the Knights, scoring a career-high 96 points in 54 games. When the playoffs came around, Cowan turned his game up to 11, scoring 34 points in 18 games, winning the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award playoff MVP.
Denver Barkey has also been a big-time player. The Philadelphia Flyers took the Newmarket native in the third round of last year’s draft, and his game has improved exponentially. He led the Knights with 102 points, good for fourth in the OHL. He scored at a high rate in the postseason, finishing third behind Cowan and Oshawa’s Calum Ritchie with 27 points.
Goaltending is important to win a championship, and that was why general manager Mark Hunter went out and acquired Michael Simpson, the netminder that helped the Petes beat the Knights last season. He was exactly what London needed. He posted the best goals-against average during the regular season (2.61), was second in wins (34) and third in save percentage (.905).
By Tyler Kuehl
Moose Jaw Warriors
Captain: Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Head Coach: Mark O’Leary
General Manager: Jason Ripplinger
WHL Championships: 0
Memorial Cup Championships: 0
Top 5 playoff scorers
Jagger Firkus (Seattle Kraken) – 32 points
Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 30 points
Brayden Yager (Pittsburgh Penguins) – 27 points
Matthew Savoie (Buffalo Sabres) – 24 points
Atlee Calvert (Undrafted) – 20 points
The Warriors claimed the WHL championship for the first time in franchise history, and now they’ll look to do the same with the Memorial Cup.
The Warriors have won 26 of their last 33 games, only losing three times in regulation since late February. They’ve been led by Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus, Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick Denton Mateychuk and future Pittsburgh Penguin Brayden Yager. The trio finished in the top three in WHL playoff scoring, while Mateychuk was named the playoff MVP after leading all CHL defensemen with 30 points. Four members of the Warriors eclipsed the 10-goal mark in the postseason, alluding to their scoring depth.
The Warriors were busy at the trade deadline in January, acquiring Buffalo Sabres forward Matthew Savoie from the Wenatchee Wild. Savoie immediately impacted and tallied 10 goals and 24 points in 20 playoff games. The Warriors also have some future NHL talent in Columbus’ Martin Rysavy, Minnesota’s Kalem Parker and Anaheim’s Vojtech Port.
Moose Jaw will be riding the waves of goaltender Jackson Unger, who put together a 2.90 goals against average and .910 save percentage through 20 postseason contests. The Edmonton, Alberta native is draft-eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft and will be using this tourney as a way to boost his draft stock. Pavel McKenzie was ranked No. 176 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, so scouts will also one looking to keep an eye on him.
Drummondville Voltigeurs
Captain: Luke Woodworth
Head Coach: Sylvain Favreau
General Manager: Yanick Lemay
QMJHL Championships: 2
Memorial Cup Championships: 0
Top 5 playoff scorers
Ethan Gauthier (Tampa Bay Lightning) – 25 points
Luke Woodworth (Undrafted) – 24 points
Mikael Huchette (Undrafted) – 20 points
Alexis Gendron (Philadelphia Flyers) – 19 points
Sam Oliver (Undrafted) – 17 points
Drummondville captured their second QMJHL championship and first since 2009 after sweeping the No. 1 seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Now, they’re chasing the Memorial Cup in their fourth attempt in franchise history.
The Voltigeurs were the highest-scoring team in the QMJHL throughout the regular season and playoffs, with 4.50 and 4.37 goals per game, respectively. Drummondville was led by Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Gauthier, who notched a team-leading 14 goals and 26 points in 19 postseason contests. Captain Luke Woodworth notched a team-leading 17 assists, while Buffalo Sabres prospect and QMJHL Defenseman of the Year Vsevolod Komarov tallied 15 points in 19 games. Komarov was awarded the Guy-Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP.
Komarov is one of three former Quebec Remparts who captured the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops last year. The Voltigeurs added Komarov and overage forwards Mikael Huchette and Kassim Gaudet to their roster this year. Huchette tallied 20 points in 19 playoff contests, while Gaudet has notched seven points. Gauet played a big role for the Remparts at last year’s tourney, scoring five points in four games.
Drummondville will look to 20-year-old netminder Riley Mercer to backstop them throughout the tourney. Mercer put together a 1.89 goals against average and .934 save percentage in 19 postseason stars. He is the younger brother of New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer, so he’s coming from a good hockey pedigree.
Meanwhile, top Utah prospect Maveri Lamoureux is still out after undergoing shoulder surgery a few months back. The 6-foot-7 defenseman tallied 33 points in 39 regular season games.
By Colton Davies