The second game of the Memorial Cup round robin was a champion vs. champion matchup, as the OHL’s back-to-back conquerors the London Knights took on the undisputed kings of the QMJHL, the Moncton Wildcats. The heart break that happened to London in last year’s Memorial Cup final is one of the prevailing narratives of the tournament, and they began their path to right the wrongs of the past against a respectable opponent. How did it shake out? Well, let us examine the events and the overall shape of the game.

Things started pretty ideally for London as they scored just 1:31 in, with Sam O’Reilly (Edmonton Oilers) finishing the play. Just under five and a half minutes later, however, Etienne Morin had the response for Moncton as he blasted one from up high, shattering his stick and sending it to hockey heaven but still scoring the GTG nevertheless. This was a remarkably even period, as both teams played terrific in transition and sustained pressure on one another, causing the shots on goal to end up landing at a 15-14 SOG advantage for Moncton. Moncton would place themselves in an adverse situation 5 minutes into the middle stanza, as Caleb Desnoyers (2025 NHL Entry Draft) went to the box for a tripping call. They would pay for this, as Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks) uncorked his trademark powerful shot on the ensuing power play to put London back up, with Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs) and captain Denver Barkey (Philadelphia Flyers) receiving credit for the assists. Before the period ended, though, Dylan Gill tied the game while London defenseman Henry Brzustewicz (2025 NHL Entry Draft) was in the sin bin for a hooking penalty. Shots were 15-8 in favor of London in the second period.

In the final regulation frame, London’s forecheck was outstanding and helped them hem Moncton for long periods of time, ending in them having a 16-3 SOG advantage. However, Moncton would ultimately get the breakouts they needed and press back the other way, preventing any goals from being scored. The end result was 60 minutes not being enough, and the game headed to overtime. There wasn’t much Sturm und drang, however, as London found the back of the net on just their third shot of the extra period. Sam O’Reilly was the hero, with Cowan and Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers) getting credit for the assists. The next round robin game takes place tomorrow at 6:00 PM ET, with London having a back-to-back via a date with tournament hosts Rimouski Océanic.