Rimouski and Shawinigan submit intent to bid for 2025 Memorial Cup
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today that two Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) clubs – the Rimouski Océanic and Shawinigan Cataractes – have officially submitted their intents to bid for the hosting rights of the 2025 Memorial Cup.
Both these QMJHL teams will be required to submit their bid prior to the November 10 deadline, with the winning bid then set to be announced in December of 2023. Given that the last two Memorial Cup tournaments hosted by the QMJHL have been held in the Maritimes (2022 – Saint John, N.B. and 2019 – Halifax, N.S.), the 2025 Memorial Cup will mark the return of this event to the province of Quebec for what will be the first time in ten years. As hosts, the Océanic or Cataractes will be one of four teams to participate in the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup, alongside the playoff champion from each of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and QMJHL.
“We are excited to have received an expression of interest from both the Rimouski Océanic and Shawinigan Cataractes, two great QMJHL clubs who have both previously hosted the Memorial Cup and enjoyed success at this event”, stated CHL President Dan MacKenzie. “In 2025, we look forward to seeing the return of our championship event to the province of Quebec for what will be the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup.”
Over their history, both the Rimouski Océanic and Shawinigan Cataractes have previously hosted and won the Memorial Cup. Specifically, the Cataractes have twice hosted the tournament, first in 1985 and again in 2012. The latter saw Shawinigan hoist its first-ever CHL championship title and it remains one of 11 host clubs to ever win the Memorial Cup (since 1983). Meanwhile, Rimouski hosted this prestigious event for the first and only time in 2009, and won its only Memorial Cup title in 2000.
The most recent Memorial Cup took place in Kamloops last June and saw the Quebec Remparts defeat the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-0 in the final to win the national championship. With that latest victory, the QMJHL has won four straight Memorial Cup titles, the most of any league in the CHL since the tournament switched over to a round-robin format in 1972.
Next year’s 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow will take place in Saginaw, Michigan from May 23 to June 2, 2024, and ticket sales for that event will be available for purchase to the public starting on Wednesday, October 11.
