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| London Knights forward Sam O'Reilly celebrates a goal in London's opening game of the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que. Photo courtesy Vincent Ethier/CHL |
Looking for redemption this year, the London Knights kicked off the 2025 Memorial Cup on Saturday night.
The Ontario Hockey League champions, who lost in the final a year ago in Saginaw, grabbed a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the Moncton Wildcats, champions of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League at the Sun Life Financial Coliseum in Rimouski, Que.
Sam O’Reilly scored the winner for the Knights just over four minutes into overtime to give London the victory.
O’Reilly went to the net and redirected a pass from Easton Cowan on the right wing past Moncton goaltender Mathis Rousseau at 4:23 of the extra period with the teams playing 3-on-3.
The teams traded goals through the opening 40 minutes before playing through a scoreless third period en route to the extra frame.
O’Reilly opened the scoring for the Knights 91 seconds into the contest as he tipped a Sam Dickinson point shot past Moncton goaltender Mathis Rousseau.
Moncton would tie the game just over five minutes later as Etienne Morin beat Knights goaltender Austin Elliott with a point shot that hit a body on the way through traffic.
Just over five minutes into the second period, the Knights made it a 2-1 game as Kasper Halttunen beat Rousseau with a one-timer from the left faceoff circle off a pass from Cowan on the power play.
Dyllan Gill made it a 2-2 game at 12:22 of the second period when he beat Elliott on the power play with a point shot through a screen by Gabe Smith in tight.
Knights coach Dale Hunter called the win “a head-fought game.”
Happy with the win, O’Reilly said he felt the Knights “could have been sharper.”
The loss was a tough one for the Wildcats.
“Obviously a heartbreaker now, but rarely do you get a loss at this tournament and it’s a bit of a confidence boost for your group,” said Moncton coach Gardiner McDougall.
“This game tonight will make us better,” McDougall added. “It was like a heavyweight fight. Both teams had some big shots and both teams defended those big shots. (London) had some big chances in overtime and unfortunately we gave up one too many.”
Cowan had a pair of assists for the Knights in the victory while Elliott stopped 27 shots.
Rousseau made 45 saves in the setback for Moncton.
Alex Mercier assisted on both Wildcats goals.
The Knights will be back in action Sunday night when they face the host Rimouski Oceanic, who are coming off a loss last night against the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
Moncton will have a day off before playing on Monday night against Medicine Hat.
Lineups
London
Easton
Cowan-Sam O’Reilly-Blake Montgomery
Denver
Barkey-Jacob Julien-Landon Sim
Jesse
Nurmi-William Nicholl-Kasper Halttunen
Ryder
Boulton-Evan Van Gorp-Noah Read
Sam
Dickinson-Henry Brzustewicz
Jared
Woolley-Oliver Bonk
Adoni
Fimis-Cam Allen
Austin
Elliott
Aleksei
Medvedev
Scratches – Rene Van Bommel, Noah Aboflan, Logan Hawery, Liam Spencer, P.J. Fagan II
Monton
Juraj
Pekarcik-Caleb Desnoyers-Julius Sumpf
Maxime
Cote-Markus Vidicek-Alex Mercier
Preston
Lounsbury-Gabe Smith-Vincent Collard
Pier-Etienne
Cloutier-Riley Sampson-Logan Crosby
Etienne
Morin-Dylan MacKinnon
Loke
Johansson-Dyllan Gill
Adam
Fortier-Gendron-Natan Grenier
Mathis
Rousseau
Rudy
Guimond
Scratches – Simon Mullen, Simon Binkley, Cooper Cormier
Tournament Results
Round Robin
May 23 – Medicine Hat 5, Rimouski 4
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