RIMOUSKI — Willie Desjardins didn’t think his group played the better game — but he had the winning goalie.
Harrison Meneghin stopped 35 shots as the Medicine Hat Tigers advanced to the Memorial Cup final with a 3-1 win over the London Knights on Tuesday night.
“London probably outplayed us tonight," said Desjardins, the Tigers’ head coach and GM. “The difference tonight was Meneghin. He was outstanding in net, maybe even a little bit more than outstanding.”
London will meet the Moncton Wildcats or Rimouski Océanic in Friday’s semifinal. Medicine Hat awaits the winner of that semifinal showdown for Sunday’s final, seeking a third Memorial Cup in its fourth championship appearance.
Mathew Ward scored the winner at 1:17 of the third period while Ethan Neutens also scored for Medicine Hat (3-0), which won the Western Hockey League. Ryder Ritchie added an empty-net goal.
Meneghin, meanwhile, kept London from pulling away during a dominant opening 20 minutes from the Knights.
The 20-year-old Meneghin was named the WHL playoff MVP earlier this month after his father, Derek, died unexpectedly on the final day of the WHL regular season. His teammates have rallied around their netminder ever since.
“We wouldn't be going to the finals without No. 35,” Ward said. “He's been a rock for us all year.”
The Tigers won 3-1 over Moncton and claimed a 5-4 victory against Rimouski earlier in the round robin at Colisée Financière Sun Life.
Kasper Halttunen replied and Austin Elliott made 26 saves for the Ontario Hockey League champion Knights (2-1), who opened the tournament with a 3-2 overtime win over Moncton and then beat Rimouski 3-1.
Halttunen — the OHL playoff MVP — opened the scoring with a tip on the power play 3:34 into the first period amid a fast start for London.
Dickinson almost put the Knights ahead twice on separate rushes up the ice later in the period, but Meneghin shut the door.
Meneghin also denied Blake Montgomery on a breakaway early in the second to keep it a one-goal game.
Neutens then evened the score at 5:11 of the second period. Tanner Molendyk kept the puck in London’s zone before sending a shot toward the net that deflected onto Neutens’ stick, and the Tigers forward slid it into a gaping net.
Tied 1-1 in the third period, Ward followed his own behind-the-net pass before sweeping the puck into the net — giving Medicine Hat the lead moments after London star Easton Cowan missed a Grade A chance at the other end.
The three key contributors — Meneghin, Ward and Neutens — all played for different teams a season ago. Desjardins felt a sense of pride after seeing their impact on the game.
“We did try to trade for some character. We thought we needed real good character,” he said. "I was really excited for Meneghin, how he played tonight. That was great for him and all the guys here, too.
“Every one of these guys have bought in and done everything they can for the team.”
As for Ward, Desjardins said he was tired of going up against him on the Swift Current Broncos.
“I had enough of him, so we finally just traded for him,” he said.
London contained Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna — the projected top pick in the 2026 NHL draft — much of the night. Defenceman Oliver Bonk held McKenna to the outside late in the first period before laying a bone-crunching hit on the 17-year-old minutes later.
In the second period, Jared Woolley forced the puck off McKenna on a dangerous 2-on-1.
But others stepped up with McKenna restrained.
"There's a reason why they're here,” London president and head coach Dale Hunter said. “We always say we all have our top-end guys and they can't do it every night, it takes role player to come up.
“That's a credit to their team."
The Knights, meanwhile, had their opportunities.
London went on the power play with 3:35 left after Hunter St. Martin crushed Woolley into the end boards. The play was reduced from a major penalty to a minor after review.
The Knights eventually pulled the goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage, but Bonk whiffed on their best chance of the power play.
"We had chances to score,” Bonk said. “We just didn't get them."
Added Sam Dickinson: “All three games we've defended well, just got to bear down on one more shot.”
Ritchie put the game out of reach, scoring an empty-netter with 11 seconds remaining after sustained zone time from London. It was Ritchie's fourth goal of the Memorial Cup.
UP NEXT
The Rimouski Océanic play the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday with a spot in the semifinal on the line. Both Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League teams are 0-2 so far.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
