Host Saginaw facing London, Drummondville, Moose Jaw for CHL championship
© Eric Young/Dream Bigger Media
By Mike G. Morreale
The 104th Memorial Cup tournament to determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League will take place at Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan, beginning May 24 and conclude with the championship game June 2.
The four-team, round-robin tournament includes the host team, Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League, along with OHL champion London, Western Hockey League champion Moose Jaw, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Drummondville.
Saginaw is playing in the Memorial Cup for the first time since the franchise began play in 2002. Among the players to reach the NHL from Saginaw are defenseman Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks, and forwards Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets, Owen Tippett of the Philadelphia Flyers, Brandon Saad of the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers' Vincent Trocheck, whose No. 89 is the only jersey retired by the Spirit.
The host team has won 11 times since the current four-team round-robin format was adopted in 1983, most recently in 2022 when QMJHL champion Saint John defeated OHL champion Hamilton 6-3 in the championship game. In the past 39 tournaments, the WHL has won 16 times, the OHL 12 times, and the QMJHL 11 times. The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's a closer look at the participating teams:
SAGINAW SPIRIT
Coach: Chris Lazary
Memorial Cup championships: None since moving to Saginaw in 2002.
How they got here: Saginaw received an automatic berth as tournament host. The Spirit finished second in the OHL standings with 102 points (50-16-2), then lost to London in six games in the Western Conference Final. Defenseman Zayne Parekh, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, set Saginaw records for goals (33) and points (96) by a defenseman in 66 regular-season games. He had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 13 OHL playoff games.
NHL prospects: Forwards Owen Beck (Montreal Canadiens, No. 33, 2022 NHL Draft), Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas Golden Knights, No. 48, 2022 Draft), Hunter Haight (Minnesota Wild, No. 47, 2022 Draft), Joey Willis (Nashville Predators, No. 111, 2023 NHL Draft), Josh Bloom (Buffalo Sabres, No. 95, 2021 NHL Draft; traded to Vancouver Canucks, Feb. 27, 2023), Ethan Hay (Tampa Bay Lightning, No. 211, 2023 Draft); defensem*n Rodwin Dionicio (Anaheim Ducks, No. 129, 2023 NHL Draft), Jorian Donovan (Ottawa Senators, No. 136, 2022 Draft); goalie Nolan Lalonde (Columbus Blue Jackets, signed Oct. 2, 2022).
2024 draft-eligible prospects: (NHL Central Scouting final ranking in parenthesis): Defenseman Zayne Parekh (No. 5, North American skaters).
LONDON KNIGHTS
Coach: Dale Hunter
Memorial Cup championships: Two (2005, 2016)
How they got here: London went 16-2 in the OHL playoffs to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champion, capped by a four-game sweep of Oshawa in the best-of-7 championship series. The Knights averaged 4.89 goals per game during the playoffs and Toronto Maple Leafs forward prospect Easton Cowan won the Wayne Gretzky 99 award as the most valuable player of the OHL playoffs after leading the league with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) in 18 postseason games. London is making its sixth Memorial Cup appearance since 2005.
NHL prospects: Forwards Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs, No. 28, 2023 Draft), Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks, No. 36, 2023 Draft), Jacob Julien (Winnipeg Jets, No. 146, 2023 Draft), Kaleb Lawrence (Los Angeles Kings, No. 215, 2022 Draft), Max McCue (Columbus Blue Jackets, signed March 1), Denver Barkey (Philadelphia Flyers, No. 95, 2023 Draft), Landon Sim (St. Louis Blues, No. 184, 2022 Draft); defensem*n Isaiah George (New York Islanders, No. 98, 2022 Draft), Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers, No. 22, 2023 Draft), Jackson Edward (Boston Bruins, No. 200, 2022 Draft).
2024 draft-eligible prospects: Forwards Sam O'Reilly (No. 24, North American skaters), Ruslan Gazizov (No. 192 North American skaters); defensem*n Sam Dickinson (No. 7, North American skaters), Jared Woolley (No. 73, North American skaters).
© Getty Images
DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS
Coach: Sylvain Favreau
Memorial Cup championships: None
How they got here: The Voltigeurs are making their fourth Memorial Cup appearance (1988, 1991, 2009) after winning their second QMJHL championship and first since 2009. They clinched the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champion with a four-game sweep of Baie-Comeau in the best-of-7 championship series. Drummondville average 4.37 goals in its 18 playoff games, just off its pace from the regular season (4.50 goals per game). Tampa Bay Lightning forward prospect Ethan Gauthier led the Voltigeurs during the playoffs with 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 19 games. Drummondville went 16-3 in the postseason, outscoring its opponents 83-37.
NHL prospects: Forwards Alexis Gendron (Philadelphia Flyers, No. 220, 2022 Draft), Ethan Gauthier (Tampa Bay Lightning, No. 37, 2023 Draft); defensem*n Maveric Lamoureux (Utah, No. 29, 2022 Draft), Mikael Diotte (New Jersey Devils, signed March 2), Vsevolod Komarov (Buffalo Sabres, No. 134, 2022 Draft).
2024 draft-eligible prospects: Forward Peter Repcik (No. 191 North American skaters); defenseman Simon-Pier Brunet (No. 185 North American skaters).
MOOSE JAW WARRIORS
Coach: Mark O'Leary
Memorial Cup championships: None
How they got here: Moose Jaw won its first Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champion after a four-game sweep of Portland in the best-of-7 final and will be making its first Memorial Cup appearance. The Warriors went 16-4 and outscored the opposition 87-60 in the playoffs, averaging 4.35 goals per game. Seattle Kraken forward prospect Jagger Firkus led the WHL during the playoffs with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 20 games, and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman prospect Denton Mateychuk was named MVP of the WHL playoffs after he was second with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 20 games.
NHL prospects: Forwards Martin Rysavy (Columbus Blue Jackets, No. 197, 2021 Draft), Jagger Firkus (Seattle Kraken, No. 35, 2022 Draft), Brayden Yager (Pittsburgh Penguins, No. 14, 2023 Draft), Matt Savoie (Buffalo Sabres, No. 9, 2022 Draft); defensem*n Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets, No. 12, 2022 Draft), Kalem Parker (Minnesota Wild, No. 181, 2023 Draft), Vojtech Port (Anaheim Ducks, No. 161, 2023 Draft).
2024 draft-eligible prospects: Forward Pavel McKenzie (No. 176 North American skaters); goalie Jackson Unger (No. 27 North American goaltenders)
2024 Memorial Cup schedule
May 24: Moose Jaw vs. Saginaw (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8 p.m. ET, NHLN)
May 25: London vs. Drummondville (4 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN, RDS)
May 26: Saginaw vs. Drummondville (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN, RDS)
May 27: London vs. Moose Jaw (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8:30 p.m. ET, NHLN)
May 28: Drummondville vs. Moose Jaw (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8 p.m. ET, NHLN)
May 29: Saginaw vs. London (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8:30 p.m. ET, NHLN)
May 30: Tiebreaker, if necessary (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8 p.m. ET, NHLN)
May 31: Semifinal (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8 p.m. ET, NHLN)
June 2: Final (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS; 8 p.m. ET, NHL)
