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The host Spirit upset the favoured London Knights 4-3 in Sunday night's tournament finale to win their first championship of any kind. It's the first time a team from Michigan has hoisted the trophy and the first time an American squad has won since the 2008 Spokane Chiefs.
The Spirit dominated the first half of the game and built a 3-0 lead. The Knights scored their first goal of the game at 9:45 of the second period – which was just their second shot on goal.
The Knights, somewhat predictably, gained some momentum from that goal and scored twice in the third period to tie things at 3-3. Just when it looked like the game was heading to overtime, Saginaw's Josh Bloom scored the winner with 22 seconds remaining to secure the Memorial Cup title.
JOSH BLOOM WITH THE BIGGEST GOAL IN FRANCHISE HISTORY 🚨
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 3, 2024
THE OA SCORES THE TOURNAMENT-WINNING GOAL WITH 21 SECONDS LEFT TO LEAD SAGINAW TO VICTORY 📽️#MemorialCup | @SpiritHockey | @Canucks pic.twitter.com/wI2rvY7kD7
The Spirit join the 2012 Shawinigan Cataractes (who also beat the Knights in the final), 2017 Windsor Spitfires and 2022 Saint John Sea Dogs as recent host teams to lift the Memorial Cup after not winning their league title. The 2005 Knights remain the last host team to win both their league and the Memorial Cup.
Saginaw is the first OHL club to win the Memorial Cup since the 2017 Spitfires. The QMJHL had won the last four tournaments.
The 2025 Memorial Cup will be held in Rimouski next spring.
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