The 2019 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2019 Memorial Cup presented by Kia for sponsorship reasons) was a four-team, round-robin format tournament held at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia from May 17–26, 2019. It was the 101st Memorial Cup championship which determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was hosted by the Halifax Mooseheads, who won the right to host the tournament over the Moncton Wildcats. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defeated the Halifax Mooseheads to win their first Memorial Cup. Mario Pouliot became the first coach to win consecutive Memorial Cups while leading different teams.
Host bidding process The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) considered bids from the Halifax Mooseheads and the Moncton Wildcats to host the 2019 Memorial Cup. The Mooseheads had previously hosted the 2000 Memorial Cup, and proposed to host the event at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax to coincide with the team's 25th anniversary during the 2018–19 QMJHL season. The Wildcats had previously hosted the 2006 Memorial Cup, and proposed to host the event at the Avenir Centre which completed construction in 2018. On April 5, 2018, the QMJHL announced that the Mooseheads were chosen to host the 2019 event.
Road to the Cup OHL playoffs
The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as the playoffs champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The Storm defeated the Kitchener Rangers in four consecutive games in the first round, then lost the next three games to the London Knights before rallying with four consecutive victories to win the second round series in seven games. The Storm lost the first two games in both the third round and the finals, but defeated the Saginaw Spirit in seven games and the Ottawa 67's in six games.
QMJHL playoffs
The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were ranked as the top Canadian Hockey League team for four months during the 2018–19 QMJHL season. The Huskies set a QMJHL record with 59 wins during the season, which included a 25-game winning streak. The Huskies won their second President's Cup as the playoffs champions of the QMJHL.
WHL playoffs
The Prince Albert Raiders won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as the playoffs champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Raiders won the championship series in overtime in the seventh game versus the Vancouver Giants.
Event details
As part of a new sponsorship agreement between the CHL and Kia Motors, the South Korean automaker replaced Mastercard as presenting sponsor of the tournament beginning in 2019.
The Memorial Cup trophy arrived in Halifax aboard HMCS Glace Bay, then was accompanied by players from the Halifax Mooseheads in a parade to the Scotiabank Centre.
Team rosters Rosters as listed on the Memorial Cup web site for each team:
Halifax Mooseheads Head coach: Éric Veilleux Pos.No.PlayerG1Alexis GravelG29Cole McLarenD2Denis TonerD3Walter FlowerD12Patrick KyteD14Jared McIsaacD16Jake RyczekD20Justin BarronD79Jocktan ChaineyF8Brock McLeodF19Benoit-Olivier GroulxF21Arnaud DurandeauF23Keith GetsonF28Ben HigginsF48Ostap SafinF50Raphaël LavoieF61Joel BishopF67Xavier ParentF71Maxim TrépanierF72Samuel AsselinF88Antoine MorandF91Marcel BarinkaF94Samuel Dubé
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Head coach: Mario Pouliot Pos.No.PlayerG1Samuel HarveyG31Zachary EmondD3Jacob NeveuD4Justin BergeronD6Samuel RégisD7Alexis ArsenaultD8William CyrD27Ryan MacLellanD53Noah DobsonF10Louis-Filip CôtéF11Rafaël Harvey-PinardF12William RouleauF13Jakub LaukoF14Mathieu GagnonF15Vincent MarleauF16Alex BeaucageF19Patrik HrehorčákF20Tommy BeaudoinF21Félix BibeauF22Peter AbbandonatoF23Samuel NaudF24Joël TeasdaleF25Tyler Hinam
Guelph Storm Head coach: George Burnett Pos.No.PlayerG32Anthony PopovichG35Nico DawsD4Owen LalondeD5Dmitri SamorukovD6Sean DurziD11Daniil ChaykaD22Jack HanleyD23Zack TerryD25Markus PhillipsD29Fedor GordeevF7Zachary RobertsF8Cam HillisF9Nick SuzukiF10MacKenzie EntwistleF12Keegan StevensonF13Alexey ToropchenkoF14Cedric RalphF15Liam HawelF16Nate SchnarrF17Pavel GogolevF19Isaac RatcliffeF20Ben McFarlaneF21Ty CollinsF27Domenico Commisso
Prince Albert Raiders Head coach: Marc Habscheid Pos.No.PlayerG33Ian ScottG35Boston BilousD3Jeremy MasellaD5Zack HayesD6Kaiden GuhleD8Brayden PachalD10Max MartinD12Sergei SapegoD14Loeden SchauflerF11Spencer MoeF15Brian HarrisF16Jakob BrookF17Dante HannounF18Noah GregorF19Ozzy WiesblattF20Brett LeasonF21Aliaksei ProtasF23Eric PearceF24Cole FonstadF25Sean MontgomeryF27Parker KellyF29Justin Nachbaur
Tournament games All times local (UTC −3)
Round-robin
Round-robin standings
Semifinal game
Championship game
The Huskies won their first Memorial Cup in franchise history with a victory by a 4–2 score versus the Mooseheads, watched by a sold-out crowd with 10,595 fans. The Mooseheads had led the game a 2–0 score in the second period, then the Huskies scored four consecutive goals for the win. Huskies head coach Mario Pouliot became the first person to win consecutive Memorial Cups with two different teams, and third coach overall to win with multiple teams including, Don Hay and Bryan Maxwell.
Statistical leaders
Skaters
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 5 2 6 8 0 Guelph Storm 4 3 4 7 0 Guelph Storm 4 2 5 7 2 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 5 5 1 6 8 Guelph Storm 4 3 3 6 8 Guelph Storm 4 3 3 6 0 Halifax Mooseheads 4 1 5 6 2 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 5 1 5 6 0 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 5 4 1 5 6 Halifax Mooseheads 4 3 2 5 2 GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Goaltenders
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes)
Player Team GP W L OTL SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI Halifax Mooseheads 4 2 2 0 134 11 2.78 .918 0 237 Guelph Storm 4 2 2 0 125 13 3.28 .896 0 238 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 5 4 1 0 127 17 3.40 .882 0 300 Prince Albert Raiders 3 0 3 0 93 13 4.36 .860 0 179 GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds)
Awards The CHL handed out the following awards at the conclusion of the 2019 Memorial Cup:
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Most outstanding player): Joël Teasdale, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Top scorer): Jakub Lauko, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies George Parsons Trophy (Most sportsmanlike player): Nick Suzuki, Guelph Storm Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Best goaltender): Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads Memorial Cup All-Star Team: Goaltender: Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads Defence: Sean Durzi, Guelph Storm; Noah Dobson, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Forwards: Isaac Ratcliffe, Guelph Storm; Félix Bibeau, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies; Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads
References
External links Memorial Cup Canadian Hockey League