2012 Memorial Cup Memories

As part of the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup Memories series between May 25 and June 21, CHL on Sportsnet talent including RJ Broadhead, Sam Cosentino, and Rob Faulds will recall some of their most memorable moments from tournaments over the last decade, and we’ll recap the highlights to help set the stage for 10 championship game rebroadcasts on CHL.ca.

After falling short in playoff action, the Shawinigan Cataractes put together an unforgettable redemption story as host and champion of the 2012 Memorial Cup.

A top team throughout the 2011-12 campaign, the Cataractes finished second in the QMJHL with an impressive 45 wins and 97 points as the club claimed its first division crown in a decade. But after initially sweeping the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the opening round, the Cataractes suffered a devastating loss in a seven-game second-round series to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

The Cataractes entered the tournament well rested but waited until their second game to find the win column with a 6-2 triumph over the OHL champion London Knights. They finished the round robin with a 1-2 record but earned another life in the form of a tiebreaker date with the WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings.

The rest truly became history as the Cataractes found their winning ways and shined when it mattered most with their backs against the wall. They eliminated the Oil Kings in a dominant 6-1 final that drew a first-star performance from then Phoenix Coyotes draft pick Brandon Gormley. Then the following night in a semi-final showdown against the reigning Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs they prevailed with a 7-4 victory punctuated by a three-point performance from then Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Michael Chaput, helping him later claim the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup’s most valuable player.

This set the stage for the championship final where the Cataractes faced off against the Knights. Despite trailing early the hosts came back in dramatic fashion earning a 2-1 overtime victory with their regular season leading scorer and then 2012 NHL Draft prospect Anton Zlobin pushing the pace with a two-goal outing with the game-winner coming nearly 18 minutes into the extra frame to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

In capturing CHL supremacy for the first time in franchise history, the Cataractes were just the second squad to win the championship after competing in the tiebreaker game following the 2009 Windsor Spitfires, but first to eliminate all three league champions in three straight games. They were also the first host club to hoist the year-end trophy since the Vancouver Giants five years prior.

Quick Hits

Tournament Scores:
May 18 – Edmonton 4 vs. Shawinigan 3
May 19 – Saint John 3 vs. London 5
May 20 – Shawinigan 6 vs. London 2
May 21 – Saint John 5 vs. Edmonton 2
May 22 – London 4 vs. Edmonton 1
May 23 – Shawinigan 1 vs. Saint John 4
May 24 (Tie-Breaker) – Shawinigan 6 vs. Edmonton 1
May 25 (Semi-Final) – Shawinigan 7 vs. Saint John 4
May 27 (Final) – Shawinigan 2 vs. London 1 (OT)

Awards:
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (MVP) – Michael Chaput, Shawinigan
Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Leading Scorer) – Michael Chaput, Shawinigan
George Parsons Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike) – Zack Phillips, Saint John Sea Dogs
Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Top Goaltender) – Gabriel Girard, Shawinigan

All-Stars:
Forwards: Michael Chaput (Shawinigan), Henrik Samuelsson (Edmonton), Austin Watson (London)
Defence: Brandon Gormley (Shawinigan), Jarred Tinordi (London)
Goaltender: Michael Houser (London)

NHL Alumni:

Edmonton Oil Kings
G – Laurent Brossoit
G –Tristan Jarry
D – Keegan Lowe
D – Mark Pysyk
D – Griffin Reinhart
D – Ashton Sautner
F – Curtis Lazar
F – Henrik Samuelsson

London Knights
D – Scott Harrington
D – Olli Maatta
D – Jarred Tinordi
F – Josh Anderson
F – Andreas Athanasiou
F – Max Domi
F – Seth Griffith
F – Bo Horvat
F – Greg McKegg
F – Vladislav Namestnikov
F – Chris Tierney
F – Austin Watson

Saint John Sea Dogs
D – Nathan Beaulieu
F – Charlie Coyle
F – Stanislav Galiev
F – Jonathan Huberdeau
F – Tomas Jurco

Shawinigan Cataractes
D – Morgan Ellis
D – Brandon Gormley
D – Jonathan Racine
F – Michael Bournival
F – Michael Chaput
F – Frederick Gaudreau

Relive the action between the Cataractes and Knights on Sunday’s rebroadcast streaming live at 7 p.m. ET on CHL.ca.