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

Memorial Cup Day 6: Moncton Earns Spot in Semi-Final with 6-2 Victory Over Host Rimouski

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jordan Orth | Last updated May 29, 2025 9:25 AM ET

In the last game of round robin action of the 2025 Memorial Cup, two teams who are very familiar with each other squared off with a spot in the semi-final on the line. The host, Rimouski Oceanic, matched up with the Moncton Wildcats for a back-and-forth game that showed there was no love lost between the two teams. But, in the end, the Wildcats pulled out their first win of the Memorial Cup, 6-2, to move on to the semifinal.

Roller Coaster of Momentum

As the host of the tournament, the Oceanic were able to ride the energy from their hometown crowd at the beginning of the game, as they controlled the pace of play and offensive zone time for the better part of six-plus minutes. But, Wildcats goaltender Mathias Rousseau stood tall early on to keep things from going in the Oceanic’s favor. The Wildcats kept the Oceanic at bay long enough in the first period to get their chances on Mathis Langevin.

On their first true chance on net, the Wildcats opened the scoring thanks to a goal from Julius Sumpf. But the common theme throughout the majority of the game was that neither team could keep the momentum in their favor for too long before the other would get themselves rolling once again.

Desnoyers Gets His Game Going

After a somewhat pedestrian first two games in the tournament, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers had his best game so far. He may not have factored in directly on the scoresheet, but the Guy LaFleur Trophy winner (QMJHL Playoff Most Valuable Player) made his impact felt. On the first goal Moncton scored, Desnoyers helped open up the lane for Sumpf to receive the pass he did from St. Louis Blues prospect Juraj Pekarcik. Desnoyers drove the net and brought a defenceman with him, and left a wide open lane for Sumpf to get into to open the scoring.

This was not the only time Desnoyers made a significant impact on the game, as he displayed his backchecking ability several times throughout the Wildcats’ win. He also had a handful of scoring chances that he was not able to cash in on. Overall, he played his best all-around game and has started to look more like the player many view as one of this year’s top prospects in the draft. With him getting his game going and back on track a bit, it bodes well for the Wildcats as they head into their semi-final matchup against the London Knights on May 30.

No Love Lost Between the Two Teams

After a hard-fought six-game series to determine the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Champion between these two teams, there was no love lost between them in this game. Right from the beginning, the intensity was at full force. Between the physicality during play and the mix-ups after the whistle, neither team was willing to back down from the other.

Tied in with the physicality and intensity was the relentless forechecking from both teams, which led to the aforementioned back-and-forth with momentum shifts throughout the game. Overall, this game was everything that it was expected to be.

Other Game Notes

What’s Next

For the Oceanic, it’s pretty straightforward; their season ends with the loss against the Wildcats. The Wildcats will have a rematch against the London Knights in the semifinal, after dropping their round-robin game to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Champions, 3-2 in overtime on May 24.