Dream Season Comes to an End with Memorial Cup Semi Loss
May 30, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Moncton Wildcats News Release
The QMJHL Champion Moncton Wildcats gave a valiant effort but fell short in a 5-2 decision against the London Knights in a battle between the number one and two ranked clubs in the CHL during the regular season.
Landon Sim, Denver Barkey, Blake Montgomery, Jesse Nurmi and Easton Cowan scored for the Knights, who return to the Memorial Cup Final for the second consecutive year. Goaltender Austin Elliott stopped 21 shots in the victory. Caleb Desnoyers and Dyllan Gill replied for the Wildcats, who received a 32-save performance from Mathis Rousseau.
The OHL Champions opened the scoring at 4:07 of the first. Sim, pouncing on a loose puck deep in Moncton territory, found his way in front and stuffed home his first of the tournament. After some intense pressure by the Knights, it would be a Wildcats' power play that led to the goal which sent the teams to the room deadlocked at 1-1- after 20. Desnoyers was provided time and space to fire a wrister through Elliott for his first of the tournament. London outshot Moncton 18-5 in the opening frame.
The Knights retook the lead early in the second. Cowan showed tremendous patience in walking inside the line before finding Barkley at the side of the net, who made no mistake on a one-timer at 5:24. The Cats would come back on the man advantage once more at 7:40. Desnoyers slid the puck to Gill at the end of a strong breakout play and the veteran blueliner made no mistake on a wrist shot that rattled the iron and knotted things up. Despite a definite territorial advantage as well as an 11-10 edge in shots for the Wildcats, the two league champs once again went to the room tied.
Once again, London opened the scoring in the third period. Sam Dickinson, fending off a Wildcats defender on a Knights 2-on-1, slid a pass through the blue paint to Montgomery, who chipped the puck past Rousseau at 3:35. Just under 10 minutes later, the Knights made it a 4-2 game when Jacob Julien quickly turned a creative face-off play into a wide-open scoring chance for Nurmi. Cowan rounded out the scoring in an empty net at 18:11.
It all comes down to Sunday night for the Knights, who move on to face the WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers for national junior hockey supremacy. Puck drop is scheduled at 7pm ET/8pm AT and will be available on TSN and RDS.
As for the Wildcats, the QMJHL Champions are flying back to Moncton, where they'll be celebrating their Gilles-Courteau Trophy with members of the community on Monday.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from May 30, 2025
- Dream Season Comes to an End with Memorial Cup Semi Loss - Moncton Wildcats
- 2025 Memorial Cup Preview - Wildcats vs. Knights - May 30 - Moncton Wildcats
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