WHL Champions – Medicine Hat Tigers
(sixth Memorial Cup appearance – 1973, 1987, 1988, 2004, 2007 & 2025; two Memorial Cup titles – 1987 & 1988)
The Medicine Hat Tigers are set to make their sixth Memorial Cup appearance—and first since 2007 – after capturing the 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup with a decisive 4-1 series win over the Spokane Chiefs.
Since the tournament adopted its round-robin format in 1972, the Tigers’ six appearances rank tied for the fifth-most over that span and sit just one behind Kamloops for the most by a WHL club. Guided by veteran head coach Willie Desjardins, who secured his third WHL title, the Tigers dominated the playoffs with a 16-2 record, including sweeps of Prince Albert and Lethbridge, and a decisive five-game triumph over Spokane in the WHL Championship Series.
A significant contributor to the Medicine Hat Tigers’ successful playoff run has been 17-year-old forward Gavin McKenna (9G-29A in 16 GP), a leading prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, who led all CHL players in playoff scoring with an average of 2.38 points per game.
Although McKenna’s impressive 54-game point streak concluded during the WHL Championship Series, his sustained offensive excellence played a key role in propelling the Tigers to the Memorial Cup. Team captain Oasiz Wiesblatt (14G-15A in 18 GP) continued his outstanding performance by recording 29 points in the postseason, building upon a regular season in which he surpassed the 100-point threshold and providing strong veteran leadership.
Defenceman and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Bryce Pickford (13G-11A in 18 GP) set a new benchmark with 13 goals – the highest total by a CHL defenceman in a single postseason since 2000 – entering the Memorial Cup with an eight-game goal-scoring streak.
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom (2G-2A in 4 GP) and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha (2G-3A in 5 GP) made a timely return to the Tigers’ lineup, providing a significant boost and delivering key performances during the WHL Championship Series. As one of eight NHL prospects on their roster,
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin proved to be a reliable presence in net for the Tigers, finishing the playoffs with a 14-1 record, a 2.35 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and three shutouts, earning WHL Playoff MVP honors.
With two Memorial Cup titles already to their name (1987 & 1988), the Tigers look to end the WHL’s decade-long championship drought and add to their storied legacy in Rimouski.
OHL Champions – London Knights
(seventh Memorial Cup appearance – 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2024 & 2025; two Memorial Cup titles – 2005 & 2016)
Set to make their seventh appearance at the CHL’s championship event since 2005, the London Knights have earned more Memorial Cup berths than any other club over the past two decades. Led by head coach Dale Hunter – who now co-holds the record for most J. Ross Robertson Cup wins by a coach with five – the Knights stormed through the 2025 OHL Playoffs, sweeping Owen Sound, Erie, and Kitchener before defeating Oshawa 4-1 in the final.
With a commanding 16-1 playoff record, London became the first CHL team in 12 years to repeat as league champions and the first OHL team in 27 years to capture the title with one loss or fewer.
With a CHL-best 12 NHL prospects found on their roster, the Knights got key contributions from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan (13G-26A in 17 GP) and San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Haltunnen (15G-6A in 17 GP) throughout the postseason.
Easton Cowan led all OHL skaters with 39 points during the 2025 OHL Playoffs, while Kasper Halttunen netted 15 goals – including nine in the OHL Championship Series — en route to becoming the first European ever to win the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoffs MVP.
Halttunen is just the fourth European to earn playoff MVP honours across the CHL. On the back end, San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson (9G-22A in 17 GP) added 31 points, tying for the seventh-most by a CHL defenceman in a single postseason since 2000.
Between the pipes, 20-year-old Austin Elliott wrapped up a near-perfect season with a 2.46 GAA and .906 save percentage, having suffered just two losses in 53 starts between London and Saskatoon.
Captain Denver Barkey (9G-11A in 10 GP) returned to the lineup for Game 5 of the OHL Championship Series, providing a crucial boost of leadership and energy that helped guide the London Knights to victory.
The Knights also posted their second straight 50-win season, finishing with 55 wins — their highest total since 2004–05 – and back-to-back 100-point campaigns for the first time in 11 years.
Set to be just the seventh team since 2000 to make consecutive appearances at a Memorial Cup, the Knights will be in search of their third Memorial Cup title in Rimouski after falling just short in the 2024 final to the Saginaw Spirit.
QMJHL Champions – Moncton Wildcats
(third Memorial Cup appearance – 2006, 2010 & 2025)
The 2024–25 Moncton Wildcats have delivered one of the most impressive seasons in QMJHL history, culminating in a hard-fought six-game series victory over the Memorial Cup host Rimouski Océanic to capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy, boasting an outstanding 16-3 postseason record.
With this triumph, Moncton will make its third Memorial Cup appearance in franchise history, having secured its third QMJHL championship – tying for the most titles won by any club in the league over the past 25 years.
Under the guidance of head coach Gardiner MacDougall, the Wildcats posted a 53-9-2-0 record, earning an .844 points percentage – the eighth-best in QMJHL history.
Their defensive prowess was particularly notable, allowing just 144 goals over the season, the fewest in the CHL, and averaging only 2.25 goals against per game, ranking fifth all-time in the QMJHL.
Offensively, the Wildcats are led by 2025 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers (9G-21A in 19 GP), who registered 35 goals and 84 points during the regular season, and continued his stellar play in the playoffs with nine goals and a team-leading 30 points.
By being named the 2025 QMJHL Playoffs MVP, Desnoyers became the first NHL Draft-eligible prospect to win the Guy Lafleur Trophy since Jonathan Drouin achieved the feat with the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013.
The Moncton Wildcats boast seven NHL Draft prospects, led by St. Louis Blues prospect Juraj Pekarcik (9G-12A in 19 GP) and Calgary Flames prospect Étienne Morin (2G-18A in 19 GP), who played pivotal roles in the team’s championship run in the QMJHL.
In net, the tandem of veteran Mathis Rousseau (8-2 record, 2.53 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO in 11 GP) and Detroit Red Wings prospect Rudy Guimond (8-1 record, 2.25 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 SO in 9 GP) provided stability.
Although his remarkable streak ultimately came to an end in the QMJHL Championship Series, Guimond set a QMJHL record with 24 consecutive wins in decisions during the 2024–25 season – spanning both the regular season and playoffs – the longest such run in league history.
The Moncton Wildcats enter the 2025 Memorial Cup as the only team in the field still seeking their first title, with London, Rimouski, and Medicine Hat all having previously lifted the storied trophy.
SCHEDULE
Round-Robin – Game 1 – Friday, May 23 – Medicine Hat vs. Rimouski (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Round-Robin – Game 2 – Saturday, May 24 – Moncton vs. London (6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT)
Round-Robin – Game 3 – Sunday, May 25 – Rimouski vs. London (6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT)
Round-Robin – Game 4 – Monday, May 26 – Moncton vs. Medicine Hat (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Round-Robin – Game 5 – Tuesday, May 27 – London vs. Medicine Hat (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Round-Robin – Game 6 – Wednesday, May 28 – Rimouski vs Moncton (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Tie-Breaker (*if necessary) – Thursday, May 29 (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Semi-Final – Friday, May 30 (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Championship Final – Sunday, June 1 (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
