Former Petes Beck, Guo Win Memorial Cup with Saginaw Spirit
On Sunday, June 2, the Saginaw Spirit defeated the London Knights 4-3 to win the Organization’s first ever Memorial Cup. The Spirit included former Petes Owen Beck, James Guo, and former Associate Coach Jake Grimes.
Beck, a second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, finished as the tournament MVP after scoring four goals and adding an assist for five points in five games. Beck’s biggest game came during Sunday’s final, when he scored the first two goals of the game on former Petes teammate and 2023 OHL Champion Michael Simpson, giving Saginaw an early lead. This was Beck’s second straight appearance in the Memorial Cup. In the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, he finished tied for third on the Petes in points, scoring once and adding two assists in five games.
Originally selected by the Mississauga Steelheads in the second round of the 2020 OHL Priority selection, Beck was acquired by the Petes at the trade deadline in 2023. In the 2023 OHL playoffs, Beck played in 22 games for the Petes, picking up 16 points and helping them to an OHL Championship.
Selected by the Petes in the fourth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, James Guo played 81 games in parts of two seasons for the Petes, scoring twice and adding nine assists for 11 points. Guo was traded to the Spirit during the 2023 deadline in exchange for Cam Gauvreau and picks. Since the trade, Guo has played in 81 games for Saginaw, picking up 12 points and featuring in all five of their 2024 Memorial Cup games.
In another tie to Peterborough, 2023 OHL Champion and Playoff MVP Michael Simpson was a runner up in the tournament with his hometown London Knights. Acquired by the Knights from the Petes before the season, Simpson was named top goaltender in the tournament, going 3-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .917 SV% in four games.
The Petes would like to extend their congratulations to Beck, Guo, former Associate Coach Jake Grimes, and the entire Spirit Organization on their Memorial Cup win. Congratulations also go out to Michael Simpson on his second straight J. Ross Robertson Cup win with London and a fantastic OHL career.