NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

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

Knights Push Past Wildcats to Reach Memorial Cup Final in 5-2 Victory

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jordan Orth | Last updated May 31, 2025 9:35 AM ET

In a rematch from a round-robin game that ended in overtime, the London Knights and Moncton Wildcats squared off in the semi-final of the 2025 Memorial Cup. Much like the round-robin game, things were tight throughout the entirety of the game, but the Knights pulled away at the end, thanks to three goals in the third period to cap off a 5-2 victory and return to the Memorial Cup Final for the second season in a row.

Stars Show Up

It is expected that star players show up in big games, and they certainly did in this game. The two biggest ones were Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan (London) and 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton). It seemed like both teams’ offense ran through these two players whenever they were on the ice. Whether it was on rushes, breakouts, or scoring chances, the two were constantly in the mix and were the ones making the play happen.

For Cowan, he entered the game tied for second all-time in Memorial Cup points in Knights history, with 12 points in seven games played in the Memorial Cup. His strong game helped push him into solo second place, and he sits just one point behind Mitch Marner for most all-time, with 15 points. On the opposite side, Desnoyers had his best showing of the Memorial Cup in the loss. He got the Wildcats on the board in the first period with a power-play goal and was a lot more active and engaged throughout the game. After a bit of a quiet showing, Desnoyers did tell Kevin Dubé (Le Journal de Québec) that he was not playing at 100% in the tournament.

London’s Adaptive Play Leads to Success

Top-tier teams, at any level, can adapt their play based on the way a game is being played and needs to be played. The Knights are no different and showed that in their 5-2 victory. There were times that they played a physical, grind-it-out style of hockey where they would take away time and space for the Wildcats and eliminate any chance for an offensive play, or they could play a fundamentally sound game where they sat back and just took away lanes to limit chances.

On the flip side, the Knights offensively continued to show they can play a run-and-gun, fast-paced game with stretch passes and quick puck movement, or they can play a slow and methodical style of offense. With the chemistry within the lineup and the skill they have to go along with it, the Knights’ entire playing style wears down teams, and it continued to do so in the win over the Wildcats. They kept netminder Mathis Rousseau busy for the majority of the game, throwing 36 shots his way, while he stopped 32 of them.

Wildcats’ Power Play Keeps Them Alive

With the Knights keeping Rousseau busy, the Wildcats did catch a few breaks with getting five power-play chances in the game. In those five chances, both of their goals were tallied, and they ended up 2-for-5 on the man advantage. A lot of their offense came via the power play, and while they did only score twice, they had plenty of pressure and chances on the Knights’ goaltender, Austin Elliott. On the opposite side of the coin, though, the Knights’ penalty kill was more than up to the task, and with the Wildcats pressuring as much as they did, stood tall and continued their strong defensive play to limit the damage.

Other Game Notes

What’s Next

For the Wildcats, they now look toward their offseason following the loss. The Knights will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Final on June 1. The two played a tightly contested round-robin game on May 27, where the Tigers pulled out a 3-1 victory to clinch the bye into the Final. The matchup marks the first time that the Memorial Cup Final will feature an OHL vs. Western Hockey League (WHL) matchup since 2015, when the Oshawa Generals and Kelowna Rockets faced each other (with the Generals winning in overtime).

The Knights will be looking to win their first Memorial Cup since 2015 after coming up just short last season, while the Tigers look to win their first since 1988 (second half of back-to-back Memorial Cup wins for the Tigers).