KNIGHTS SET TO KICK OFF MEMORIAL CUP
A Look at the 2024 Memorial Cup
By Yannis Economopoulos
LONDON, Ont. – By sweeping the Oshawa Generals in the OHL Championship Series, the London Knights captured their fifth J. Ross Robertson Cup in franchise history. Along with the hardware, the Green and Gold punched a ticket to Michigan, where they will battle against the Moose Jaw Warriors, Drummondville Voltigeurs, and host Saginaw Spirit for junior hockey’s ultimate prize, the Memorial Cup.
London Knights (OHL Champions)
- Regular Season: 50-14-1-3 with 104 Points
- Playoffs: 16-2-0
London went into the playoffs on a seven-game win streak and a 16-3-1-0 record in their last 20 contests. Before losing their first game to Saginaw in the West Final, they went a perfect 10-0-0.
A few weeks ago, the OHL awarded Easton Cowan the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s Most Outstanding Player. In his 54-game regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect notched 34 goals, 62 assists, 96 points, and a point-per-game average of 1.78. He also caught the eyes of hockey fans worldwide with his 36-game, 68-point streak from November 25th to March 24th. In the Championship Series alone, Cowan, who led the OHL playoffs with 34 points and 24 assists, recorded 15 points.
Overage forward Max McCue had a career-high 61 points in the regular season and showed his determination to go out with a championship all year. The Sudbury, Ont. native, who has spent his entire junior hockey tenure in London, was third on the team with 19 assists and fourth with 22 points in the postseason.
Denver Barkey had an exceptional breakout year for the Knights this season, potting 35 goals, 67 assists, and 102 points, good for fourth league-wide. When the postseason began, Barkey carried a nine-game, 16-point streak and found the back of the net in three consecutive contests. In 18 playoff appearances, the Newmarket, Ont. native had 27 points on six goals and 21 assists.
After completing his first OHL season with 32 goals and 61 points, Kasper Halttunen stayed dominant throughout the playoffs. The 6-foot-3 sniper led the postseason with 17 tallies and had 26 points. In his last three outings, the San Jose Sharks prospect has eight markers.
Special Teams
Regular Season
- Power Play: 32.6% (1st)
- Penalty Kill: 85% (1st)
Playoffs
- Power Play: 36.9%
- Penalty Kill: 83.3%
Know the Foe
Saginaw Spirit (Host)
- Regular Season: 50-16-1-1 with 102 points
- Playoffs: 10-7-0
The Saginaw Spirit beat the Owen Sound Attack in round one (4-0), the Soo Greyhounds in round two (4-3), then lost in six games to the Knights in the Western Conference Final.
Owen Beck registered a career-high 81 points this season, split between Peterborough and Saginaw. In 32 outings with the Spirit, the Montreal Canadiens prospect potted 18 goals and 51 points. Beck finished the postseason with 14 points in 17 appearances.
Michael Misa, Zayne Parekh, and Rodwin Dionicio were tremendous for Saginaw all year. In 2022, Misa became the sixth player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL. He is coming off a 75-point season and has 131 in 112 career games. Meanwhile, Parekh (96) and Dionicio (73) finished first and third in points among defensemen league-wide. Dionicio, who recently signed an entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, led Saginaw with 17 points in the postseason.
Calem Mangone had a career-high 63-point season in 62 appearances. His 14 playoff points were tied for second on the team with Beck.
Special Teams
Regular Season
- Power Play: 25.5% (3rd)
- Penalty Kill: 83.1% (3rd)
Playoffs
- Power Play: 16.7%
- Penalty Kill: 77.5%
Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL Champions)
- Regular Season: 44-21-0-3 with 91 points
- Playoffs: 16-4-0
On their way to the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Moose Jaw Warriors defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings in round one (4-0), the Swift Current Broncos in round two (4-1), the Saskatoon Blades in the Conference Final (4-3), then the Portland Winterhawks in the final (4-0).
Jagger Firkus, a second-round selection to the Seattle Kraken in 2023, exploded for a 61-goal, 126-point regular season. Firkus, who made 63 appearances, was second in goals and first in points league-wide. In 20 playoff outings, he led the league with 32 points, while his 14 goals and 18 helpers were second.
Denton Mateychuk, one of the world’s best defensive prospects, is coming off a career-high 75-point campaign after recording 17 goals and 58 assists. The NHL’s 12th overall pick in 2023 remained dominant in the playoffs by notching 30 points in 20 games.
Brayden Yager and Matthew Savoie are also very dangerous players. Yager, the 14th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins, had a 95-point regular season, then registered 27 in the postseason. Meanwhile, Savoie, the ninth overall selection to the Buffalo Sabres in 2022, collected 71 points in 34 regular season games, then tallied 24 in the playoffs.
Special Teams
Regular Season
- Power Play: 32.4% (1st)
- Penalty Kill: 76.4% (10th)
Playoffs
- Power Play: 20.7%
- Penalty Kill: 82.9%
Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL Champions)
- Regular Season: 48-14-5-1 with 102 points
- Playoffs: 16-2-1
En route to their second Gilles-Corteau Trophy, the Drummondville Voltigeurs defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs in round one (4-0), the Sherbrooke Phœnix in round two (4-2), the Victoriaville Tigres in round three (4-1), and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the final (4-0).
Ethan Gauthier and Sam Oliver shared the team lead with 71 points in the regular season. Gauthier’s 36 goals led the club, while Oliver’s 35 were right behind.
In 19 playoff appearances, Gauthier had 25 points, good for second league-wide, while Oliver tallied 17. Vsevolod Komarov (69), Justin Côté (67), and Luke Woodworth (62) rounded out the top five scorers in the regular season.
Special Teams
Regular Season
- Power Play: 26.6% (2nd)
- Penalty Kill: 81.2% (4th)
Playoffs
- Power Play: 26.5%
- Penalty Kill: 85%
Schedule
- May 25: London vs Drummondville at 4:00 p.m. EST
- May 27: London vs Moose Jaw at 7:30 p.m. EST
- May 29: Saginaw vs London at 7:30 p.m. EST
- May 30: Tie Breaker (If required) at 7:30 p.m. EST
- May 31: Semi-Final at 7:30 p.m. EST
- June 2: Final at 7:30 p.m. EST
