2008 Memorial Cup

[North East Goon]

Kitchener Rangers - Host Club
Belleville Bulls
Gatineau Olympiques
Spokane Chiefs

Should be another host team winning this tourney - no?

[Resolute 14]

I dunno, Spokane is one hell of a good team. I'd say Spokane vs. Kitchener. As usual, the Q team picks up the participant badge.

[Knut]

Gatineau will not be a pushover... they steamrolled the Playoffs in 19games...

and Claude Giroux had 51 pts in 19 games.

[Resolute 14]

More accurately, they steamrolled the QMJHL playoffs in 19 games.

[604flames]

I haven't seen Belleville or Gatineau this year, but Spoke and the Rangers both look solid..

[moon]

I think Spokane will have trouble against Kitchner. They have great team defense but one on one they lost a lot of battles against Lethbridge considering they swept the Canes.


If Cowan is on the ice the other team always has a good chance of scoring and I don't expect that the Rangers will roll over like the Canes did.

That said they still should be able to beat the team from the Q and whatever team that didn't get to load up all season long like the Eastern host always does.

I predict Kitchner beats the Chiefs, rather easily, in the final.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I dunno, Spokane is one hell of a good team. I'd say Spokane vs. Kitchener. As usual, the Q team picks up the participant badge.

well, the QMJHL rep has won 2 of the past 8 memorial cup's, exactly the same amount as the OHL reps over the same time period, and 4 of the last 12 compared to the 3 that the OHL has won in the last 12, so...

[moon]

Gatineau isn't doing much early on to deter any thoughts that they will just be an also ran early on tonight.

The Q teams do alright when the tournament is in Quebec and the other teams can help load up the host with good players. However, it seems that when the tournament is outside Quebec the QMJHL teams tend to do disproportionately bad compared to teams from the other leagues playing away.

[MelBridgeman]

I hope Spokane isn't rusty!!

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I dunno, Spokane is one hell of a good team. I'd say Spokane vs. Kitchener. As usual, the Q team picks up the participant badge.

Originally Posted by moon

However, it seems that when the tournament is outside Quebec the QMJHL teams tend to do disproportionately bad compared to teams from the other leagues playing away.

2006 - Quebec wins, Moncton runner up
2005 - Rimouski runner up
2004 - Gatineau runner up
2003 - Hull runner up
2002 - Victoriaville runner up
2001 - Val d'Or runner up
2000 - Rimouski winner
1997 - Hull winner

9 finals appearances in 11 years. Participant? Do poorly in non-QMJHL hosted years? What are you basing this on exactly?

[impresso]

This has been outstanding hockey. I have never actually watched the Memorial Cup but I think I am going to make a habit of it now.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

2006 - Quebec wins, Moncton runner up
2005 - Rimouski runner up
2004 - Gatineau runner up
2003 - Hull runner up
2002 - Victoriaville runner up
2001 - Val d'Or runner up
2000 - Rimouski winner
1997 - Hull winner

9 finals appearances in 11 years. Participant? Do poorly in non-QMJHL hosted years? What are you basing this on exactly?

I guess for me it was on the fact they only have two wins in 8 years and not exactly a stellar record before that. With 3 leagues competing that isn't a great record. The only two wins coming in Quebec and the last time they won outside of Quebec was all the way in 1996.

With the tournament being played in only three zones every year you would think that the Q would have won at least once outside of Quebec in the past 10+ years.

In a 4 team tournament where you often get two teams in you had better have some runner -up places. They aren't complete crap but their record in terms of winning when it isn't in Quebec quite frankly speaks for itself in my books.

I don't think it is that surprising the Q should be the weakest as it has the shallowest/smallest pool of players to draw from.

[CMPunk]

Man I wish I could buy one of those Ranger jersey's

[flames_fan13]

Kitchner takes the opener in overtime after blowing a 3 goal lead.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by moon

I guess for me it was on the fact they only have two wins in 8 years and not exactly a stellar record before that. With 3 leagues competing that isn't a great record. The only two wins coming in Quebec and the last time they won outside of Quebec was all the way in 1996.

With the tournament being played in only three zones every year you would think that the Q would have won at least once outside of Quebec in the past 10+ years.

In a 4 team tournament where you often get two teams in you had better have some runner -up places. They aren't complete crap but their record in terms of winning when it isn't in Quebec quite frankly speaks for itself in my books.

I don't think it is that surprising the Q should be the weakest as it has the shallowest/smallest pool of players to draw from.

I agree the Q has the smallest pool to draw from, and right now there are too many teams in the league the small talent pool is spread thin. However to make the Memorial Cup Final seven years in a row shows weakness? If anything it's impressive that they manage to win on home ice as more teams make the Q-Host year their "go for it" year. I know Victoriaville and Val d'Or lost in overtime (I believe double OT in both cases) when they were in the final. I'm trying to remember if London beat Rimouski in OT or not (I don't think but it was a close game).

Seems to me that if an OHL or WHL team don't make the finals they don't show up at the tournament (judging solely on who is in the finals). At least the Q teams are competitive year in year out. But I suppose if you don't win you're not competitive at all as the Q only seems to win on home ice, you know with Moncton fans loathing the Quebec Remparts in the stands.

Last year there were only three legit contenders for the Q-title, this year it was the same. However next year I fully expect to see 5 or 6 teams make a viable run for the Memorial Cup.


Gatineau loses in OT to the all mighty Kitchener Rangers in front of Kitchener's fans while coming back from the three goal deficit twice. Clearly Gatineau doesn't deserve to be there.

I should also point out that Belleville came back from a 3-0 series deficit to force game 7 in the OHL final, and they are getting no respect in this thread either.

[604flames]

^^ Jon I hate to nitpick, but the Tigres lost 6-3 to the Kootenay Ice in the 2002 final. I have the front page of the Cranbrook paper framed on the wall above my computer.

Val d'Or did lose in OT (to Red Deer, Jeff Smith with the goal?) the year before in Regina.

[lambeburger]

Where are these games televised? Sportnet HD?

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by 604flames

^^ Jon I hate to nitpick, but the Tigres lost 6-3 to the Kootenay Ice in the 2002 final. I have the front page of the Cranbrook paper framed on the wall above my computer.

Val d'Or did lose in OT (to Red Deer, Jeff Smith with the goal?) the year before in Regina.

Really I was sure Danny Boisclair lost in OT that year. Regardless the point still stands of making the finals.

I knew Val d'Or was OT, as I was so sure that they were taking that one. They were lead by Simone Gamache and Brandon Reid that year, with insanely highly touted rookie Maxime Daingault in net after Simon Lajeunesse failed to show up in the first round.

Regardless, I don't see how consistently finishing as one of the top 2 teams in the country warrants the lack of respect the Q consistently gets.

And to reply about the Q only ever winning at home:

2007 Vancouver (the host) won on home ice
2006 Quebec won in a Moncton rink that wanted to see them get shelled every game
2005 London won on home ice
2004 Kelowna won on home ice
2003 Kitchener won in Quebec City*
2002 Kootenay won in Guelph*
2001 Red Deer won in Regina (WHL)
2000 Rimouski won in Halifax (QMJHL)
1999 Ottawa won on home ice
1998 Portland won in Spokane (WHL)
1997 Hull won on home ice

Every league only wins at home with 2 exceptions: the OHL won the Q year once, WHL won the OHL year once. QMHL were 9 of the 22 finalists dating back to 1997, WHL were finalists 8 times, and OHL were finalists 5 times. I think that shows since the expansion into the Maritimes era of the QMJHL the league has consistently been competitive nationally and is not the weaker sister of the other two leagues, despite having the smallest talent pool.

But then again I'm just going by the numbers and results.

[flames_fan13]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

Where are these games televised? Sportnet HD?

I don't know about it being on HD or not but sportsnet is supposed to show all of them. However sportsnet pacific is showing pool instead of the Belleville/Spokane game.

[604flames]

I was looking for the game all day today. Nice job Sportsnet... geez!

By the way, Spokane won 5-4 in OT.