O’Reilly’s OT heroics lift London Knights over Moncton in Memorial Cup opener

Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly scored his second goal of the game 4:23 into 3-on-3 overtime to lift the London Knights to a 3-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats in their Memorial Cup opener on Saturday.

The Ontario Hockey League champions outshot the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League titleholders 48-29, but needed extra time to secure the victory in a fast-paced round-robin contest.

Kasper Halttunen, a San Jose Sharks prospect, added a second-period power-play goal for London—his fifth consecutive Memorial Cup game with a goal, tying Ty Rattie’s 2013 mark for the longest scoring streak at the tournament since 2000.

Easton Cowan, a Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder, picked up two primary assists, including the setup on O’Reilly’s overtime winner.

On the other side, Moncton defencemen Etienne Morin and Dyllan Gill found the back of the net, with Gill capitalizing on a power play. Alex Mercier contributed a pair of assists for the QMJHL champs.

London goaltender Austin Elliott made 27 saves for the win, while Moncton’s Mathis Rousseau was outstanding in a losing effort, stopping 45 shots.

The game was tied 1-1 after the first and 2-2 after 40 minutes. Both teams finished 1-for-3 on the power play.

Notes: The 10-day tournament kicked off Friday night with the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers edging the host Rimouski Océanic 5-4 … The Saginaw Spirit captured last year’s Memorial Cup title, defeating the Knights 4-3 in the final … London’s next test comes as they continue round-robin play, seeking to avenge their narrow loss in the 2024 championship game.