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London Knights, Medicine Hat Tigers, Rimouski Oceanic, and Moncton Wildcats (The Hockey Writers)

2025 Memorial Cup: Players & Teams to Watch

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jordan Orth | Last updated May 20, 2025 9:45 AM ET

After an exciting finish to the postseason across the three leagues under the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) umbrella, the field has been set for the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. This year’s field has plenty of talent and will be one of the best seen in quite a while. What teams represent their respective leagues as champions alongside the host, the Rimouski Oceanic from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)?

London Knights (Ontario Hockey League)

7th Memorial Cup Appearance
Two-time Memorial Cup Champions (2005, 2016)

The London Knights continue to lead the way in the OHL, winning the J.Ross Robertson Cup for the second consecutive season over the Oshawa Generals. After coming up just short in last year’s Memorial Cup, losing to the hosts, the Saginaw Spirit, in the championship game, the Knights are looking to get some redemption this year. After going 55-11-2 in the regular season, the Dale Hunter-led Knights lost just one game in the OHL Playoffs, against Oshawa, and were led by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan (league leader in playoff points with 39), and San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson (31 points).

After seeing Michael Simpson age out of the junior ranks last season, the Knights rolled with a two-headed monster in the crease this season. After picking up Austin Elliott off CHL Waivers, Elliott put up the best season from any goaltender in the OHL, recording a 32-1-0 record in the 33 games he played in. His running mate, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Aleksei Medvedev, played just about as well, compiling a 22-8-2 record. With these two holding down the fort in the net, the Knights’ veteran-led team, with 13 NHL-drafted players, has been potent all season long. With the roster that Hunter has assembled this season, they are looked at as the favorites heading into this year’s Memorial Cup.

Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Third Memorial Cup Appearance

Winning their first Gilles-Courteau Trophy (QMJHL Champions) since 2010 after a battle-tested series against the hosts, Rimouski, the Moncton Wildcats have been led by one of this year’s top draft prospects, Caleb Desnoyers, as well as Juraj Pekarcik (St. Louis Blues prospect). Desnoyers rode the momentum from an 84-point regular season into the playoffs and tallied 30 points in the QMJHL Playoffs.

The biggest surprise for the Wildcats this season was from early-season addition, goaltender Rudy Guimond (Detroit Red Wings prospect). Guimond joined the Wildcats after jumping over from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL), and was lights out in the crease. He went undefeated in the regular season, winning all 16 games he played in. He set a QMJHL record for consecutive wins by a goaltender with 24 before losing his first game with the Wildcats, which came in the Final against the Oceanic.

As a deep and well-rounded team, the Wildcats will have a strong chance of becoming Memorial Cup Champions.

Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Fifth Memorial Cup Appearance
One-time Memorial Cup Champion (2000)

The hosts of this year’s Memorial Cup, the Rimouski Oceanic, look to make it back-to-back years where the host wins the Cup after seeing the aforementioned Saginaw Spirit do it last year. The Oceanic may not have the big names that the other three teams have on their rosters, but they are a well-rounded and strong team. They were helped out by mid-season acquisition Jonathan Fauchon, who tallied 53 points in 33 games with the Oceanic. Jacob Mathieu finished the season strong by leading the entire QMJHL in points during the playoffs, with 31.

Two rookie netminders split time between the pipes for the Oceanic, with William Lacelle and Mathis Langevin playing strong in the net. Lacelle carried the majority of the workload after Langevin was acquired mid-season and tallied a 27-5-1 record in his rookie season. Both young goaltenders will have a tough task ahead of them with the teams they will be playing, but if the regular season proved anything, they are up to the challenge.

Medicine Hat Tigers (Western Hockey League)

Sixth Memorial Cup Appearance
Two-time Memorial Cup Champions (1987, 1988)

With one of the most exciting and talked-about players in all of junior hockey, Gavin McKenna (who set a CHL modern-era point streak record at 54 games), the Medicine Hat Tigers find themselves returning to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2007. While McKenna grabs much of the attention, and rightfully so, the Tigers have plenty of talent to go along with him. Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets prospect) missed all of the regular season due to a back injury, but returned in time for the WHL Championship series and made an immediate impact. Alongside Lindstrom came the return of Andrew Basha (Calgary Flames prospect) from injury as well.

Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers (Photo Credit: Brent Just)

During the regular season, McKenna and Oasiz Wiesblatt led the way offensively, while netminders Harrison Meneghin (acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes) and rookie Jordan Switzer were rock solid between the pipes. Meneghin recently signed his entry-level contract (ELC) with the Tampa Bay Lightning and earned WHL Playoffs Most Valuable Player (MVP) following a 14-1 playoff record. With the top-end talent that the Tigers have, tied in with some of their youth, they could easily find themselves in a good spot to make a run at the Memorial Cup.

An Exciting Tournament Ahead of Us

This year’s Memorial Cup could be one of the best fields we have seen in a long time. Between the veteran-laden London Knights and the top-tier talent across the board, the tournament will be very exciting and certainly one to watch closely over the next week-plus.