RIMOUSKI, Que. 鈥� The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Rimouski Oc茅anic will host the 2025 Memorial Cup, the Canadian Hockey League announced Monday.
It will mark the return of the CHL championship series 鈥� featuring the host city and the champions of the QMJHL, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League 鈥� to Quebec for the first time in 10 years.
Rimouski, which beat out a rival bid from the Shawinigan Cataractes, will host the Memorial Cup for the second time, and first since 2009.
The Oc茅anic have made four Memorial Cup appearances (2000, 2005, 2009, 2015) since joining the league in 1995.
They won the tournament in 2000 with a team featuring forward Brad Richards, who went on to win two Stanley Cup rings in the NHL.
Superstar Sidney Crosby led the Oc茅anic to the 2005 Memorial Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to the host London Knights.
The Quebec Remparts (2015) were the last Quebec-based team to host.
The last QMJHL team to stage the tournament were the 2022-champion Saint John Sea Dogs.
The Remparts are the defending champions, winning the 2023 title in Kamloops, B.C.
鈥淲e are very excited to be coming back to Quebec, in the city of Rimouski for the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup,鈥� CHL president Dan MacKenzie, said in a release. 鈥淚 want to express my gratitude for the work and time dedicated by our selection committee, who were presented with two very strong bids."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2023.
The Canadian Press
