The undefeated Medicine Hat Tigers are heading to the Memorial Cup final.
On Tuesday night, the Western Hockey League champions punched their ticket with a 3–1 win over the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.
It was a huge night for Cochrane’s Ethan Neutens, who scored his first Memorial Cup goal. Acquired from the Kelowna Rockets earlier in the season, Neutens stepped up with the equalizer, lingering low along the goal line to fire home a Tanner Molendyk rebound just over five minutes into the second period.
Medicine Hat’s third line went back to work in the third as Neutens worked the puck down low for alternate captain Mathew Ward, who buried the game winner early in the frame.
Ryder Ritchie added insurance with an empty-net goal with 11 seconds remaining in regulation.
Cochrane product Kadon McCann did not dress.
The Knights aren’t out of contention yet. They’ve secured a berth in the semifinal and await the winner of Wednesday night’s game between the Rimouski Océanic and Moncton Wildcats. The second finalist will be determined on May 30.
The championship final will be broadcast live on TSN on Sunday, June 1, at 5 p.m. MT.
Medicine Hat last won the Memorial Cup in 1988, when a Trevor Linden-led team defeated the OHL champion Windsor Spitfires.
Often referred to as the toughest trophy to win in hockey, the Memorial Cup is the top prize in the Canadian Hockey League.