Knights, Generals to meet in OHL Finals rematch, QMJHL finals to be decided

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on May 3, 2025.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

The Ontario Hockey League Finals brings an essence of deja vu.

The London Knights won a third straight Western Conference Championship, sweeping the Kitchener Rangers on Wednesday to advance to the OHL Finals. They’ll face the Oshawa Generals for the second year in a row.

Oshawa took down the Barrie Colts 8-4 on Thursday, sweeping the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight shot at an OHL championship.

London has yet to lose a game in the 2025 OHL playoffs, led offensively by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan. The 19-year-old has eight goals and 27 points in 12 games.

Former Saskatoon Blade Austin Elliott has won all 12 games between the pipes for London, running a 2.31 goals against average and a .904 save percentage with one shutout. The 20-year-old net minder was released by the Blades in October and picked up by the Colts on CHL waivers. They traded him to the Knights where he posted a 32-1 recored in the regular season.

The Generals have three skaters atop the OHL scoring race with 19-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Marrelli leading the way with six goals and 31 points in 16 games.

Colby Barlow, a 20-year-old Winnipeg Jets Prospect, has 13 goals and 29 points in 16 games. The third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks), sits third in playoff scoring with 12 goals and 27 points in 13 games.

Oshawa net minder Jacob Oster has started all 16 games for the Generals in the playoffs. The 21-year-old is 12-4 in the playoffs with a 2.82 GAA and .896 SV%.

The start date of the OHL Finals is still to be decided.

QMJHL

The Moncton Wildcats are awaiting their opponent in the QMJHL finals.

The Wildcats swept the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the Eastern Conference Championship series, making the finals for the first time in 15 years and fourth time in team history. They’ve run a 12-1 record in the playoffs.

The Wildcats are led by 2026 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers who has nine goals and 24 points in 13 games. The 18-year-old, who leads the QMJHL playoffs in scoring, was ranked seventh among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.

They’ve had two goaltenders split duties in the playoffs, with 19-year-old Detroit Red Wings prospect Rudy Guimond wining seven games and 20-year-old Mathis Rousseau winning five. Guimond has a 2.00 GAA and a .927 SV% with one shutout, Rousseau also has a shutout in the playoffs with a 2.59 GAA and a .912 SV%.

They await the winner of the Western Conference Championship series between the Rimouski Oceanic and Shawinigan Cataractes.

Rimouksi is led offensively by Jacob Mathieu, the 20-year-old has 11 goals and 21 points in 16 games.

Shawinigan rookie Matvei Gridin leads the Cataractes offence with eight goals and 17 points in 15 games. The 19-year-old of Kurgan, Russ. was selected first overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft and was a 24th overall pick of the Calgary Flames in 2024.

Rimouski won Game 5 at home Friday, 3-2 in overtime to lead the series 3-2.

Game 6 is Sunday in Shawinigan and if needed, Game 7 would be Tuesday back in Rimouski.

If the Oceanic win the series, Moncton would automatically earn a spot in the 2025 Memorial Cup to be hosted in Rimouski.