RIMOUSKI – One yr after what he known as the worst day of his life, Denver Barkey led his crew to the Memorial Cup title.
The London Knights captain scored twice in a dominant 4-1 victory over the Drugs Hat Tigers within the championship sport Sunday, redeeming a devastating defeat 12 months in the past.
“That is one thing I’ll always remember,” Barkey stated amid on-ice celebrations at Colisée Financière Solar Life. “We labored all yr towards this, and that is the tightest crew I’ve ever performed on. To have the ability to do it with these guys. It’s so surreal.
“Gonna keep in mind this for all times.”
The Knights fell 4-3 to the host Saginaw Spirit in final yr’s Memorial Cup closing, permitting the go-ahead purpose with 22 seconds remaining.
As a substitute of holding their heads of their palms when the buzzer appeared like 12 months in the past, the back-to-back Ontario Hockey League champions exploded off the bench and threw their gloves within the air in celebration.
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“It’s an empty feeling whenever you go dwelling with nothing,” stated head coach Dale Hunter, nonetheless moist from being doused in inexperienced Gatorade. “While you come to this event, you had an excellent yr, however whenever you don’t win the final sport, it’s not profitable.”
“We labored all yr towards this, and that is the tightest crew I’ve ever performed on,” added Barkey. “Sticking to it and utilizing it as motivation, as gas, to push us all yr.”
Sam Dickinson had three assists and Austin Elliott made 31 saves for the Knights, a powerhouse crew that featured 12 NHL draft picks and 4 first-rounders. Jacob Julien and event MVP Easton Cowan additionally scored for London, which beforehand received in 2005 and 2016.
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Hunter, now a three-time champion, stated this yr’s version is “proper there” with the remainder of them.
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“It’d be a troublesome ballot,” he stated.
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Cowan, tying Barkey with seven factors, turned the primary participant since 1972 to guide the event in scoring for consecutive years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect additionally tied Mitch Marner for probably the most Memorial Cup factors in franchise historical past with 15 in 9 video games.
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“The Cowboy was excellent,” Hunter stated. “All by way of the season, all by way of the playoffs, he’s been one in all our most important catalysts.
“He needed to choose it up once more, and he did once more, hit one other stage in him. That’s superior for us to win — and for the Leafs for the longer term.”
Cowan, who has confronted his share of adversity after final yr’s loss and two early exits with Canada’s world junior crew, ends his OHL profession on a excessive be aware.
“Lots of people hate and lots of people love,” he stated. “The folks that love me will maintain loving, the folks that hate, possibly I can get them on board.”
Gavin McKenna — the projected best choice in subsequent yr’s NHL draft — replied for Drugs Hat, which defeated the Knights 3-1 in spherical robin play to qualify straight for the ultimate and earn 4 days off.
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Harrison Meneghin stopped 20 pictures for the Western Hockey League champions. A WHL crew hasn’t received the Memorial Cup for the reason that Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.
“They cared, they tried,” Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins stated. “Coming in, we solely have one downside, that’s London’s a extremely good hockey crew. It wasn’t that we didn’t need it, wasn’t that we didn’t strive. They’re only a good crew.”
London and Drugs Hat dominated their respective leagues en path to the Memorial Cup.
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The Knights went 55-11-2 within the common season and misplaced solely as soon as within the playoffs. The Tigers, in the meantime, misplaced twice within the post-season after a 47-17-4 marketing campaign.
“We’re such a resilient group, and clearly London’s a extremely good crew,” stated captain Oasiz Wiesblatt with tears operating from his eyes. “Actually happy with the group.”
Wiesblatt nonetheless wore his jersey even together with his shoulder pads off. How lengthy would he maintain it on?
“Effectively, I’m gonna maintain it inside me my complete life,” he stated after his closing junior sport.
The Knights defeated the Moncton Wildcats, who received the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, 5-2 in Friday’s semifinal. The Rimouski Oceanic additionally performed within the event as hosts, however misplaced all three video games.
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London poured it on with three objectives within the second interval Sunday to take a commanding lead.
After Elliott turned away a flurry of pictures — together with a difficult deflection from Cayden Lindstrom — Cowan buried his third of the event to make it 2-0 at 3:13.
Barkey added to the lead 1:40 later, capitalizing on a breakaway after Dickinson compelled Wiesblatt right into a turnover on the blue line.
Cowan appeared to make it 4-0 together with his second of the night time, however the officers dominated no-goal after O’Reilly interfered with Meneghin on a drive to the web.
Barkey then scored his second of the night time with a wrist shot from the left circle off the publish and in previous a screened Meneghin at 12:08.
McKenna lastly broke Elliott’s shutout bid by reducing into the slot and changing a wrist shot glove aspect 2:43 into the third interval for his third purpose in 4 video games.
The star winger was at it once more with 5:21 remaining, beating Elliott with a slick shot into the highest left nook. The purpose, nevertheless, was known as off following a overview on account of Ryder Ritchie’s excessive stick earlier within the play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 1, 2025.
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