Memorial Cup at Budweiser Gardens, May 16-25
By Mark Schadenberg
LONDON
– The London Knights know exactly when they will lace up the skates
for games in the 2014 Memorial Cup (CHL championship) tournament, but
what they don't know is who they will meet in those round robin
contests.
Guelph
Storm currently (May 7) lead the North Bay Battalion in the OHL
finals 2-1. In Game 3, North Bay appeared to score an empty-net goal
for a 4-2 late lead, but after it was disallowed Guelph would net the
equalizer and winner in the closing 40 seconds.
Val
D'Or and Baie Comeau were knotted 1-1 in the QMJHL finale until Val D'Or won Game 3 by a 5-2 result Tuesday. Val D'Or
Foreurs were regular season champs, but needed seven games to oust
the Halifax Mooseheads in one semifinal. Halifax had won its last
13 games in the regular season and were defending Memorial Cup
winners, and featured Jonathan Drouin (third overall pick of Tampa
Bay in 2013) and his 41 points in 16 playoff games.
The
Portland Winterhawks were the No. 3 team in the CHL rankings at the
end of the regular season, and needed just five games to beat the No.
1 Kelowna Rockets in the Western Conference finale in the WHL.
Portland leads the Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 in the championship with
Game 4 set for Wednesday, May 7. Edmonton were Eastern Conference champs with 50 wins and 103 points.
Six exceptional hockey teams are still playing for respective league playoff crowns.
So
when do the Knights play and what else is happening during Memorial
Cup festivities in London later this month?
KNIGHTS
SCHEDULE
Friday,
May 16, 7 p.m. vs QMJHL champions
Sunday,
May 18, 7 p.m. vs WHL champs
Wednesday,
May 21, 7 p.m. vs OHL winners
OTHER
GAMES
Saturday,
May 17, 4 p.m.: OHL vs WHL
Monday,
May 19, 7 p.m.: OHL vs QMJHL
Tuesday,
May 20, 7 p.m.: WHL vs QMJHL
PLAYOFFS
Thursday,
May 22, tiebreaker – if necessary
Friday,
May 23, 7 p.m.: Second vs Third
Sunday,
May 25: Championship
OTHER
EVENTS
Thursday,
May 15
Opening
Gala
Brendan
Shanahan, who is a London Knights alum, and now Toronto Maple Leafs
boss (president and alternate governor), is the keynote speaker of
the Gala at 5:30 at the London Convention Centre. Tickets are $100,
but all four teams will be present
However,
the day begins with a ceremony at Wolseley Barracks of the Memorial
Cup Trophy arrival by military helicopter and a parade Downtown
featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales and more than a dozen bagpipes,
and then the opening of the FanFest venue outside The Budweiser
Gardens at 3 p.m.
FanFest
During
the Memorial Cup 10-day run, FanFest will open daily at 11 a.m.
Friday,
May 16
Post-Game
concert by The Trews
The
full roster of bands playing at the Budweiser Beer Garden can be
discovered at www.mastercardmemorialcup.ca
Thursday,
May 22
At
7 a.m., the tee off times begin for the golf tournament at both Fire
Rock and The Oaks.
Saturday,
May 24
A
day-off on the hockey schedule, but not for entertainment.
CHL Awards are at 1 p.m. At The Grand Theatre.
CHL Awards are at 1 p.m. At The Grand Theatre.
Brett
Kissel concert.
Canadian
Country Music Association Award winner and recent 2014 Juno award
winning Breakthrough recording artist of the year, Brett Kissel will
be headlining the VIP Concert in the Budweiser Beer Garden. Tickets
for this event are on sale to the public now at the OMAC Mortgages
London Knights Box Office and online at www.mastercardmemorialcup.ca
LONDON
KNIGHTS
How
ready will the London Knights be after a 34-day rest since losing to
Guelph in round two of the post-season?
Starting goalie Anthony
Stolarz will return from a suspension for the Memorial Cup, plus
defenceman Brady Austin is recovering from mono (See story link below), but defenceman Zach
Bell is certainly questionable with a broken leg. Likely the most
important news from the trainer's room is that Max Domi's injured
shoulder appears to be 100 percent.
I'm
not going to break down the Knights chances player-by-player or
line-by-line, but this club most certainly has the talent to claim
the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2005. As back-to-back OHL
champs, London fell short the last two years at this tourney,
including an overtime loss in the finals in Shawinigan in 2012.
With
NHL first-round picks in Bo Horvat (Vancouver) and Max Domi (Phoenix)
up front, plus defenceman Nikita Zadorov (Buffalo), this club has the
top-tier talent. Along with captain Chris Tierney (pictured), Josh Anderson,
Matt and Ryan Rupert, Gemel Smith (Played in 2011 Memorial Cup for
Owen Sound), Michael McCarron (Montreal first round selection),
rookie Mitchell Marner and the versatile Brett Welychka, the depth
and skill is there.
I'll
be watching every minute of the London games and look forward to all
the related happenings around the Memorial Cup event.
See:
Free
Press Links:
May
5:
May
1:
April 30:
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/04/29/arrival-of-memorial-cup-in-london-will-be-a-2-hour-production-paying-tribute-to-the-military
London
Knights Link:
Bid
on London Knights game worn jerseys until May 31:
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior
Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
757
Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519)
537-1553, cell or text
Email:
mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
Facebook:
Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion
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