Moose Jaw Warriors ready for first Memorial Cup appearance

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The Moose Jaw Warriors are set to compete for the Memorial Cup for the first time in franchise history.

After winning the Western Hockey League championship with a sweep over the Western Conference champion Portland Winterhawks, the Warriors earned a spot in the Canadian Hockey League championship which begins Friday in Saginaw, Mich. with the Warriors taking on the host Saginaw Spirit (5:30 p.m., TSN).

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Following Friday’s game against Saginaw, the Warriors will have a couple of days off before taking on the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights on Monday and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Drummondville Voltigeurs on Tuesday, with both games getting underway at 5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

“It’s the top three teams from all three leagues and the host so it’s all good teams,” Warriors’ captain and WHL playoff MVP Denton Mateychuk told reporters in Moose Jaw prior to leaving for Saginaw. “It’s going to be challenging but for our group, I think we’re all excited about it.”

The Warriors finished the regular season with a 44-21-1 record, which was fifth best in the WHL. But since January’s trade deadline, Moose Jaw was one of the best teams in the league and they showed that with a 16-1-3 record during their playoff run.

Like the Warriors, both the Knights and Voltigeurs swept their opponent in the championship series, which is the first time in CHL history that has happened.

London completed the postseason with a 16-2-0 record, while Drummondville was 16-2-1. Saginaw, meanwhile, lost in six games to London in the OHL’s Western Conference final.

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The Knights — who finished atop the OHL this season with a 50-14-4 record — will be making their sixth appearance since 2005, which is the most among CHL clubs over the past 20 years. London is also the only team in this year’s tournament that has won the Memorial Cup (2005 and 2016).

Drummondville — who finished second in the QMJHL this season with a 48-14-6 record — has made three appearances in the tournament with their last coming in 2009.

Like the Warriors, Saginaw — the second-place team just two points behind London in the OHL with a 50-16-2 record — will be making their Memorial Cup debut.

“All four teams deserve to be there,” said Warriors forward Brayden Yager, who had 27 points in 20 games during the WHL playoffs. “It’s going to be a fun tournament and it’s going to be a really good challenge for us.

“We’re here for a reason too and I think that if we just go there and play our game and play hard and stick to our identity, we’ll be good.”

Following the four-team round-robin schedule, the top team will earn a berth into the championship game on June 2, while the second and third-place teams will battle on June 1 in the semifinal.

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If there is a tie for third place, there will be a tiebreaker game played on May 30 with the winner advancing to the semifinal.

World Junior connections

While the Warriors haven’t faced any of their Memorial Cup opponents this year, there is some familiarity among some of the players.

At the World Junior Hockey Championships this year, both Mateychuk and Yager suited up for Team Canada alongside teammates Matthew Savoie and Jagger Firkus, who was a late addition to the roster.

There are several others from Canada’s roster set to compete at the Memorial Cup this year including Easton Cowan, a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round draft pick, who was named OHL playoff MVP after putting up 34 points in 18 games for the Knights during their playoff run. Also with London, Oliver Bonk put up 16 points in 18 games from the blueline.

Ethan Gauthier was Drummondville’s leading scorer during their playoff run, as he notched 25 points in 19 games. Voltigeurs’ defenceman Maveric Lamoureux also wore the maple leaf but hasn’t played in the playoffs due to injury.

And for Saginaw, Owen Beck, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick, had 14 points in 17 playoff games while Jorian Donovan had nine points in 17 playoff games.

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tshire@postmedia.com

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