Medicine Hat Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna headlines a stacked field at this year’s Memorial Cup.
The top competition in Canadian junior hockey runs Friday through June 1 in Rimouski, Que. The Rimouski Oceanic, Moncton Wildcats and London Knights join the Tigers in the tournament. The same teams filled out the top four in the Canadian Hockey League’s end-of-season rankings.
Here are five things to know for the event:
MCKENNA MANIA
McKenna led the Western Hockey League champions with 129 points (41-88) in 56 games during the regular season, followed by 38 points (9-29) in 16 playoff contests. His 54-game point streak from Nov. 2 to May 11 was the CHL’s longest since 2000 — and he’s just 17.
Widely expected to be the prize of the 2026 NHL draft, the product of Whitehorse, Yukon, will be a main attraction in Rimouski.
Medicine Hat's talented roster also features captain Oasiz Wiesblatt, defenceman Tanner Molendyk and goaltender Harrison Meneghin, the playoff MVP. The Tigers posted a 47-17-4 record during the regular season and lost only twice in the playoffs.
The Tigers are back in the tournament for the first time since 2007. They haven’t won since going back-to-back in 1987 and 1988.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The Ontario Hockey League-champion Knights are seeking to avenge last year’s crushing loss to Saginaw. The host Spirit scored with 22 seconds left in regulation to win the Memorial Cup final 4-3 after London rallied from 3-0 down to tie.
Now the Knights are back with a lot of the same faces. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan led playoff scoring with 39 points (13-26) in 17 games, post-season MVP Kasper Halttunen scored nine times in the championship series and undrafted goalie Austin Elliott finished the OHL year on a stunning 48-2 run.
London lost only once en route to its second straight OHL title. The group loaded with NHL draft picks — including four first-rounders — also went 55-11-2 in the regular season.
The Knights last won the Memorial Cup in 2016, their second victory.
MEMORIAL MACDOUGALL
Gardiner MacDougall became the winningest coach in Canadian men’s university hockey during his 24 years with the University of New Brunswick Reds.
In his first season coaching in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he won some more.
After leading the Reds to a 43-0 record and helping Canada claim under-18 gold last season, MacDougall guided Moncton to a 53-9-2 record and a QMJHL title.
MacDougall is also no stranger to the Memorial Cup. He won the tournament in 2022 when he filled in behind the bench for the host Saint John Sea Dogs.
The Wildcats have a well-rounded team, highlighted by Caleb Desnoyers, a projected top-10 pick in this June’s NHL draft. The 18-year-old was named playoff MVP with 30 points (9-21) in 19 games.
Moncton has played in the Memorial Cup twice (2006, 2010) but is still chasing its first title.
HOME ICE ADVANTAGE
The Oceanic automatically qualified for the tournament when Rimouski was named host city. The team nearly won the QMJHL championship, too, pushing Moncton to six games in the final after trailing 3-0.
Captain Jacob Mathieu led playoff scoring with 31 points in 23 games, and starting goalie Mathis Langevin posted a stellar 1.57 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in the post-season.
Rimouski — which Sidney Crosby led to a Memorial Cup appearance in 2005 — is hosting for a second time. The Oceanic last played in the tournament in 2015 and haven’t won since 2000.
END OF AN ERA?
This year’s Memorial Cup could be the last of an era amid a changing Canadian junior hockey landscape.
Beginning next season, CHL players will be allowed to compete in NCAA hockey after the governing body for U.S. college sports lifted long-standing restrictions that deemed CHL players ineligible as professionals.
A wave of CHL players have committed to U.S. colleges since the rule change was announced in November, leaving some to wonder what the future holds for junior hockey in Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
