Rimouski, Que.- More than two decades after hockey icon Sidney Crosby set Rimouski alight with his lightning-quick stickhandling, shrewd on-ice vision and litany of highlight-reel goals, another youngster expected to make waves in the NHL has entered the Sun Life Financial Coliseum.
Medicine Hat Tigers alternate captain Gavin McKenna carries a similar hype to Crosby- both are previously CHL Rookie of the Year winners and McKenna is projected to be the first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft- two decades after the Pittsburgh Penguins called Crosby’s name at the draft in Ottawa.
The 17-year-old even surpassed Crosby’s 37-game point streak earlier this season as he set a new WHL and CHL record point streak at 54 games.
“He’s a big name around the city,” McKenna said. “There’s going to be lots of talk about him, but it’s pretty cool to be playing in a rink that he played in.
“Being a leader has always been a goal of mine. You know, you watch those leaders like Sidney Crosby (and) Jonathan Toews growing up, and you want to be them… I want to kind of leave my mark just like that and I want people to say good things to me when they’re done with their time with me.”
McKenna has been one of the most talked-about players at the 2025 Memorial Cup- and he hasn’t even played a game at the tournament yet.
Fans are on the prowl for pictures and autographs of the superstar from Whitehorse, Yukon, and his opponents have no doubt seen many of his viral goals and assists splashed across their social media feeds and broken down frame-by-frame on TSN.
The Rimouski Oceanic are no doubt hungry to slow down the WHL Player of the Year in the opening match of the Memorial Cup in front of their home crowd.
“Honestly, every game, guys are around me trying to get me off my game and stuff,” McKenna shrugged. “So, it’ll be nothing new. I’ve been used to it and I’m looking forward to it.
“Knowing guys are out to get me, it means I’m doing something right.”
The 6-foot, 172-pound winger ripped up the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien with nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points in 16 games.
His 2.38 points-per-game average led all CHL skaters as he helped the Tigers lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the sixth time in franchise history and the first time since 2007- months before he was born.
He was also second in regular-season WHL scoring with a 129-point (41G-88A) campaign that saw him held off the scoresheet just three times.
“A guy who’s really driven and loves to compete,” Tigers Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt, who centers Medicine Hat’s top line alongside McKenna, said. “He’s a huge leader on our bench.
“I think he’s just been trained into it his whole life, probably 11 years old. He’s just been prepared for this moment.”
Tigers Head Coach and WHL Executive and Coach of the Year finalist Willie Desjardins tends to draw comparisons to another Oceanic legend when it comes to describing his star forward.
“I ran into (2000 Memorial Cup Champion) Brad Richards before, and I had Brad in Dallas,” Desjardins said. “Gavin does some things like Richards does, too. He’ll throw pucks on net when no one thinks he’s going to throw it there. Those guys just have a knack. I don’t know how they have that knack for making something happen, but he’s an exceptional player. Sees the ice incredibly well.”
But Desjardins, who is competing at the Memorial Cup for a third time, also points to McKenna’s support of his teammates as one of his best qualities.
“He had a really good opening series,” Desjardins added. “But when I asked him what his favourite memory was after the third round, he said it was (Harrison) Meneghin’s shutout in the first game. He’s a team player, he cheers for his teammates and that’s great to see.”
Now, McKenna will balance his competitive nature and will to win with the junior hockey limelight in the opening match of the Memorial Cup on Friday night.
“It’s a short, quick tournament, so we know that every single game is a big game and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for each one,” McKenna emphasized. “There’s only so many chances you get.
“The Western Hockey League hasn’t won it for quite some time now, so we want to be the team to do that.”
McKenna will face off against his former World Juniors teammate Mathieu Cataford and the Oceanic at 5:00 p.m. MST.
TSN will carry the Memorial Cup for viewers in Canada, while fans in the United States and around the world can stream the action on Victory+.
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS MEMORIAL CUP ROUND-ROBIN SCHEDULE
Tie-Breaker (*if necessary) – Thursday, May 29 (5:00 p.m. MST)
Semi-Final – Friday, May 30 (5:00 p.m. MST)
Championship Final – Sunday, June 1 (5:00 p.m. MST)
Which matchup are you most excited for at the 2025 Memorial Cup?
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Which matchup are you most excited for at the 2025 Memorial Cup?
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