Rimouski Oceanic selected as host for 2025 Memorial Cup

The Memorial Cup is headed back to Quebec with the Rimouski Océanic being announced on Monday as host for the 2025 tournament.

“We are very excited to be coming back to Québec, in the city of Rimouski for the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup,” said Dan MacKenzie, president of the Canadian Hockey League. Rimouski beat out the Shawinigan Cataractes for the winning bid.

While the event usually rotates between the three junior leagues (the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), the cancellation of the tournament in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic altered the pattern somewhat.

With the last two QMJHL hosts coming from Atlantic Canada — Halifax in 2019 and Saint John in 2022 and — this will mark a return to the province of Quebec for the tournament, which annually crowns the best team in Canadian junior hockey.

Last year’s event was hosted by the Kamloops Blazers, while next spring’s will be in Saginaw, home of the OHL’s Spirit. The Quebec Remparts are the current champions.

This will mark the second time Rimouski will host, having previously done so in 2009. The Océanic have also qualified on three other occasions, winning in 2000. As host, Rimouski is automatically awarded one of the four spots in the event, with the other three going to the respective league champions. If the Océanic win the QMJHL title, the fourth spot will go to the league finalist.

The Memorial Cup, which was first awarded in 1919, was named in honour of fallen soldiers from the First World War. The CHL later rededicated it to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel in 2010.