2025 Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final | Wildcats vs. Oceanic Preview
The two QMJHL representatives at the 2025 Memorial Cup have been confirmed. But before the curtain rises on that clash, the Moncton Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic, two clubs with no shortage of postseason history against one another, must first determine who will claim this year’s Gilles-Courteau Trophy.
The Wildcats reached the Final for the first time in 15 years by running red hot to the tune of a 12-1 playoff record. To take that one step further, the Cats enter the championship round having lost just once over the past 28 games! Moncton’s postseason slate includes a four-game sweep of the Quebec Remparts, a five-game triumph over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and, in the Semi-Finals, another four-game sweep of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Caleb Desnoyers continues to lead the way with 24 points, tied for the league playoff scoring lead. However, Gabe Smith remains arguably the most inspirational story from this roster, his playoff hot streak adding up to 17 points. Local hero Preston Lounsbury was a force during the semis, with six points in the sweep of the Huskies. While the defensive presence of Dyllan Gill and Loke Johannson has played a major part in Moncton’s march through the second season, the two-way play of Etienne Morin has been a catalyst for this deep roster. Through three rounds, the netminding duties have rotated between Mathis Rousseau’s strong veteran presence and Rudy Guimond, who owns an unbelievable 23-0 record since arriving on the scene last Fall. This is the Wildcats’ fourth trip to the Final, losing in 2004 but claiming the title in both 2006 and 2010.
The Océanic’s entry into the Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final can be summed up in one word; perseverance. Despite a rash of injuries at all positions, Rimouski reached round four for the first time in a decade thanks to a four-game sweep over the Charlottetown Islanders and a six-game triumph past the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. The Semi-Finals featured a seven-game win over the Shawinigan Cataractes which saw three overtime encounters, including a thrilling double-overtime clincher in game seven. One of the constants has been captain Jacob Mathieu, who sits tied with Desnoyers for the postseason scoring lead. Alexandre Blais, Jonathan Fauchon and Maxime Coursol have been threats through all three rounds, while Mathieu Cataford has made his return to the lineup after an extended absence. Another player who’s missed time this postseason, Eriks Mateiko, provided the winner in the dramatic game seven clincher. The backend has been largely stabilized by Pier-Olivier Roy. However, the big-minute contributions of Swiss rookie Basile Sansonnens and Jack Martin, the latter with a goal and assist in the aforementioned game seven, cannot be overlooked. When Mathis Langevin went down between the pipes, William Lacelle picked up where he left off and delivered a solid performance in the clincher. This is the sixth appearance in the Final for the Océanic, following losses in 1998 and 2012 as well as championships in 2000, 2005 and 2015.
The Wildcats and Océanic split their regular season series, Rimouski winning 5-3 in Moncton on January 25 and Moncton later earning a 3-2 victory in Rimouski on March 5. This will be sixth playoff series between the two clubs. The Oceanic claimed victories in 1999, 2000 and 2009 while the Wildcats emerged victorious in 2004 and 2019. The two teams also faced off as part of a round-robin series back in 1998.
