In the second-to-last game of the round-robin portion of the 2025 Memorial Cup, the Medicine Hat Tigers (Western Hockey League) and the London Knights (Ontario Hockey League) squared off in a matchup that would determine who earned a spot in the final of the tournament. In a highly intense and fast-paced game, the WHL Champions pulled off a 3-1 victory over the OHL Champions.
London Starts Quick
A team that can play any style, the Knights came out firing early on against the Tigers. Playing fast-paced and with great puck movement in the offensive zone, they challenged the Tigers’ defence and goaltender, Harrison Meneghin (Tampa Bay Lightning prospect), early and often.
This pressure and play did not take long to help lead the Knights to take an early lead in the game. A relentless forecheck and pressure led to an early power play for the Knights, where they took full advantage. Normally, a goal-scorer in the sense of firing the puck, Kasper Halttunen scored the lone goal for the Knights on the power play off a redirection from fellow San Jose Sharks prospect, Sam Dickinson. The Knights had continuous pressure and kept the Tigers’ defence on their toes all game.
Penalty Kills Come Up Big
With two teams that have elite skill on their power play units, the penalty kill units took centre stage in the game. While the Knights opened the scoring with the Halttunen power-play goal, neither team would score on the man advantage the remainder of the game, going a combined 1-for-6.
Both teams’ penalty kills did a strong job of finding ways to clog up shooting lanes for the opposing team, while they also relied on their respective goaltenders to make big saves when challenged. Keeping players like Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs prospect) and Gavin McKenna (2026 NHL Draft-eligible) off the scoresheet is never an easy feat. Still, both teams did just that, especially on the power play.
Missed Opportunities Cost London
With 36 shots on Meneghin, the Knights had plenty of scoring chances throughout the game. The missed chances and opportunities on top of the aforementioned 36 shots on net ended up costing them in the end, whether it was hitting a post (Cowan and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey both hit at least one) or not being able to cash in on rushes. There were a handful of odd-man rushes the Knights had where they could not convert, partially thanks to a strong backcheck from the Tigers, but also from missed shot attempts.
Both Dickinson and Oliver Bonk (Flyers prospect) reiterated the sentiment that they earned their offensive chances but need to cash in on them, with Bonk being quoted as saying, “We just got to bury. We generate a lot of scoring chances and two-on-ones and three-on-twos. We just need to bury.” after the loss. A prime example of the missed opportunities coming back to haunt the Knights was on the Tigers’ eventual game-winning goal. Cowan had a high-danger chance on Meneghin in the slot for a one-timer and missed the net. The Tigers subsequently had a rush down the ice that led to Matthew Ward’s first goal of the Memorial Cup to put his team up 2-1 at the time.
Other Game Notes
What’s Next
The Knights will await the winner of a rematch from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Finals between the host, Rimouski Oceanic, and the Moncton Wildcats. The winner will take on the Knights in the semi-final game on May 30. The Tigers will be off until the final, taking place on June 1.
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