The Saguenéens are coming off their first QMJHL title in 34 years. How will they fare at the Memorial Cup?
It's been a long time coming for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
The Saguenay region loves hockey and their team, and now those fans finally being repaid with a trip to the CHL's top competition.
Here's how their team stacks up against the class of Canadian major junior hockey.
Chicoutimi Saguenéens lift the Gilles-Courteau Trophy. (Photo: Vincent Ethier/QMJHL)What to expect from Chicoutimi
This is a deep, veteran squad that went on an exceptional 16-4 run to win the championship on home ice in game six against a fantastic Moncton side.
The biggest advantage the Sags have is just how much depth they have up and down the roster.
Up front, Guy-Lafleur Trophy winner Maxim Masse leads the way, but each of Mavrick Lachance, Nathan Lecompte, Emmanuel Vermette, Emile Guite, Liam Lefebvre and Anton Linde put up double digit playoff points as well.
Each forward line can do damage, and there were even some big clutch performances from a guy like Christophe Berthelot in the final.
In goal, the ever-dependable Lucas Beckman posted a 1.98 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in the postseason, including some big performances in elimination games.
But the truly biggest strength of this group is how stacked the blue line is. They have every archetype you want playing at a high level, and they elevated their game as the playoffs went on.
Alex Huang quarterbacks the top power play, and is a mobile and dynamic offensive puck-mover. Peteris Bulans is a big minute eater and popped up with seven goals, including a hat trick in game five of the championship series.
Jordan Tourigny had eight goals of his own, and is a reliable veteran option as well. Tomas Lavoie fills a more defensive role for the team, and his size, skating and length as well as his puck playing ability make him a monster to get around.
Alexis Bernier takes some key defensive minutes as well, alongside Alonso Gosselin, making up one of the best bottom pairs in the CHL. There's just so much talent on the blue line, and it's really the engine that drives the boat for this group.
The special teams are also excellent. While the penalty kill struggled a bit against a talented Wildcats side, it still sits at 80% in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the lethal power play ran at 31.8% in 20 postseason games, and was the difference in many of them.
The depth of the group gives them two great units, and both are set up very well to score.
Overall, the Saguenéens have gone all-in this year, making big trades for Beckman, Tourigny, Lavoie, Lachance and more. This is a team that absolutely has a shot at winning the 2026 Memorial Cup.
What to expect from the field
Of course, the teams they'll face in Kelowna are no pushovers. The Memorial Cup is at times a very difficult tournament to predict, as the interplay within leagues is practically zero, and it really is a fresh slate with razor-thin margins.
This year's hosts are the Kelowna Rockets, an organization with a history of success at this level, most notably in the early 2000s.
While the 2025-26 season didn't go as smoothly as they'd hoped, it's always difficult to quantify home-ice advantage in a tournament like this, and sometimes having the month or so of rest the Rockets will have heading into this is beneficial.
They're led by Tij Iginla, the sixth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, who has a fair argument as the best player in the entire CHL. The rest of the top nine is also a big strength, with names like Vojtech Cihar, Shane Smith, Hiroki Gojsic, Carson Wetsch and Hayden Paupanekis and Tomas Poletin giving them plenty of firepower.
The blue line hosts some solid names like overager Mazden Leslie and Rowan Guest, but probably isn't the selling point of this roster.
The real question marks come in goal. Harrison Boettiger was the starter and better performer in the regular season, but he faltered in the playoffs. Josh Banini played the final two games against Everett, and was lights out even in a losing effort in the end.
No matter who ends up starting in this tournament, if they can come up big and the offensive guns show up, it would be a big mistake to take the hosts lightly.
The Everett Silvertips are the other WHL representative, qualifying as champions after a dominant 16-2 playoff run. They're also coming off of the second-best regular season in league history, with a final record of 57-8-3.
It's no wonder why they sat atop the CHL power rankings for essentially the entire season, and are likely the presumptive favourites for this year's Memorial Cup, looking to break the curse of a WHL team not winning since the Edmonton Oil Kings all the way back in 2014.
Landon DuPont is the marquee name, with the 16-year-old (he'll turn 17 during the tournament) blueliner projected to go at the very top of the 2027 NHL draft.
DuPont runs the entire game from the back end, being a dynamic offensive talent while also understanding exactly where to be at all times and rarely making a bad play. He's a truly mercurial talent who's must-watch television.
But, the Silvertips' dominance goes far beyond just their phenom on the blue line. The Finnish import duo of playoff MVP Julius Miettinen and Matias Vanhanen are big scorers, while Carter Bear, Shea Busch, Bret Liske, Zackary Shantz and more give this team excellent depth.
Not to mention, Anders Miller was nearly unbeatable in goal, posting a 1.91 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in the postseason after going 29-4 in the regular season with the team after an early-season trade from the Hitmen. He just rarely loses at all.
The Silvertips are as stacked as they come, and will be a force in this tournament.
The OHL's representative this year are the Kitchener Rangers, returning to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2008.
The Rangers are extremely well-coached by Jussi Ahokas, and made a lot of very smart trades to maximize their roster.
Sam O'Reilly is the gold standard of that, coming off of winning both the regular season and playoff MVP awards in the OHL. He's as experienced as they coming, playing in his third consecutive Memorial Cup this year after being a key member of the London Knights teams that lost in the 2024 final and won it all in 2025.
Other names like Dylan Edwards, Christian Humphreys and Cameron Reid were excellent in the postseason, and Jack Pridham probably has another level he can hit as a goal scorer.
The biggest way the Rangers went on a 16-2 playoff run, though, was the play of their special teams. In particular, the penalty kill was incredible, running at 88.7%, only allowing seven goals while scoring six shorthanded goals of their own.
Their 30% power play is nothing to scoff at either, with O'Reilly net front a really dangerous presence.
Christian Kirsch had a very solid run as a reliable starting goalie, and this is another deep, veteran squad at this year's tournament.
Schedule
Friday, May 22, 9 PM EDT: KIT vs KEL
Saturday, May 23, 9 PM EDT: EVT vs CHI
Sunday, May 24, 9 PM EDT: KEL vs CHI
Monday, May 25, 9 PM EDT: EVT vs KIT
Tuesday, May 26, 9 PM EDT: CHI vs KIT
Wednesday, May 27, 9 PM EDT: KEL vs EVT
*Thursday, May 28, 9 PM EDT: Tiebreaker game
Friday, May 29, 9 PM EDT: Semifinal
Sunday, May 31, 7 PM EDT: Final
* = if necessary
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