A QMJHL representative has won each Memorial Cup since 2018, but that won't happen this year. And the OHL and WHL's squads look strong enough to end their droughts.
Brayden YagerWe will see a league other than the QMJHL take home the CHL's Memorial Cup for the first time since the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires won in 2017.
The Moose Jaw Warriors defeated the Drummondville Voltigeurs 5-3 in a win-or-go-home game for both teams on Tuesday night, meaning the QMJHL representatives are eliminated from semifinal contention.
There was no Memorial Cup tournament held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the QMJHL has won four straight CHL titles before this season.
Drummondville came in after a convincing QMJHL playoff run, aided by strong goaltending and impressive team play. But the Warriors' high-end talent, along with the strength of the OHL champion London Knights and tournament host Saginaw Spirit, proved too much for the Voltigeurs.
The Drummondville roster featured just one first-round NHL draft pick in Maveric Lamoureux, the Coyotes' 29th overall selection in 2022, but an injury ended his season in mid-March. Ethan Gauthier, a 2023 second-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was their highest-drafted player among the three who suited up for the squad at the Memorial Cup.
Now that the Voltigeurs are done at the Memorial Cup, we will see London, Saginaw or Moose Jaw come home with the prize. And the WHL and OHL will be hoping for the drought to end. While an OHL team hasn't won since 2017, the WHL hasn't had a winner since 2014, when the Edmonton Oil Kings took the title.
London and Saginaw play Wednesday to determine which club finishes first in the round-robin, securing an automatic bid to the final. The loser will take on Moose Jaw in the semifinal.
Both London and Saginaw have impressed at the Memorial Cup. The two teams met in the OHL Western Conference final, and the Spirit were the only team to even win a game against the Knights in the playoffs – they won two.
The two teams line up well against each other, but the matchup could come down to discipline.
The Knights have been in penalty trouble several times and even face a suspension because of their antics.
Sawyer Boulton's been suspended from Wednesday's game for a pre-game warmup violation. He made unnecessary contact with a Moose Jaw player while exiting the ice, pushing them in what can only be described as an intimidation tactic.
On top of that, they've led the CHL in penalty minutes during the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup so far, and they've seen a handful of suspensions during that time.
With the Knights finding themselves in the penalty box fairly regularly, it could allow Saginaw’s impressive power play to take advantage. They’ve been running at a 50-percent clip at the Memorial Cup, and they were the OHL’s third-best power play this year. Although London has a potent power play of its own, Saginaw has been much more disciplined at this tournament.
The Warriors will be waiting to find out who their opponent is in the semifinal. The top-end talent of their squad pushed the Knights and the Spirit in their round-robin games. It’s difficult to beat any team twice in a short tournament, so Moose Jaw certainly shouldn’t be counted out.
They can score in bunches, leading the tournament in scoring with 13 goals in three games. They could take down either of the OHL powerhouses if they can get a solid goaltending performance.
All said, the QMJHL’s reign is over. The Drummondville Voltigeurs are on their way home, having lost all three games at the CHL’s annual tournament of champions. There will be a different league that holds bragging rights over the CHL, and we will see exactly which league that is when the tournament ends this weekend.
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