Players to keep an eye on at the 2015 Memorial Cup –
The 2015 Mastercard Memorial Cup begins Friday, May 22, 2015 in Quebec City and there will be a number of top prospects from the 2013 and 2014 NHL Entry Draft and current top prospects for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft to keep an eye on.
The top-ranked forward in the tournament is Kelowna center/right-wing Nicholas Merkley while the top ranked defenceman in this years tournament is Oshawa defenceman Mitchell Vande Sompel.
2015 Memorial Cup schedule (All times ET)
Game 1 – Friday, May 22nd – Kelowna vs Quebec – 7:30pm EST
Game 2 – Saturday, May 23rd – Rimouski vs Oshawa – 4:30pm EST
Game 3 – Sunday, May 24th – Quebec vs Oshawa – 4:30pm EST
Game 4 – Monday, May 25th – Rimouski vs Kelowna – 7:30pm EST
Game 5 – Tuesday, May 26th – Oshawa vs Kelowna – 7:30pm EST
Game 6 – Wednesday, May 27th – Quebec vs Rimouski – 7:30pm EST
Tie-Breaker (if necessary) – Thursday May 28 at 7:30 pm EST
Semi-Final – Friday, May 29th – Teams TBD – 7:30pm EST
Final – Sunday, May 31st – Team TBD – Time TBA
Random Facts
– Since the round-robin format was introduced at the Memorial Cup in 1972, the WHL has won 19 times.
– Nine host teams have won the title since 1983.
– The last time a Host Team won the Memorial Cup was in 2012 when the Shawinigan Cataractes defeated the London Knights.
– The Quebec Remparts have won the Memorial Cup twice, in 1971 and 2006.
– The only all-QMJHL final was in 2006 where the Quebec Remparts defeated the Moncton Wildcats.
The Remparts are no gimmee as the “Host Team”
The Quebec Remparts are the host team and received an automatic entry into the Memorial Cup but they were an overtime away from being the QMJHL Champions. The Remparts lost to Rimouski 2-1 in double-overtime of Game 7 of the QMJHL championship final. It marked the first time in QMJHL history that a Game 7 of the league final went to overtime.
This 2015 participants
Quebec Remparts (Host Team)
Coach: Philippe Boucher
Memorial Cup championships: 2
NHL prospects: Goaltender Zach Fucale (Montreal Canadiens, 2013, #35), defencemen Cody Donaghey (Toronto Maple Leafs, free agent, 2014), Ryan Graves (New York Rangers, 2013, #110), forwards Anthony Duclair (NYR, 2013, #80, traded to Arizona Coyotes in 2015), Marc-Olivier Roy (Edmonton Oilers, 2013, #56), Adam Erne (Tampa Bay Lightning, 2013, #33).
Top 2015 draft-eligible prospects: Goaltender Callum Booth, forwards Vladimir Tkachev and Dmytro Timashov.
Rimouski Oceanic
Coach: Serge Beausoleil
Memorial Cup championships: 1
NHL prospects: Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers (Dallas Stars, 2013, #54), defencemen Jan Kostalek (Winnipeg Jets, 2014, #114), Samuel Morin (Philadelphia Flyers, 2013, #11), forwards Frederik Gauthier (Toronto Maple Leafs, 2013, #21), Vincent Dunn (Ottawa Senators, 2013, #138), Christopher Clapperton (Florida Panthers, 2013, #122).
Top 2015 draft-eligible prospects: Defenceman Simon Bourque and forward Samuel Laberge.
Oshawa Generals
Coach: D.J. Smith
Memorial Cup championships: 4
NHL prospects: Defencemen Josh Brown (Florida Panthers, 2013, #152), forwards Brent Pedersen (Carolina Hurricanes, 2013, #126), Cole Cassels (Vancouver Canucks, 2013, #85), Matthew Mistele (Los Angeles Kings, 2014, #180), Tobias Lindberg (Ottawa Senators, 2013, #102), Hunter Smith (Calgary Flames, 2014, #54), Michael McCarron (Montreal Canadiens, 2013, #25), Michael Dal Colle (New York Islanders, 2014, #5).
Top 2015 draft-eligible prospects: Defencemen Mitchell Vande Sompel and Stephen Desrocher along with forward Anthony Cirelli.
Kelowna Rockets
Coach: Dan Lambert
Memorial Cup championships: 1
NHL prospects: Defencemen Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets, 2013, #13), Madison Bowey (Washington Capitals, 2013, #53), Mitchell Wheaton (Detroit Red Wings, 2013, #139), forwards Justin Kirkland (Nashville Predators, 2014, #62), Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers, 2014, #3), Rourke Chartier (San Jose Sharks, 2014, #149), Tyrell Goulbourne (Philadelphia Flyers, 2013, #72).
Top 2015 draft-eligible prospects: Forward Nick Merkley and defencemen Devante Stephens and Joe Gatenby.
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