2025 Memorial Cup Preview: Breakdowns, players to watch and more
The 2025 Memorial Cup kicks off later this week in Rimouski, Quebec, featuring four of the Canadian Hockey League’s top teams battling for national junior hockey supremacy.
Joining host Rimouski Oceanic are the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers, the OHL’s back-to-back champion London Knights, and the QMJHL powerhouse Moncton Wildcats. Fans are in for an exhilarating tournament filled with star talent and fierce competition.
Here’s a look at the four competing teams:
- (Host) – Rimouski Oceanic
- (QMJHL Champion) – Moncton Wildcats
- (OHL Champion) – London Knights
- (WHL Champion) – Medicine Hat Tigers
Rimouski Oceanic (Host)
The Rimouski Oceanic earned their birth the traditional way. Despite being hosts, they made it to the QMJHL Championship, where they ultimately lost out to the Moncton Wildcats.
Captain Jacob Mathieu led the team with 41 goals and 27 assists for 68 points in 59 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he continued his strong performance with 14 goals and 13 assists over 21 games, ranking second in postseason scoring. Anaheim Ducks prospect Alex Blais topped the team’s regular-season scoring with 73 points, including 20 goals and 53 assists in 60 games.
The Oceanic also boasts Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko, who has seven goals and 11 points through 16 playoff games. The Latvian power forward stood out at the World Juniors and registered 12 goals and 22 points in 24 QMJHL regular-season games.
On defense, the Oceanic’s blueline features Florida Panthers prospect Luke Coughlin, committed to the University of Maine for 2025-26, alongside Vancouver Canucks prospect Basile Sansonnens.
In net, Rimouski relies on Mathis Langevin and William Lacelle. Lacelle, a prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, secured 27 wins during the regular season with a 2.38 goals-against average, establishing himself as one of the league’s top goaltenders.
The Oceanic have not been to the Memorial Cup since the 2014-15 season and are aiming to capture their second championship, their first coming in 2000 when Brad Richards led the team to the title.
Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL Champion)
What a season for the Moncton Wildcats, who finished first overall in the QMJHL with a remarkable 53-9-2-0 record, accumulating 108 points and a league-best .844 winning percentage and captured the QMJHL Championship.
The Wildcats were led by 2025 top prospect Caleb Desnoyers, who recorded 35 goals and 49 assists for 84 points in 66 regular-season games. Desnoyers also led the playoffs with 30 points in 17 games, positioning himself as a potential top-5 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Markus Vidicek, acquired from the Halifax Mooseheads, led the team in goals with 38, adding 26 assists for 64 points in the regular season.
St. Louis Blues prospect Juraj Pekarcik contributed 67 points in the regular season and 20 points during the playoffs. Calgary Flames prospect Etienne Morin was a key blueline playmaker, registering 14 goals and 58 points in the regular season and 20 points in the postseason.
Goaltenders Mathis Rousseau and Rudy Guimond anchored the netminding duties. Rousseau led with 20 wins, a 2.88 goals-against average, and a .905 save percentage during the regular season. Detroit Red Wings prospect Guimond went unbeaten in the season with an astonishing 16-0-0 record and was 8-1-0 in postseason games.
Under decorated head coach Gardiner MacDougall, the Wildcats are chasing their first Memorial Cup title following appearances in 2006 and 2010.
London Knights (OHL Champion)
The London Knights became back-to-back J. Ross Robertson Cup champions after defeating the Oshawa Generals. Posting a dominant 55-11-2-0 record, the Knights finished with 112 points, scoring a league-high 325 goals and allowing just 180.
Led by defenseman and San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson, who posted a remarkable 91 points in 55 games, the Knights’ two-way star led all OHL defensemen with a +64 plus-minus rating. Dickinson added 31 points during the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey contributed 25 goals and 82 points in 50 games, while Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly enjoyed a breakout year with 71 points. Both players maintained strong postseason production.
Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan was one of the league’s most dynamic forwards, finishing with 29 goals and 40 assists for 69 points in 46 games. Cowan shone in the playoffs with 39 points in 17 games.
Kasper Halttunen was one of London’s key playoff performers, earning OHL Playoff MVP honours with nine goals in five games during the OHL Final alone, cementing himself as one of the top CHL snipers.
In goal, Austin Elliott was a rock, earning 32 wins during the regular season with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He continued his steady play in the playoffs with 16 wins, a 2.46 GAA, and a .906 save percentage. Elliott is the nephew of former NHL goaltender Brian Elliott.
London advances to its second straight Memorial Cup, aiming to capture their first league title since 2016.
Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL Champion)
The Medicine Hat Tigers, crowned WHL champions after defeating the Spokane Chiefs for the Ed Chynoweth Cup—their first since 2007—finished the season with a 47–17–3–1 record, scoring a league-leading 300 goals and claiming the Central Division crown with 98 points.
The driving force behind the Tigers’ explosive offense was 17-year-old phenom Gavin McKenna, who led the Tigers with 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in the regular season, then added 9 goals and 29 assists for 38 points in 16 WHL playoff games. The consensus No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna will surely be a top name to keep an eye on.
Veteran winger Oasiz Wiesblatt brought grit, emotion, and clutch scoring, finishing with 36 goals and 67 assists for 103 points in 66 games, while accumulating 148 penalty minutes. Wiesblatt also led the team with 14 goals during the playoffs.
Florida Panthers prospect Hunter St. Martin contributed key secondary scoring down the middle, recording 39 goals and leading the team with seven shorthanded goals in the regular season, adding 17 points in 18 playoff games.
The Tigers bolstered their lineup during the WHL Final with Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha and Columbus Blue Jackets top prospect Cayden Lindstrom both returning from injuries. Basha notched five points in five games, while Lindstrom tallied four points in four games, respectively.
On defense, Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk was vital, producing 21 assists in 28 regular-season games and anchoring the team’s transition game with his mobility and puck-moving skills. Bryce Pickford, a member of the 2023 Seattle Thunderbirds championship squad, has been an offensive weapon from the blueline, tallying 13 goals and 24 points in 18 games.
In goal, Jordan Switzer and Harrison Meneghin shared duties effectively. Switzer led with 23 wins, a 2.65 goals-against average, and a .901 save percentage, while Meneghin posted a 2.58 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Meneghin got the nod for the playoffs and emerged as the starter. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect was named the WHL Playoff MVP for his stellar postseason performance.
2025 Memorial Cup schedule
May 23 – Game 1: Medicine Hat vs. Rimouski — 7:00pm ET
May 24 – Game 2: Moncton vs. London — 6:00pm ET
May 25 – Game 3: Rimouski vs. London — 6:00pm ET
May 26 – Game 4: Moncton vs. Medicine Hat — 7:00pm ET
May 27 – Game 5: London vs. Medicine Hat — 7:00pm ET
May 28 – Game 6: Rimouski vs. Moncton — 7:00pm ET
May 29 – Tie-breaker (if necessary) — 7:00pm ET
May 30 – Semi-final — 7:00pm ET
June 1 – Final — 7:00pm ET
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