A summary look at the four teams competing in the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, BC Teams are listed by conference, along with their respective regular season records. The tournament will take place from Friday to June 4.
A summary look at the four teams competing in the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, BC
The teams are listed by conference, along with their respective regular season records. The tournament will take place from Friday to June 4.
WHL, Seattle Thunderbirds (54-11-1-2)
The Thunderbirds made it to the tournament for the third time in franchise history after winning their second Western Hockey League title on May 19. Seattle quickly took out Eastern Conference power Winnipeg Ice in five games.
Led by Canadian youth world championship stars Dylan Guenther and Thomas Milic, two of their top 10 NHL prospects, the Thunderbirds are looking to win their first Memorial Cup title. Guenther, who scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game for Canada at the youth world championships, leads the CHL with 16 goals in the playoffs. Milic led the WHL in wins (16), save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (1.95) in 19 playoff games.
WHL, Kamloops Blazers (48-13-4-3)
It’s been a long time since the host Blazers lifted the Memorial Cup: 1995 to be exact, which spelled the end of a run of three titles in four years (1992, 1994, 1995).
Kamloops presented Seattle with its toughest challenge, pushing the Thunderbirds to six games in the Western Conference championship. And they have the longest recovery time going into the tournament, having last played on May 8.
The Blazers, led by WHL postseason scoring leaders Logan Stankoven (30 points) and Olen Zellweger (29 points), open the tournament against Quebec on Friday.
QMJHL, Ramparts of Quebec (53-12-1-2)
The Remparts showed no signs of slowing down from their regular season dominance in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. Quebec, which had the best regular season record in the QMJHL, went 16-2 en route to the Gilles Courteau Trophy, with both losses coming at the hands of the Halifax Mooseheads in the championship series.
It was Remparts’ first QMJHL title in 47 years, giving them their first Memorial Cup entry since 2015. Quebec comes to Kamloops aiming for their third Memorial Cup title and first since 2006.
OHL, Peterborough Petes (35-29-2-2)
The Petes have arguably had the least chance of making it to the Memorial Cup of the four teams. Peterborough entered the Ontario Hockey League playoffs with the ninth-best record in the regular season.
After sweeping the Sudbury Wolves, the Petes defeated the OHL’s top Ottawa 67 in six games. Peterborough followed that up with a seven-game elimination from the North Bay Battalion before eliminating the London Knights in six to claim their first J. Ross Robertson Cup in 17 years.
The victory gave the Petes their 10th OHL title in franchise history, placing them second all-time behind the Oshawa Generals (13). Peterborough will make their tenth Memorial Cup appearance, with their only tournament title coming in 1979.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 25, 2023.
Abdulhamid Ibrahim, Canadian Press
