The London Knights are back on top of Canadian junior hockey.
Exactly one year after a heartbreaking loss in the Memorial Cup final, the Ontario Hockey League powerhouse stormed back in 2025 to capture the franchise’s third national title with a commanding 4-1 win over the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers on Sunday night in Rimouski, Quebec.
Fueled by a roster stacked with NHL-calibre talent, the Knights were relentless in their pursuit of redemption — and they left no doubt in the tournament’s finale.
“This is something I’ll never forget,” said captain Denver Barkey, who scored twice in the win. “We worked all year for this. This is the tightest team I’ve ever played on. To be able to do it with these guys — it’s so surreal.”
of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc. (Photo by Vincent Ethier/CHL)
A story of redemption
Twelve months ago, London fell 4-3 in the dying seconds of the 2024 Memorial Cup final to the host Saginaw Spirit — a loss Barkey called “the worst day of my life.” But on Sunday, the Knights were the ones throwing gloves in the air as the buzzer sounded.
“It’s an empty feeling when you go home with nothing,” said head coach Dale Hunter, drenched in green Gatorade after the win. “When you come to this tournament, you had a good year, but when you don’t win the last game, it’s not successful.”
London didn’t just return to the tournament — they dominated it. The team went 55-11-2 during the regular season and lost just once in the playoffs, clinching back-to-back OHL titles before rolling through the Memorial Cup semifinal and final.
Leading the charge for London was Easton Cowan, who claimed the Stafford Smythe Trophy as the Memorial Cup MVP. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect finished the tournament with three goals and four assists — including a key tally in the final — and matched a franchise legend in the process.
Cowan’s 15 career Memorial Cup points in nine games ties Mitch Marner for the most in Knights history, and he became the first player since 1972 to lead the tournament in scoring two years in a row.
“All through the season, all through the playoffs, he’s been one of our main catalysts,” said Hunter. “He hit another level. That’s awesome for us to win — and for the Leafs for the future.”
Cowan leaves the OHL second all-time in playoff points (96) and was named playoff MVP in both 2024 and 2025.
of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc. (Photo by Vincent Ethier/CHL)
Final game recap
London opened the scoring 11:21 into the first period when Jacob Julien converted on a breakaway after a perfect feed from Henry Brzustewicz. Cowan made it 2-0 early in the second, redirecting a Sam O’Reilly pass past Tigers netminder Harrison Meneghin.
Barkey added a backhand breakaway goal just 1:40 later, and then sniped a power-play marker from the left circle at 12:08 to make it 4-0. The captain’s two-goal night sealed his comeback arc as the emotional leader of a championship team.
Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, broke Austin Elliott’s shutout bid in the third with a blistering wrist shot — but it was the Tigers’ lone goal on the night.
McKenna appeared to score again late in the third, but the goal was overturned on review due to a high stick earlier in the play.
Goaltender Austin Elliott was stellar for London, stopping 31 of 32 shots. Meneghin made 20 saves in the loss for Medicine Hat, who had previously beaten London 3-1 in round-robin play and earned a direct berth to the final.
Clash of titans
Both finalists entered the Memorial Cup as league champions with dominant regular seasons. Medicine Hat went 47-17-4 and lost just twice in the WHL playoffs. The Tigers had four days off before the final after advancing directly from round-robin play.
“They cared, they tried,” said Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want it. They’re just a really good hockey team.”
Medicine Hat captain Oasiz Wiesblatt was visibly emotional after his final junior game.
“We’re such a resilient group,” he said, eyes red with tears. “Really proud of the guys.”
of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc. (Photo by Vincent Ethier/CHL)
The Tigers were looking to become the first WHL team to win the Memorial Cup since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.
The Knights’ lineup featured 12 NHL draft picks, including four first-rounders. Sam Dickinson had three assists in the final, while Julien and O’Reilly also chipped in key contributions.
Hunter, now a three-time Memorial Cup-winning coach (2005, 2016, 2025), said this year’s team is “right there” with the greats.
“It’d be a tough poll,” he added with a grin.
of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc. (Photo by Vincent Ethier/CHL)
After last year’s heartbreak, the London Knights returned with a vengeance — and this time, they didn’t leave empty-handed. The green and gold have reclaimed their place atop junior hockey’s summit.
Parts of this report were first published on June 1, 2025, by The Canadian Press.