Arrival of the Cup presented by Levio to launch 2025 Memorial Cup festivities today in Rimouski

May 22, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release

RIMOUSKI, QC - Today at 5 p.m. ET, with just one day to spare before the puck officially drops on the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup, the Arrival of the Cup presented by Levio will continue a long-standing tradition by kick-starting the tournament's 11-day run in Rimouski with the arrival of the prestigious Memorial Cup trophy to the Champions Headquarters outside of Sun Life Financial Coliseum. Presented in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces, this landmark event will mark the formal start of the 2025 Memorial Cup and its festivities.

This event is free and open to the public. The entire Rimouski community and visitors alike are invited to attend and witness the beginning of what promises to be a historic and unforgettable tournament.

The Arrival of the Cup will begin at the Cégep de Rimouski, as the trophy will be escorted by a community parade en route to the Champions Headquarters at Sun Life Financial Coliseum. This symbolic procession will feature participation from local organizations and groups recognized as everyday champions for their leadership and dedication to the Rimouski community.

The Royal Canadian Air Force will also enhance the occasion with a rare and impressive aerial display, as between 5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., two CF-18 Hornet fighter jets will perform ceremonial flyovers above Sun Life Financial Coliseum.

Following the aerial display, a formal ceremony will be held on the Premier Tech Stage beneath the Béton Provincial Dome outside Sun Life Financial Coliseum. The event will feature members of the host team, the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL, alongside representatives from the three championship-winning clubs: the Medicine Hat Tigers (Western Hockey League), the London Knights (Ontario Hockey League), and the Moncton Wildcats (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League). This marks their first appearance in Rimouski ahead of the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup.

Additionally, the commemorative jersey for the 2025 Memorial Cup will be officially unveiled at the Arrival of the Cup and proudly worn by the players of the Rimouski Océanic during Friday's tournament opener. Since 2008, it has been tradition for the host club to wear specially designed commemorative sweaters during the tournament's opening game as a tribute to servicemen and servicewomen. Following the tournament's opening game, the jerseys worn by the players will be auctioned off, with all proceeds directed to the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund- an important program dedicated to supporting veterans and their families.

Since the inception of this meaningful jersey program at the 2008 Memorial Cup in Kitchener, Ontario, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and its Member Leagues have raised more than $316,000 for the Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund, underscoring the league's ongoing commitment to honouring those who have served our country.

The 2024-25 season marks the 105th time the Memorial Cup is presented. Since being awarded for the first time 106 years ago, the Memorial Cup has developed a rich tradition that has shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America - becoming one of the most coveted trophies in the sport. Originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and donated by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in March 1919, this trophy was created in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in the First World War. It was later rededicated in 2010 to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel.

The 2025 Memorial Cup is marking the return of the CHL's championship event to Québec for the first time in ten years, highlighting the province's strong hockey tradition. This year's tournament also marks only the second time Rimouski has ever hosted it, having previously welcomed the Memorial Cup back in 2009.

The first game of the 2025 Memorial Cup is set for tomorrow at at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT between the Océanic and the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers.

Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from May 22, 2025

• Arrival of the Cup presented by Levio to launch 2025 Memorial Cup festivities today in Rimouski - QMJHL

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