Quebec Remparts Capture the Memorial Cup in Patrick Roy’s Final Game
The Quebec Remparts were dominant all season long in the QMJHL. They are now the 2023 Memorial Cup champions after beating the Seattle Thunderbirds.
If Patrick Roy is indeed not returning as the Quebec Remparts' coach, he left the way he started. Patrick Roy is once again a Memorial Cup champion.
The Memorial Cup final was an exciting game between the underdog yet top-seeded Quebec Remparts and the tournament favorites from the west, the Seattle Thunderbirds. Quebec took home the title with a 5-0 game in which their best players showed up to play while their depth guys stepped up their game as well.
The Remparts did a great job of trying to set the tone early. They created a few chances, James Malatesta was throwing some good hits, and the Remparts were pushing the Thunderbirds like few teams have this season. They opened the scoring from an unlikely source less than seven minutes into the opening frame.
Defender Vsevolod Komarov joined the rush offensively, looking to create an odd-man rush – which was exactly what he did. As the Remparts used a conveyor belt of forwards to make small chip passes up the boards on the left side of the ice, Komarov slowly crept up the far side and kept pace with the puck. Once the puck was freed to Kassim Gaudet at the offensive blueline, Komarov pounced. He drove the backside slot, got the pass, and made no mistake, putting it where Grandma keeps the cookies.
The Remparts opened the scoring in their most important and pressure-packed game of the season, and it was an unheralded fifth-round NHL draft pick that stepped up. Quebec scored the lone goal in the opening period to hold the lead after 20 minutes.
The second period was more of the same, with a fairly balanced attack and even chances for both teams. The Remparts seemed to have a bit more crispiness in their game, though. William Rousseau and Thomas Milic were both excellent to start the frame in net.
Malatesta nearly scored on a breakaway that was thwarted by Milic. Brad Lambert was buzzing at times for the Thunderbirds. The teams were playing good, smart hockey and methodically trading chances – although Quebec’s did come from a more high danger.
Just before the nine-minute mark, Malatesta found twine from between the dots, beating Milic from less than 10 feet out on a nice passing play with Theo Rochette and Komarov. Coming in over the line, Komarov sent a pace across the seam to Rochette to feed it back into the slot to a streaking Malatesta. The Quebec forward put his hand to his ear, asking where the cheers for the Thunderbirds had gone as he put the Remparts up a pair in a tight affair.
In the biggest moments, Malatesta came up big. He was named QMJHL playoff MVP as the leading goal-scorer in the post-season, and he's been their best player at the Memorial Cup, tying the tournament lead in goals. Simply put, Malatesta has shown up when it mattered most this year. With 40 minutes of action finished, the Remparts led by two, and the Thunderbirds were on the brink.
The third period started with Quebec pushing the pace and controlling play. They got out to a 10-2 lead in shots halfway through the frame, and Seattle didn’t seem to have an answer for their speed despite being one of the best skating teams in the CHL this season. Quebec was simply the better team to start the third period.
The Seattle power play got a chance to get them back in the game with just over eight minutes to play. They were moving the puck well, getting a few scoring chances, but Rousseau stood tall and turned away anything that reached the net.
Just when it felt like they were getting somewhere, disaster struck.
A failed toe-drag in on the power play resulted in a stolen puck by Justin Robidas, who immediately turned up ice and started thinking about scoring on the penalty kill. Gaudet got his feet moving, joined Robidas up ice to create an odd-man rush, and made no mistake when the pass came over to him. The score became 3-0, and the game was iced. Quebec was in control and just had to wait it out to become champions.
Seattle began to show their frustration as Dylan Guenther, who failed to really show up in the Memorial Cup tournament, took a needless cross-checking penalty when mixing it up with some Quebec players after the whistle. A Quebec power play with under five minutes to play resulted in a Zachary Bolduc goal that put the game well out of reach.
Another late tally by Charles Savoie made it a five-goal lead after Rousseau pulled what was Seattle’s best chance by pulling the puck off the goal line. The Remparts did everything they needed to do. They found ways to cash in on their chances when play was even and dominated this game when it mattered most at the end.
When the final buzzer went, the Quebec Remparts were once again champions of the CHL, securing their third Memorial Cup in franchise history and the fourth straight QMJHL squad to capture the Memorial Cup. The Remparts' most recent Memorial Cups have now come in Patrick Roy’s first and last season behind the bench.
With an eight-game winning streak heading into the playoffs, only two losses during the QMJHL championship run and just one loss at the Memorial Cup, the Quebec Remparts had a record of 27-3 since early March. To say they were dominant to end the season would be an understatement.
What a run for the Quebec Remparts. What an ending for Roy behind the bench for the Remparts. What a tournament for Malatesta, who took home Memorial Cup MVP. What a post-season for Rousseau in the Quebec net.
The Quebec Remparts are Memorial Cup champions once again.