Montreal Canadiens Prospect Kaiden Guhle Begins Memorial Cup Quest

Montreal Canadiens prospects Arber Xhekaj and Jan Mysak began their Memorial Cup quest last night, but came out on the wrong end in a 5-3 loss. They were certainly expected to win playing against the host Saint John Sea Dogs.

The host team lost in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs and had 39 days between games. But they looked fresh and rested last night, taking a 4-1 lead into the third period before the Bulldogs started to try and mount a comeback. They made it 4-3 before Saint John sealed the game with an empty net goal.

Tonight, the other two teams begin their tournament. The Edmonton Oil Kings, headlined by WHL Playoff MVP Kaiden Guhle, take on the Shawinigan Cataractes. Edmonton won the WHL title in six games over the Winnipeg Ice and the Cataractes eliminated the Charlottetown Islanders in five games in their league championship round.

Guhle, as mentioned, played a huge role in the Oil Kings title win. He scored eight goals and 16 points in 19 games, putting up plenty of offence while also being a force in the defensive zone. The 6’2″ and 200 pound left defenceman is a physical force, as well as a smooth skater who is just as dangerous with and without the puck.

The Memorial Cup tournament features a six game round robin as all four teams play each other once. Then, the elimination round begins with a tiebreaker for third place if necessary, following by a semi-final game and the top team in the round robin will be waiting after advancing straight to the championship game.

Expect Guhle to play a huge role throughout this tournament on the team’s top defence pairing, as well as the power play and penalty kill. He plays huge minutes in all situations for the best team in the WHL.

The Memorial Cup is one of the hardest trophies to win in all of sports. Teams not only have to win a playoff championship, but then have to take on the other playoff champions from around the country. It is a unique opportunity for Guhle to close out his Junior career before competing for a job on the Canadiens blue line next season.

Tonight’s game will begin at 6:00 PM EST and can be watched on TSN.

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