Knights down Tigers for Memorial Cup title

RIMOUSKI, QC – The London Knights are Memorial Cup champions.

After a tight first period, the Knights blew it open in the second en route to a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's championship game. This is London's third Memorial Cup title and first since 2016.

This was London's second straight appearance in the Memorial Cup final – and they got some redemption. The Knights fell to the host Saginaw Spirit in last year's championship, falling behind early and were never able to pull themselves fully back into the game.

The Knights seemed to learn from last year's errors, leading 1-0 after one. They added three in the second period – and another that was called off due to goaltender interference – to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the third.

https://t.co/bkKt3a63eM pic.twitter.com/gyLsHeEGri

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) June 2, 2025

Gavin McKenna gave the Tigers some life 2:43 into the third and appeared to make it 4-2 later on – only to have the goal called back because of a missed high stick earlier in the play. The Tigers pressed, but just couldn't get through London's defense.

For Medicine Hat, this is a tough one for many reasons. In normal times there would be optimism that McKenna could carry them back to the Memorial Cup next year. But with speculation that McKenna is NCAA bound, there are all kinds of uncertainty around the Tigers roster.

The WHL continues to struggle at the Memorial Cup. They have not won a national title since the Edmonton Oil Kings were victorious in 2014.

The Moncton Wildcats, who fell to the Knights in Friday's semifinal, finished in third-place with a 1-3 record. The host Rimouski Oceanic went 0-3.

Sea Dogs things at this year's HHOF exhibit

RIMOUSKI, QC – The Hockey Hall of Fame's mobile exhibit made another trip to the Memorial Cup this year.

With the Rimouski Oceanic hosting, there were as an added amount of QMJHL artifacts on display. That included a number of Saint John Sea Dogs items.

A mainstay of the exhibit has been Jonathan Huberdeau's jersey from the 2010-11 season. 

Moncton's season ends with semifinal loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Memorial Cup continues to elude the Moncton Wildcats.

Gardiner MacDougall and the Wildcats fell 5-2 to the London Knights in the semifinal game of the 2025 Memorial Cup on Friday, ending their hopes of a national championship. London advances to Sunday's final where they'll face the Medicine Hat Tigers.

This was the third time in franchise history that the Wildcats earned a spot in the tournament. They've come up short all three times with their closest victory being a loss in the 2006 championship game.

Maybe it was the tougher competition or something else, but the Wildcats just didn't look like themselves over the past few weeks. They struggled to produce consistent, 60-minute performances and let opponents control play for lengthy stretches.

Despite Friday's loss, it was quite the season for the Wildcats, who won the QMJHL's regular season title and Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Moncton went 53-9-2-0 during regular season play.

It was a rough tournament for the QMJHL with the league's only win coming in the game that put the Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic against each other. The Wildcats finish with a 1-3 record while the Oceanic went 0-3.

The QMJHL won every Memorial Cup tournament from 2018 to 2023 (there were no tournaments in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic). The OHL's Saginaw Spirit won last season, defeating London in the final.

Medicine Hat will try and capture the WHL's first national title since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.

Notebook: Mateiko's season ends in a loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

Eriks Mateiko and the Rimouski Oceanic were eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Wednesday, falling 6-2 to the Moncton Wildcats. The former Sea Dogs captain was the lone Sea Dogs alumnus participating in the event.

Wednesday's game was likely Mateiko's last in the QMJHL. Mateiko had a goal in three games at the tournament after posting seven goals and four assists in 18 playoff games. 

The Wildcats don't feature any former Sea Dogs players but do have a few former coaches on their staff – including Gardiner MacDougall.

The Wildcats face the London Knights in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday at 8 p.m. The winner advances to Sunday's championship game against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

PEDDLE NOT SIGNING

Tyler Peddle is reportedly about to become a free agent.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets will not sign the Sea Dogs forward ahead of the June 1 deadline, making him a free agent. Peddle was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Told #CBJ will not be signing F Tyler Peddle or F Martin Rysavy by the June 1 deadline, relinquishing their rights to the players.
Peddle, 20, was a 7th-round pick (No. 224 overall) in 2024, while Rysavy, 22, was a 7th-round pick (No. 197 overall) in 2021.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 24, 2025

Peddle joined the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, for a short period after Saint John's season ended. He did not appear in any AHL games.

Peddle is eligible to return to Saint John for his overage season. He posted 15 goals and 14 assists in 54 games this past season.

Wildcats move on to semifinal

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Moncton Wildcats overcame an ugly start to keep their Memorial Cup hopes alive on Wednesday.

The Wildcats were heavily outplayed in the first period but rebounded in the final 40 minutes for a 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic in round robin play. The win pushes Moncton into Friday's semifinal against the London Knights while Rimouski's season ends with the loss.

St. Andrews native Gabe Smith scored a pair of goals for Moncton while singles came from Julius Sumpf, Juraj Pekarcik, Etienne Morin and Alex Mercier. Mathis Rousseau made 32 saves in the win.

The Wildcats trailed 2-1 after the first period and were outshot 17-6. But Moncton turned things around in the second period, scoring twice to take a 3-2 lead into the third.

Morin put the Wildcats up 4-2 with a goal just 4:02 into the third. They secured the win with a pair of empty net goals late in the period.

It was a far from a perfect game for Moncton, but it was certainly a better showing and result than their 3-1 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday. The Wildcats were able to get their offense going, something they've struggled with at this tournament.

The Wildcats will look to carry this momentum into Friday's semifinal against the Knights, which will obviously be their biggest game of the season. The semifinal winner will play the Tigers in Sunday's championship game.

Wildcats, Oceanic both down 0-2

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The road to a Memorial Cup title for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has gotten more challenging.

The Moncton Wildcats fell 3-1 to the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday night, falling to 0-2 at this year's tournament. The Rimouski Oceanic, meanwhile, are also 0-2 following a 3-1 loss to the OHL champion London Knights on Sunday.

The results of the past two days mean no tiebreaker game will be required this year. Here's how the next couple days will play out:

• The winner of Tuesday's London/Medicine Hat game will earn a bye to Sunday's championship game.
• The loser of Tuesday's London/Medicine Hat game will secure a spot in Friday's semifinal game.
• The winner of Wednesday's Rimouski/Moncton game will earn a spot in a Friday's semifinal game.
• The loser of Wednesday's Rimouski/Moncton game will be eliminated.

On Monday, the Wildcats, once again, just couldn't get things clicking properly. After a fairly 50-50 first period, Medicine Hat outshot Moncton 17-6 in the second and carried a 2-0 lead into the third. The Wildcats scored early in the third to get within one but some ill-timed penalties essentially erased any chance of a Moncton comeback.

The Wildcats have scored just three goals so far at the Memorial Cup and all have been from defensemen.

Moncton has now lost six straight games at the Memorial Cup with their last win coming in the 2006 semifinal game. They'll look to snap this skid with their season on the line on Wednesday.

Wildcats, Oceanic drop openers

Vincent Éthier / CHL

Both teams from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League have dropped their first games of the 2025 Memorial Cup.

The host Rimouski Oceanic fell 5-4 to the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday while the Moncton Wildcats lost 3-2 in overtime to the OHL's London Knights on Saturday.

Both QMJHL squads were in it until the end and have proved just how tight the teams competing in this year's much-hyped tournament could be.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko and the Oceanic allowed the game-winning goal in the final three minutes of regulation. The Wildcats, meanwhile, were able to, at least, grab a point, which could be crucial later on.

Moncton was able to get the game into overtime thanks to a great goaltending performance from Mathis Rousseau. The overage netminder made 45 saves in the loss – including 16 in the third period alone.

Both teams will look to regroup and get a better result in their second games. The Oceanic take on the Knights on Sunday while the Wildcats battle the Tigers on Monday. 

A few other Saturday night news and notes...

• Here's a look at Rimouski's commemorative sweaters, continuing a Memorial Cup tradition.
• It looks like the Memorial Cup patches have been added to the back of jerseys – along the bottom. Teams have big Motorola ads on the front of their jerseys where the patch was traditionally placed.
• Saturday's game was the Memorial Cup's first three-on-three overtime game since the 2022 tournament in Saint John. That game saw the Edmonton Oil Kings edge Gardiner MacDougall and the Sea Dogs 4-3.
• In the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs, Joshua Roy scored the Laval Rocket's lone goal in a 5-1 loss to the Rochester Americans on Friday. The best-of-five series is now tied 2-2 heading into Sunday's decisive Game 5 in Laval.
• The Colorado Eagles have forced a decisive Game 5 in their series against the Abbotsford Canucks thanks to a 3-1 win on Friday. William Dufour did not play in that game. Game 5 is Monday in Colorado.
• Nicolas Guay, Vincent Sevigny and the Trois-Rivieres Lions have taken a 3-2 series lead in the ECHL's Eastern Conference final with a 3-1 win over the Florida Everblades on Saturday. Sevigny had an assist on the game's opening goal.

Memorial Cup begins Friday; AHL, ECHL playoffs continue

Embed from Getty Images 

The 2025 Memorial Cup is set to begin on Friday night in Rimouski.

The host Oceanic will take on the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers in the tournament's opening game. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. AT and the game can be seen on TSN.

The Oceanic feature the only former Saint John Sea Dogs player taking part in this year's tournament. Forward Eriks Mateiko recorded seven goals and four assists in 18 playoff games with the Oceanic, helping the club reach the Gilles-Courteau Trophy final.

Mateiko has always performed well in big moments. The Washington Capitals prospect had a breakout performance at this year's World Junior Championship and, more recently, scored the Game 7 overtime goal that sent the Oceanic to the league final.

The Tigers are headlined by 2026 NHL Draft top prospect Gavin McKenna – who Mateiko faced at this year's world juniors. Speculation continues that McKenna could be heading to the NCAA for next season.

Saturday will see the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats take on the OHL champion London Knights at 7 p.m. AT. Moncton finished the regular season ranked first in the CHL while London was second.

The game will see two coaching legends go head-to-head: Gardiner MacDougall of the Wildcats and Dale Hunter of the Knights. MacDougall, often referred to as the king of the short tournament, will be looking for his second Memorial Cup title after guiding the Sea Dogs to the 2022 title.

The Knights were favoured to win last year's tournament but they fell to the host Saginaw Spirit in the championship game. The host team has won three of the last six tournaments.

Notebook: David Stich retires

Saint John Sea Dogs

A former Saint John Sea Dogs captain has hung up his skates for the last time.

Defenseman David Stich has decided to retire from professional hockey at the age of 36, according to a Czech news report. 

Stich was selected fourth overall by the Sea Dogs in the 2006 CHL Import Draft and spent parts of three seasons with the club. A tough and rugged d-man who recorded over 100 penalty minutes twice in his QMJHL career, Stich captained the Sea Dogs in the second half of the 2008-09 season following the Alex Grant trade.

Stich spent his final season of junior hockey with the Montreal Junior in 2009-10.

Besides a few AHL games, Stich has spent his entire professional career back home in the Czech Republic. This past season saw him appear in 30 regular season games and another 15 playoff contests with HC Tabor in the Czech third division.

The report indicated that Stich hopes to remain in hockey in some capacity.

WOODSTOCK BOUND

The QMJHL website now shows the Saint John's "home" pre-season game on Sept. 5 will be played at Woodstock's AYR Motor Centre.

The Sea Dogs are scheduled to face the Moncton Wildcats in what will be their pre-season finale. It will be Saint John's first exhibition appearance in Woodstock.

The AYR Centre was, of course, home to the Maritime Hockey League's Woodstock Slammers from 2003 to 2018. The Slammers are expected to return this fall, this time as members of the NCDC.

Saint John's five-game pre-season schedule can be viewed here.

US EXPANSION NEARING?

It sounds like the QMJHL's expansion into the United States may become reality sooner rather than later.

Le Journal de Quebec reports that the QMJHL could add two American franchises in time for the 2026-27 season. This would mean we're likely less than a year away from an official announcement. We'll see where this goes.

The league has confirmed that this will be expansion. No current teams will be moving.

The most speculated landing spots continue to be Manchester, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine. Those cities make the most sense given their market size, arenas and location to each other and the Canadian border. The obvious obstacle here is what happens with the ECHL's Maine Mariners, who currently play in Portland.

Wildcats win Gilles-Courteau Trophy

QMJHL

MONCTON – For the first time since 2010, the Moncton Wildcats are Gilles-Courteau Trophy champions.

The Wildcats secured the 2025 QMJHL title with a 3-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic on Monday afternoon at Sun Life Financial Colisee, taking the series in six games. Both teams had already secured spots in the Memorial Cup tournament with Rimouski hosting.

This is the third QMJHL championship for the Wildcats in franchise history. Along with the 2010 title, they also won in 2006.

The moment they were all waiting for! @monctonwildcats | #QPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WAtljX7u6n

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 19, 2025

The Wildcats were up 3-0 in the series before the Oceanic dominated Game 4 and then edged the Wildcats on home ice on Saturday, forcing a Game 6 on holiday Monday.

Much like the past two games, the Wildcats struggled to get their offense going. Finally, at 6:30 of the second period, Gabe Smith broke the ice to make it 1-0. That goal seemed to give the Wildcats a lift as they went on to outshoot the Oceanic 19-7 in the period and took a 3-0 lead into the third.

As has been the case in this series, the Oceanic would not go away easily. Jonathan Fauchon scored at 7:11 of the third and then Jacob Mathieu connected on a power play at 11:32. But the Oceanic struggled to get things going in the final minutes, even with Mathis Langevin pulled for an extra attacker.

Overage goaltender Mathis Rousseau made 24 saves to finally get his QMJHL championship.

Caleb Desnoyers, with 30 points this post-season, was named playoff MVP.

Memorial Cup field is set

WHL

MONCTON – The field is set for the 2025 Memorial Cup.

The Medicine Hat Tigers secured the final spot in the tournament on Friday night, defeating the Spokane Chiefs 6-0 to win the Western Hockey League championship in five games. It's the first WHL title for the Tigers since 2007.

Medicine Hat joins an impressive tournament field featuring the Rimouski Oceanic (host), Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) and London Knights (OHL champion).

The Tigers are headlined by 2026 NHL Draft top prospect Gavin McKenna, who posted 38 points in 16 playoff games. This could be McKenna's final games of junior hockey as it's been speculated that he'll make the jump to the NCAA next season.

Medicine Hat goaltender Harrison Meneghin was named playoff MVP. Meneghin, who lost his father just before the playoffs started, was given this special moment by Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt.

Harrison, you're getting this one too 🧡

Your 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup champs 🏆@TigersHockey | #WHLChampionship | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/MYGVQXS98q

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 17, 2025

The Memorial Cup begins next Friday with the Tigers taking on the host Oceanic. The next day, the Wildcats face the Knights.

Oceanic send series back to Moncton

Embed from Getty Images

Eriks Mateiko scored as the Rimouski Oceanic staved off elimination on Thursday night.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs captain was one of five Oceanic players to score in a dominant 5-1 victory over the Moncton Wildcats, keeping their Gilles-Courteau Trophy hopes alive. The Wildcats lead the QMJHL championship series 3-1.

Rimouski came flying out of the gate, scoring three goals in the first 7:08 and carrying a 4-0 lead into the first intermission. The Oceanic outshot the Wildcats 23-7 in the opening frame and were 2/5 on the power play.

The Wildcats simply didn't show up for this game. Once Rimouski got things going early, Moncton had no answer. They struggled in their own end at times and were too undisciplined. 

Mateiko's goal was his first since scoring in double overtime of Game 7 in of the QMJHL semifinals. The former Sea Dog also had six shots and was a +1.

ERIKS MATEIKO MAKES IT 5-0 RIMOUSKI

That's his first of the series! 🇱🇻 pic.twitter.com/dlGEuPIHSp

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 16, 2025

The good news for Moncton: they still carry a commanding series lead. Game 5 will take place Saturday night at Avenir Centre – a building they are 8-0 in during these playoffs.

The Wildcats are now 15-2 overall in these playoffs.

Moncton will try and win the third QMJHL championship in team history on Saturday. Both of their previous titles were clinched on home ice.

Both the Wildcats and Oceanic have already secured spots in the Memorial Cup tournament. Another team locked in their spot on Thursday with the London Knights defeating the Oshawa Generals 5-2 to win a second straight OHL championship.

In the WHL, the Medicine Hat Tigers have a 3-1 series lead over the Spokane Chiefs. Game 5 is Friday night in Spokane. 

Notebook: Mateiko lone ex-Dog in QMJHL final

Embed from Getty Images

Eriks Mateiko scored one of the biggest goals of his career on Wednesday night.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs captain scored late in double overtime to give the Rimouski Oceanic a 4-3 Game 7 victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes, a win that sent the Oceanic to the QMJHL final. The Oceanic play Game 1 of the QMJHL championship series against the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday night at Avenir Centre.

LES FRISSONS SONT ENCORE LÀ! 🥶😱@LHJMQ #gonicsgo pic.twitter.com/1WKBvj2meB

— L'Océanic de Rimouski (@oceanicrimouski) May 7, 2025

Mateiko has appeared in just 12 of Rimouski's 17 playoff games due to injury. He's posted six goals and three assists, placing him in a tie for second in team goal scoring.

In the regular season and playoffs combined, Mateiko has now scored 16 game-winning goals in his 175-game QMJHL career.

Mateiko will be the lone former Sea Dog skating in the series. Behind the Moncton bench will be Gardiner MacDougall, who guided Saint John to the 2022 Memorial Cup title. Moncton's staff also includes former Sea Dogs assistant coach Paul Boutilier, who is a defensive coordinator with the Wildcats this season.

There would have been a former Sea Dog in the QMJHL final no matter who won the Oceanic/Cataractes series. Vince Elie recorded six goals and six assists in 16 playoff games with Shawinigan, placing him third in team scoring.

LAFORGE COMMITS TO LAKERS

Nico LaForge has committed to the Nipissing University Lakers men's hockey team for the 2025-26 U Sports season.

The former Sea Dogs forward spent this past season with the OJHL's Coburg Cougars where he recorded 15 goals and 23 assists in 52 games. He added a goal and two assists in five playoff contests.

LaForge is the second Sea Dogs alumnus to commit to Nipissing recently. Forward Danny Akkouche will also be joining the North Bay, ON based school for this coming season.

"I'm a two-way forward with strong work ethic," LaForge explained in a Lakers news release. "I expect our team to be in an underdog position and surprise some teams this year. Nipissing is a good place to play with some great opportunities and it is close to home."

LaForge, who played some U18 and U15 hockey in North Bay, spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs and was part of the 2022 Memorial Cup team.

Oceanic moving on; Wildcats Memorial Cup bound

The Rimouski Oceanic are heading to the QMJHL final – which means the Moncton Wildcats are Memorial Cup bound.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko scored at 17:08 of double overtime in Game 7 of the QMJHL semifinal on Tuesday, giving the Oceanic a 4-3 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes to secure the Memorial Cup hosts a spot in the league final. With the Oceanic hosting, the Moncton Wildcats – who had already advanced to the league final – will automatically be the QMJHL's representative at the tournament. 

This will be Rimouski's first league final since 2015 when they won the Gilles Courteau Trophy by defeating the Memorial Cup host Quebec Remparts in seven games. The Wildcats will be playing in their first league final since 2010.

The Oceanic and Cataractes were scoreless after one period despite shots being 9-4 Rimouski. In the second, Jack Martin and Alexandre Blais scored 32 seconds apart and Jacob Mathieu converted later on to give the home side a 3-0 advantage. Shawinigan would add one before the period ended and trailed 3-1 entering the third.

Former Sea Dogs forward Vince Elie scored at 5:15 of the third and then Isaac Menard tied it at 16:23, sending the match into overtime and eventually double OT. That set up Mateiko's heroics late in the second overtime period.

GAME OVER! Eriks Mateiko sends Rimouski to the #QPlayoffs Final! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/7avU5By4QL

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 7, 2025

Mateiko had a goal, six shots and six hits in the game while Elie posted a goal, four shots and three hits.

The home team won every game of this series. The Oceanic improved to 9-0 at home in these playoffs.

The QMJHL final will begin Saturday in Moncton with Game 2 taking place the following day. The remainder of the schedule has not yet been released.

As for the Wildcats, Tuesday's result will take a bit of pressure off them knowing they'll be heading to the Memorial Cup no matter the result of the league final. The two split their regular season series with each team winning on the road.

The Wildcats will advance to their third ever Memorial Cup tournament and first since 2010 in Brandon where they finished third. Moncton hosted in 2006 and lost in the final to the Remparts.

Moncton advances to QMJHL final

For the first time since 2010, the Moncton Wildcats will play in the QMJHL final.

The Wildcats secured their spot in the league championship series with a 4-3 overtime win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday, completing a four-game sweep.

It's the fourth time the Wildcats will play for the Gilles Courteau Trophy and the first since 2010 when they defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs in six games. That was Moncton's second QMJHL title after winning their first in 2006.

Alex Mercier netted the winner just 4:17 into overtime. The goal came after the Huskies had tied it up with just 1:50 remaining in the third period and their goaltender pulled. That goal was reviewed for goaltender interference but did count.

We're movin' on! https://t.co/QJP7jzF3Ai pic.twitter.com/bQGiDWNeXB

— Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats) May 1, 2025

Moncton is now 4-0 in overtime games in these playoffs.

The Wildcats will play either the Rimouski Oceanic or the Shawinigan Cataractes in the final. That semifinal series is tied 2-2 following a 3-2 double overtime win by the Cataractes on Wednesday. Isaac Menard scored the winner on a breakaway two minutes into the second overtime.

The Oceanic continue to get banged up in these playoffs, suffering even more setbacks in their Game 3 loss on Tuesday. Here's who the Oceanic were missing for Game 4.

Former Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko recorded two shots on goal in the loss. Vince Elie, meanwhile, had one shot and a rough night in the facoff dot (7/24) in the victory.

Game 5 of this series takes place Friday in Rimouski.

With Rimouski hosting the Memorial Cup, an Oceanic series win would mean an automatic berth in the CHL tournament for the Wildcats.

Oceanic, Wildcats complete sweeps

Mike Bernard/Charlottetown Islanders

The Memorial Cup hosts are moving on to the second round of the QMJHL playoffs.

The Rimouski Oceanic completed a sweep of the Charlottetown Islanders on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory at Eastlink Centre. The Oceanic outscored the Islanders 24-3 in the four-game series.

The first round of the QMJHL playoffs hasn't been an easy ride for Memorial Cup hosts of late. 

• 2022: The Saint John Sea Dogs were eliminated in the best-of-five opening round by the Oceanic. 
• 2019: The Halifax Mooseheads needed seven games to advance past the Quebec Remparts. The Mooseheads went on to lose in the league final.
• 2015: The Remparts needed seven games to get past the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Remparts went on to lose in the league final.
• 2012: The Shawinigan Cataractes were the lost QMJHL host team to sweep their first round series, beating the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The Cataractes went on to lose in the next round.

The Oceanic weren't the only team to complete a sweep on Wednesday. The Moncton Wildcats are moving on after a 4-3 victory over the Remparts at Videotron Centre. The series was surprisingly close with three of the four games being decided by a goal.

Notebook: It's been 13 years

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It was 13 years ago Wednesday that the Saint John Sea Dogs hoisted the Memorial Cup for the first time.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3-1 on May 29, 2011 in the tournament's championship game. Saint John became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the trophy but have since been joined by the Halifax Mooseheads (2013) and Acadie-Bathurst Titan (2018).

The full game can be seen below.

STARTING AT HOME

For the first time since 2021, the Sea Dogs will begin the regular season at home.

Saint John will host the Moncton Wildcats on Sept. 20 to kick off regular season play. The Sea Dogs have started the past two seasons in Bathurst, defeating the Titan 6-4 last year and 4-3 the year prior.

This will also be the first time since 2013 that the Sea Dogs begin the regular season by facing the Wildcats. Saint John won in Moncton on Sept. 13, 2013.

The Sea Dogs hosted the Wildcats in their 2011 season opener, falling 3-1 with a lineup that was missing several regulars due to NHL camps.

Rimouski to host 2025 Memorial Cup

The Memorial Cup is heading back to Rimouski.

The Canadian Hockey League announced Monday that the Rimouski Oceanic have been awarded the hosting rights to the 2025 tournament. The city previously hosted in 2009.

“We are very excited to be coming back to Québec, in the city of Rimouski for the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup,” said Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL, in a news release. “I want to express my gratitude for the work and time dedicated by our selection committee, who were presented with two very strong bids. I’d like to thank the Shawinigan Cataractes for putting forward an outstanding bid and making the decision by the committee extremely difficult. On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League, we are looking forward to working with the Océanic organization and the city of Rimouski to put together what will be a memorable event in 2025.”

It's the first time the Memorial Cup will be hosted in Quebec since 2015 in Quebec City. Halifax hosted in 2019 and Saint John in 2022.

The only other team to bid on the 2025 event was the Shawinigan Cataractes, who previously hosted in 2012. The Moncton Wildcats opted not to bid after seemingly being told it would go to a Quebec city.

The event is still a ways in the future, but this decision could have a big impact on the upcoming QMJHL trade period. With Rimouski locked in as host and Shawinigan no longer in the running, both team's now know their priorities heading into the trade window.

The 2024 Memorial Cup will be hosted by the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. The WHL's Kamloops Blazers hosted the 2023 event.

Moncton won't bid on 2025 Memorial Cup

HALIFAX - The 2025 Memorial Cup will not be held in Moncton.

In a news release issued Monday afternoon, the Moncton Wildcats announced that they will not be submitting a bid to host the Canadian Hockey League's championship tournament.

Here's the release:

While our organization was deeply committed to bidding on the 2025 Memorial Cup, we have made the decision to forego submitting a bid at this time. Realizing that a major junior hockey team in the province of Quebec has not hosted this national championship in the past 10 years, the chance of winning the competitive bid is very unlikely.

We recognize that the Canadian Hockey League wants to ensure various member provinces get to host the Memorial Cup, but we know that our organization, community, and province would have submitted an outstanding bid and organized an exceptional event.

We are disappointed we won’t have the chance to bring the 2025 championship to our fans and community.

Without a reasonable chance of being selected, the Moncton Wildcats cannot commit the time, effort, and resources required to prepare this extensive bid.

The Wildcats have been strongly hinting that they would bid on the tournament for a couple years. They'll be hosting the CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game in January and the QMJHL Entry Draft in June — events that were seen as "test runs" before hosting the Memorial Cup in 2025.

No Quebec city has hosted the event since 2015 in Quebec City with Halifax hosting in 2019 and Saint John in 2022. It's certainly noteworthy that the Wildcats said "without a reasonable chance of being selected" in their statement.

The Wildcats last hosted the event in 2006 at the old Moncton Coliseum.

The Rimouski Oceanic, who last hosted in 2009, and the Shawinigan Cataractes, who last hosted in 2012, have expressed interest in submitting bids to host in 2025. A winner is expected to be announced before the end of 2023.

Unless Moncton can quickly turn around a rebuild, the city likely won't be bidding on the tournament until 2031.

Notebook: Dogs return to Bathurst Friday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

After a couple heartbreaking home games, the Sea Dogs are back on the road on Friday, making their second trip of the young season to the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs and Titan split their home-and-home on opening weekend with Saint John winning 6-4 in Bathurst before falling in a shootout the next night at TD Station.

Following Friday's 7 p.m. match in Bathurst, the Sea Dogs return home to host the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting of the year — regular season or pre-season — between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats.

The following week, Saint John heads to Quebec for the first time this year and will visit Blainville-Boisbriand (Oct. 12), Val-d'Or (Oct. 14) and Rouyn-Noranda (Oct. 15).

MACDONALD GETS NEW RING

Former Sea Dogs forward Cam MacDonald, who had his family home destroyed in the Halifax wildfires this summer, received a new Memorial Cup ring on Friday.

Earlier this year Cam MacDonald’s family home and belongings were lost in the wildfire in Nova Scotia, including his 2022 Memorial Cup championship ring.

Prior to tonight’s game, Sea Dogs owner Scott McCain presented Cam with a brand new ring, courtesy of Graduor. pic.twitter.com/OiCbWj8Y6H

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 30, 2023

THN SEASON PREVIEW MAG
A few former Sea Dogs could be found in the Future Watch sections of The Hockey News' annual NHL Yearbook — including in impressive ranking for William Dufour.

Jeremie Poirier - No. 7 Calgary Flames

Joshua Roy - No. 7 Montreal Canadiens

William Dufour - No. 1 New York Islanders