Earlier today, London Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter took part in a pre-tournament press conference alongside the Head Coaches of the other three participating teams. The panel consisted of Hunter, Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat), Gardiner MacDougall (Moncton) and Joël Perrault (Rimouski).

Each of the coaches answered questions fielded by members of the media generally responding in jovial and upbeat fashion.

These are four star-studded coaches whose shelves are weighed down by some serious hardware.

 In 2022, MacDougall won the Memorial Cup in spectacular fashion as the Head Coach of the Saint John's Sea Dogs. He'd only been with the team for a few short weeks prior to the tournament.

While Desjardins has not won a Memorial Cup, he has won multiple medals on the international stag,e coaching Team Canada at various levels.

Perrault is the least decorated of the quartet, though he is also the youngest of the four coaches. MacDougall was especially complementary of Perrault praising him and Rimouski for battling through injuries in the QMJHL Finals.

Hunter is by far the most decorated coach in this group. Not only has he won two Memorial Cups, he’s also the winner of five OHL Championships which ties him for the most in OHL history. He and the Knights are the favourite to win the Memorial Cup this year, largely based on the fourteen returning London players who made it to the finals of last year’s tournament.

Despite being the favourites, Hunter emphasized how difficult it is to win the Memorial Cup.

The Knights cruised through the OHL Playoffs, dropping only one game on their way to their second straight J. Ross Robertson Cup. They were undefeated going into the OHL Finals. 

Twenty years ago, Hunter won the Memorial Cup in London by defeating the Rimouski Oceanic in the final. That team included veteran Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry as well as former Ottawa Senator Marc Methot.

The two teams will rematch in London's second game at the tournament. This time the Oceanic will look to take a win on home ice.

One question directed towards Desjardins focused on WHL superstar Gavin McKenna making his first appearance at the Memorial Cup. The young star averaged more than two points per game during the WHL playoffs, scoring nine goals and adding 29 assists in 16 games. 

As the coach of the host team, Perrault fielded quite a few questions. In a heartfelt moment, he told reporters that the bracelet he wears around his wrist is a token given to him by his daughters who made it for him during his first year in Rimouski.

The Oceanic will kick off the tournament tomorrow evening against Medicine Hat. The game is set to start at 7:00 p.m. 

The OHL representatives will start their tournament the following evening with a contest against Moncton. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.