Lefebvre scores game-winner as Sags beat Rockets in overtime
Liam Lefebvre scored the overtime winner as the Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., Sunday night.
Lefebvre also scored in regulation alongside Anton Linde while Lucas Beckman (OTT) stopped 27 shots. The Rockets had goals from Tij Iginla (UTA) and Mazden Leslie as Josh Banini made 26 saves.
“It was a big goal definitely for us as a team,” Lefebvre said. “I think we controlled the game well through the overtime … we took advantage of those opportunities we get once we get them and having a shooting mindset so going in with that I shot the puck and was fortunate enough for it to go in.”
A projected Top 50 pick at the 2026 NHL Draft, Lefebvre ended the game at 5:28 of overtime on a one-timer off of Nathan Lecompte’s feed in the left faceoff dot moments after Lecompte had nearly ended the game himself but saw his shot hit the crossbar.
Liam Lefebvre comes up CLUTCH! 😤
The 2026 #NHLDraft prospect gives the @SagueneensLHJMQ a massive OT win! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/8KRwOcmXUo
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 25, 2026
“It’s a huge win but we’ve got to keep growing into the tournament,” head coach Yanick Jean said. “It’s not an easy situation when you play against great teams and a two-in-two. We played those kind of games in the playoffs a lot. It turned out to be a great win for us and we stayed composed and grounded it out.”
Tied at 1-1 through two periods, Chicoutimi had taken the lead with just 6:01 left in regulation as Linde tipped Lecompte’s point shot and while Banini got his stick on it, the puck just crossed over the line.
But the hosts forced the extra period through Leslie – a d-man who has played forward in the event after the return of Peyton Kettles (PIT) on the blue line – where he found a loose puck after Tomas Poletin’s (NYI) shot from the blue line had been saved.
It was the Sags who managed the breakthrough in the opening period courtesy of 2026 NHL Draft prospect Lefebvre who found himself on a breakaway thanks to Maxim Schaefer’s (WSH) pass where he would roof a backhander at 14:38.
Kelowna tied the game at 6:29 of the second through Iginla who buried a one-timer off of Hiroki Gojsic’s (NSH) feed to join his father Jarome as a goalscorer at the Memorial Cup.
“Tough to lose that in overtime but if we can come back and get a big win in the next one, there’s still a path for us so we’ll see what we can do,” Iginla said.
Both sides had goals chalked off in the first – Kelowna’s Shane Smith thought he had the Rockets’ first goal of the tournament but it was cancelled out for goalie interference while Chicoutimi’s Lecompte saw his effort disallowed due to a hand pass from Lefebvre.
“[Now], we just want to keep building as this tournament goes on as a team,” Lefebvre said.
Chicoutimi battles Kitchener Tuesday in their next game while Kelowna are back in action on Wednesday – in a must-win game – when they face Everett in the final contest of the round-robin.
2026 Memorial Cup schedule:
May 22 – Game 1: Kitchener 5-0 Kelowna
May 23 – Game 2: Everett 5-3 Chicoutimi
May 24 – Game 3: Kelowna 2-3 (OT) Chicoutimi
May 25 – Game 4: Everett vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 26 – Game 5: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 27 – Game 6: Kelowna vs. Everett — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 28 – Tie-breaker (if necessary) — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 29 – Semi-final — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 31 – Final — 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
