How they got here: They began their run by sweeping Drummondville in the opening round, were met with slight resistance from Blainville-Boisbriand in five games, needed six games to put away Moncton in the Conference Finals before putting down Shawinigan in five games to win the Presidents' Cup.
Why they can win the Memorial Cup: They are led offensively by Francis Perron, but don't forget about Timo Meier and A.J. Greer, two key players picked up either prior to the season or in mid-season trades. In goal, Chase Marchand has held down the fort quite nicely, as he posted impressive GAA numbers en route to pushing the Huskies to their first championship since landing in Rouyn-Noranda 20 years ago.
How they got here: Their stiffest challenge came in the opening round, as they needed six games to put away Owen Sound in the opening round. However, since winning game six of that series, the Knights reeled off 13 consecutive wins, including that game 6 win, sweeping past Kitchener, Erie, and Niagara to claim their third J. Ross Robertson Trophy in five years and securing a spot in the Memorial Cup tournament for the fourth time in that same span (they hosted in 2014).
Why they can win the Memorial Cup: It begins up front, as Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak lead the charge up front. Having players such as Matthew Tkachuk and Max Jones helps, too. Tyler Parsons is one of the more underrated goalies in the field, as the guys up front get all the press, but he's been proven to be mentally tough even in the face of rough starts, as the game 4 against Kitchener showed.
How they got here: A slow series start against Edmonton saw them begin in a 2-0 series hole. However, they climbed out emphatically, winning the next four games. Their next three series saw them win by identical 4-1 series scores, as Moose Jaw, Red Deer, and Seattle fell to the Wheat Kings on their way to the Ed Chynoweth Trophy.
Why they can win the Memorial Cup: Like the London Knights, the Wheat Kings are loaded up front, as Jayce Hawryluk and John Quennville are the veteran presences there. However, it's the young guy in Nolan Patrick that truly makes things go there, as he took home the Playoff MVP Trophy there. Defensively, they are well-balanced, as both Kale Clague and Ivan Provorov lead the way there. Jordan Papirny doesn't get the press he deserves, but he's shown mental toughness, bouncing back from bad games to give the Wheat Kings the boost they needed. Also, the Wheat Kings have shown a killer instinct, winning the series clinching games by the scores of 10-3, 7-3, 5-2, and 8-4.
How they got here: The Rebels are hosting this year's Memorial Cup tournament. In the WHL playoffs, they handled Calgary in five games, but needed all seven games to finally put away the Regina Pats. They met their end in the Conference Finals when they lost to Brandon in five games.
Why they can win the Memorial Cup: Mid-season acquisitions Adam Helewka and Jake DeBrusk are the best offensive options on the squad, with Helewka nearly willing the Rebels to wins at times while DeBrusk has rediscovered his game after struggling for much of the regular season. Any Brent Sutter-led team has to be strong defensively, and that is where having the likes of Haydn Fleury and Nelson Nogier help. When their goaltending is on, there are few teams that can match the veteran talent of Trevor Martin and Rylan Toth.
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