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| Action from the opening game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Rimouski Oceanic and Medicine Hat Tigers/Photo courtesy Vincent Ethier/CHL |
The Western Hockey League champions got off to the start they needed Friday night at the Sun Life Financial Coliseum.
Playing in the opening game of the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que., it was a late goal from Hunter St. Martin on a redirection that gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-4 win over the host Rimouski Oceanic.
In a game
that saw them give up three power play goals to the home side in four man
advantage opportunities, it was a late goal that helped the Tigers avoid falling
behind the eight ball early on in the tournament with a loss.
Medicine Hat opened the scoring just under 14 minutes into the contest as Ryde Ritchie scored on a rebound after Gavin McKenna hit the crossbar initially on the play.
The tournament host got the game on even terms in the final minute of the period as Mael Langevin beat Tigers goaltender Harrison Meneghin with a tap in off a back-door pass from Alexandre Blais with 20 seconds to go in the frame.
Midway through period two, Rimouski took a 2-1 lead at Marl St. Denis took a pass in the right faceoff circle from Blais and beat Meneghin short side at 10:43.
Just under six minutes later, the Western League champs tied the game at two as Bryce Pickford beat Langevin from the top of the right faceoff circle to give the Medicine Hat blueliner goals in nine consecutive games. The power play marker came at 16:18.
Rimouski would take a 3-2 lead into the dressing room after two periods as Jacob Mathieu redirected a Matieu
The Tigers tied the game at three 68 seconds into the third period as Pickford scored his second of the night, beating Langevin from the top of the left faceoff circle.
McKenna made it 4-3 Medicine Hat at 5:16 as he took a breakaway pass from Oasiz Wiesblatt and beat Langevin high stick side.
With the Oceanic on the power play, Jonathan Fauchon tied the game as he beat Meneghin with a one-timer from the top of the left circle short side after a pass from Mathieu Cataford at 13:04.
Medicine Hat took a 5-4 lead with 2:41 to go in the third as Hunter St. Martin went to the net and redirected a pass from Tanner Molendyk past Langevin.
In addition to the two-goal night for Pickford, McKenna and St. Martin had a goal and an assist each.
Wiesblatt assisted on three goals for the Tigers while Molendyk had a pair of helpers.
Meneghin stopped 20 shots for Medicine Hat.
Blais. Cataford, and Pier-Olivier Roy assisted on two goals each for Rimouski.
Langevin made 33 saves.
On day two of the tournament on Saturday, the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights will take on the Quebec Maritimes Hockey League’s Moncton Wildcats.
Lineups
Rimouski
Eriks
Mateiko-Mathieu Cataford-Mael Lavigne
Jonathan
Fauchon-Jacob Mathieu-Dominic Pilote
Alexandre
Blais-Mael St. Denis-Maxime Coursol
Lou
Levesque-Mathys Dube-Thomas Belzile
Pier-Olivier
Roy-Luke Coughlan
Jack
Martin-Basile Sansonnens
Olivier
Theberge-Anthony Pare
Mathis
Langevin
William
Lacelle
Medicine
Hat
Gavin McKenna-Oasiz Wiesblatt-Ryder Ritchie
Andrew Basha-Mathew Ward-Hunter St. Martin
Kadon McCann-Misha Volotovskii-Marcus Pacheco
Ethan Neutens-Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll-Liam Ruck
Tanner Molendyk-Veeti Väisänen
Jonas Woo-Bryce Pickford
Niilopekka Muhonen-Josh Van Mulligen
Harrison Meneghin
Jordan Switzer
