The 2024 CHL Memorial Cup kicked off on May 24 with the host team from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Saginaw Spirit, taking on the Western Hockey League (WHL) champions, the Moose Jaw Warriors. In a tightly contested game, the Spirit held off a late push from the Warriors to pull out a 5-4 victory.
All Four Lines Rolling for Saginaw
While the Spirit lineup has several highly skilled players and NHL prospects, head coach Chris Lazary spread the wealth among all four of his forward lines and rolled through them for most of the game. With players like Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck, Michael Misa, and Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom being the more well-known and “high-profile” players, it was Nic Sima who seemed to stick out the most for the Spirit forward grouping with his all-around effort.
Sima was on a line with Misa and Minnesota Wild prospect Hunter Haight throughout the night and was a force in all three zones of the ice. Offensively, he opened the scoring for the Memorial Cup with a tip off a shot from 2024 Draft-eligible defenseman Zayne Parekh. But the things that do not show up on the scoresheet that Sima did impact the game in a big way. This included being relentless on the forecheck, flying around the ice, making plays, and being strong defensively.
The Spirit’s ability to roll through all four of their forward lines made for a long night for the Warriors’ defense and goaltender, Jackson Unger.
Yager & Mateychuk Lead a Warriors Rally
The Spirit built a four-goal lead with less than two minutes left in the second period. But that did not deter or stop the Warriors from making a strong push to get back in the game. While the Spirit seemed to control the pace of play for the most part of the game, Moose Jaw was able to take control and gain momentum for a couple of minutes at the end of the second period.
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The Warriors tallied three goals in less than two minutes to end the second period of the game, largely thanks to the play of Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager and WHL Defenseman of the Year Denton Mateychuk. Like his Saginaw counterpart Sima, Yager was relentless in the offensive zone with his forechecking and was finally rewarded with two goals in the final two minutes of the second. Meanwhile, Mateychuk got himself on the scoresheet thanks to sneaking into the play from the point scoring and adding an assist before the end of the period.
The Spirit was able to hold off a late push from the Warriors in the final minutes of the third period, though, even with Matthew Savoie getting the game to a one-goal deficit off a great cross-ice pass from Yager.
Spirit’s Big Guns Keep Unger Busy
With the Spirit controlling the play for most of the game, they were led by plenty of players, including the aforementioned Sima. But some of the “big guns” on the team have also stepped up in big ways. Whether it was Beck, Parekh, Alex Christopoulos, or Vegas Golden Knights prospect Matyas Sapovaliv, there was plenty of help from the big boys in the Spirit lineup.
With the Spirit rolling offensively, they kept Unger busy. Even with scoring the five goals that they did on him, Unger kept the game within reach at times with some big-time saves and proved why he was one of the WHL’s best goaltenders this season.
Other Game Notes
- Parekh earned Player of the Game honors after tallying a goal and two assists in the victory.
- In the loss, both Mateychuk and Yager tallied three points apiece.
- Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke played in his first game since suffering an injury on April 13 and made 22 saves on the 26 shots he faced.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Both teams are off for the rest of the weekend. The Spirit will play next on May 26 when they take on the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) champions, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Warriors will not play again until May 27, when they take on the OHL champions, the London Knights.
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