Four of the best Canadian major junior teams get set to battle for the 2023 Memorial Cup.
The three CHL leagues have completed their playoffs, and all that is left on the junior hockey calendar in Canada is to hand out the Memorial Cup.
The competition features the champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In addition, the host team for the tournament is selected as the fourth club to participate in the competition.
Here's what you need to know for this year's Memorial Cup:
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Where is the 2023 Memorial Cup?
- Host city: Kamloops, B.C.
- Venue: Sandman Centre
Kamloops is the host city for the 2023 Memorial Cup. All games will be played at the Sandman Centre, the home of the Blazers.
This is the second time Kamloops has hosted the tournament. The first time came in 1995 when the Blazers walked away as Memorial Cup champions.
Where is the 2024 Memorial Cup?
The 2024 Memorial Cup has been awarded to the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.
The tournament will be held in Saginaw next year and hosted at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Mich.
When is the 2023 Memorial Cup?
- Start Date: Friday, May 26
- End Date: Sunday, June 4
The 2023 Memorial Cup will run for nine days from the end of May into the beginning of June. It starts on Friday, May 26.
The four teams will play each other once in a round-robin, totaling three games to determine seeding for the playoffs.
The No. 1 seed advances straight to the championship game while the Nos. 2 and No. 3 teams will play in a semifinal. If needed, there will be a tiebreaker the day before the semifinal game.
The tournament will wrap up on Sunday, June 4 with the championship.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 26 | 9 p.m. | Quebec vs. Kamloops | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Saturday, May 27 | 6 p.m. | Seattle vs. Peterborough | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Sunday, May 28 | 6 p.m. | Kamloops vs. Peterborough | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Monday, May 29 | 9 p.m. | Seattle vs. Quebec | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Tuesday, May 30 | 9 p.m. | Peterborough vs. Quebec | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Wednesday, May 31 | 9 p.m. | Kamloops vs. Seattle | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Thursday, June 1 | 9 p.m. | Tiebreaker (if necessary) | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Friday, June 2 | 10 p.m. | Semifinal | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
| Sunday, June 4 | 7 p.m. | Final | TSN/RDS/NHLN |
How to watch the 2023 Memorial Cup on TV, live streams
- TV channel (Canada): TSN/RDS
- TV channel (U.S.): NHL Network
- Stream (Canada): TSN.ca, TSN app
- Stream (U.S.): Fubo
TSN will have coverage of all Memorial Cup games. RDS will have coverage for the French-speaking audience.
You can stream the games through TSN.ca or in the TSN app as well.
In the United States, fans can catch the Memorial Cup action on NHL Network. Cord cutters can stream NHL Network through Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Who is in the 2023 Memorial Cup?
The four teams competing in the Memorial Cup are the winners of the OHL (Peterborough Petes), WHL (Seattle Thunderbirds) and QMJHL (Quebec Remparts), in addition to a predetermined host team (Kamloops Blazers).
Peterborough Petes
The Petes are competing in the Memorial Cup for the 10th time in club history, and first time since 2006. They were the winner of the 2023 OHL Championship.
Peterborough finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed in the OHL's Eastern Conference. The Petes made quick work of the Sudbury Wolves with a first-round sweep, followed by knocking off the No. 1 seed Ottawa 67s in six games in the second round. The North Bay Battalion pushed Peterborough to seven games in the third round, but the Petes won Game 7 to set up a date with the London Knights in the final. Peterborough defeated London in six games for their 10th OHL title.
Leading the way for the Petes are NHL draft picks Brennan Othmann (Rangers), Owen Beck (Canadiens) and Tucker Robertson (Seattle), as well as Avery Hayes and goaltender Michael Simpson.
Seattle Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are back in the Memorial Cup after making an appearance at the tournament in 2017. Fresh off winning their second WHL championship, Seattle is set to compete in their third Memorial Cup.
Seattle finished as the top team in the Western Conference of the WHL, trailing only the Winnipeg Ice for the best record in the league. The Thunderbirds ran through the competition in the first two rounds, sweeping the Kelowna Rockets and the Prince George Cougars. It took six games to knock out Kamloops in the third round before Seattle dispatched Winnipeg in five games to win the WHL championship.
There is no lack of star power on this team. Seattle has five first-round NHL draft picks Dylan Guenther (Coyotes), Brad Lambert (Jets), Kevin Korchinski (Blackhawks), Nolan Allen (Blackhawks) and Reid Schaefer (Predators).
Quebec Remparts
Quebec returns to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2015, This year marks the club's eighth appearance in the tournament coming off their QMJHL title.
The Remparts were the best team in the QMJHL from start to finish. Quebec ran through the league playoffs with ease, sweeping the Charlottetown Islanders, Rimouski Oceanic and Gatineau Olympiques in the first three rounds. In the championship, the Halifax Mooseheads managed two victories against Patrick Roy's crew, but Quebec won the championship in six games.
At the helm of the Remparts are NHL first-rounders Zachary Bolduc (Blues) and Nathan Gaucher (Ducks). Additionally, James Malatesta (Blue Jackets) and Justin Robidas (Hurricanes) propel the offense.
Kamloops Blazers
The Blazers are the host team of the 2023 tournament, earning an automatic bid as one of the four teams. This is the club's seventh time playing in the Memorial Cup.
Kamloops finished with the third-best record in the WHL this season, trailing only Seattle in the Western Conference. After sweeping the Vancouver Giants and the Portland Winterhawks, the Blazers fell to the Thunderbirds in the semifinals.
Olen Zellweger (Ducks) and Logan Stankoven (Stars), two second-round NHL selections, are at the forefront of the host team, as well as Caden Bankier (Wild) and Matthew Seminoff (Stars).
