RED DEER, Alta. — There was a point early in the season when Chase Marchand didn't know if he had a team to play on anymore. Now he's leading the No. 1 club in the country at the 2016 Memorial Cup.

The 20-year-old Marchand made 38 saves and Timo Meier scored twice as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-3 on Saturday in the tournament opener for both teams.

Marchand, from Upper Tantlion, N.S., played for three teams in three leagues two years ago before earning his place on the Victoriaville Tigres for the 2014-15 season. He started this season with the Tigres and expected to be a member of the club, but was placed on waivers in September because the team had too many overage goaltenders.

Rouyn-Noranda was in need of a goalie and head coach Gilles Bouchard scooped him up.

"I was the odd man out," said Marchand. "Luckily enough I was able to go to Rouyn-Noranda, and they were so welcoming."

Marchand went 29-6-1 in 38 games, with a league-best 2.42 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, helping the Huskies to their first-ever Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship and their place at the Memorial Cup. He also set a QMJHL post-season record by going over 223 minutes without allowing a goal.

Bouchard has been amazed by his goalie's resiliency and ability to keep the puck out of the net since joining Rouyn-Noranda.

"We didn't know at the start, we knew he had good stats in the past, but game after the game in the season he did a very good job, played with consistency, competed hard at every practice," said Bouchard.

"He's a good kid, players like him and we are very happy for his success…it's an incredible story."

Anthony-John Greer, Gabriel Fontaine and Philippe Myers also scored for the Huskies. Francis Perron, a 2014 Ottawa Senators draft pick, chipped in with three assists.

Reid Duke, Tyler Coulter and John Quenneville found the back of the net for the Western Hockey League champion Wheat Kings while Jordan Papirny gave up five goals on 29 shots.

Meier, the San Jose Sharks' first-round pick from the 2015 draft, had 23 goals and 51 points in 29 regular season games for Rouyn-Noranda after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Halifax Mooseheads.

Bouchard sees Meier as another important addition to the team that's got them as far as they are.

"He scored two big goals today for us and he's appreciated by his teammates, he's an important player for us," said Bouchard.

Brandon came out as the aggressor, hitting everyone who touched the puck, and it paid off when Duke put a rebound past Marchand less than three minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead. But Greer beat Papirny off a rush to tie the game at 14:06.

Bruno-Carl Denis harmlessly threw the puck at the net from the point and Fontaine tipped it past a screened Papirny to make it 2-1 at 18:33, and Meier made it a two-goal lead with 24 seconds remaining in the period.

Myers scored on the power play at 13:29 of the second to make it 4-1. Papirny thought he was interfered with on the play, but his argument wasn't being heard by the officials. Meier scored his second of the game four minutes later.

The Wheat Kings started the third similar to the first, at one point outshooting Rouyn-Noranda 20-2, and got one back off a broken play at 8:07. Coulter shovelled the puck in the net before falling on Marchand, who was slow to get up but continued.

"Weird situation, luckily he wasn't very heavy, it didn't hurt too much," said Marchand. "My helmet came off and I was trying to protect myself from cuts."

Quenneville showed off his skill on a breakaway with a highlight-reel goal to make it 5-3 with just over seven minutes to play. The New Jersey Devils draft pick went between the legs and lifted the puck top corner over a sprawled-out Marchand.

The Wheat Kings' momentum continued and Marchand had to bail out his team on more than one occasion to preserve the victory.

"We have a slogan: united for history. Because we can't do anything by ourselves, it's a team effort. It takes six guys on the ice."

Notes: Rouyn-Noranda defenceman Jeremy Lauzon, a 2015 Boston draft pick, played for the first time since suffering a neck laceration on April 14… The Huskies play the Red Deer Rebels on Sunday while Brandon's next game is Monday against the London Knights