CHL Storylines: McKenna still making history heading into WHL Final

Gavin McKenna continues to make history in the Western Hockey League.

The Whitehorse, Yukon native is in the midst of a 53-game point streak, a number that surpassed Quebec Remparts alum Alexander Radulov’s streak of 50 games in 2005-06 for the longest since the turn of the century.

In the process, McKenna helped his Medicine Hat Tigers sweep away the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Championship Series and reach the WHL Final for the first time in 17 years.

“This is a rare accomplishment and it’s unprecedented this century,” TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button said. “He just set a new bar, and I think it’s only going to increase with the way he’s going. He’s just that good.”

McKenna is at the top of a list that also includes marquee names like Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard for the longest Canadian Hockey League point streaks since 2000.

Button believes this is just further evidence that McKenna is a special player and could eventually be considered on par with names considered to be generational talents.

“He’s a special player and when you’re next to those names, you’re talking about special players,” said Button. “He’s got the qualities of skill, IQ, determination, and competitiveness that all the great ones have.”

The 6-foot winger is tied for second in WHL playoff scoring with eight goals and 35 points in 13 games. This comes after McKenna finished second in league scoring during the regular season with 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games.

He was held pointless in only three games during the regular season.

McKenna’s overall talent is very easy to see, but Button believes it’s his imagination that sets him apart from other top players in junior hockey.

“He has what Wayne Gretzky had when it comes to imagination and creativity,” Button declared. “One of the most unique qualities that he has is that he does the unexpected. If you’re trying to defend him, you’re trying to figure out what the unexpected is and that’s impossible.

“When you watch his ability to manipulate and think about things that others wouldn’t think of, he’s brilliant. Even if others were to think about them, they wouldn’t be able to execute like him. It’s frightening.”

Medicine Hat enters the WHL Championship Series having gone 12-1 in the playoffs with their only loss coming at the hands of the Swift Current Broncos in Game 3 of their first-round series.

During the playoffs McKenna has gotten plenty of help offensively from captain Oasiz Wiesblatt and defenceman Bryce Pickford. Wiesblatt is second on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 26 points while Pickford is second among WHL defencemen with seven goals and 17 points.

Along with Pickford, star defenceman Tanner Molendyk and the pairing of Veeti Vaisanen and Niilopekka Muhonen has been a force for the team on the backend.

In net, they have Harrison Meneghin, who is 10-0 in the playoffs with a 2.43 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.

“It’s hard enough to win 12 games in the playoffs, but to do it opposite to one loss shows you how deep they are,” said Button. “They now have a really strong sense of confidence and it’s going to take someone really good to beat them.

“That notion now becomes something that is daunting for any opponent.”

The opponent trying to change the Tigers’ fortunes will be the Spokane Chiefs, who swept the Portland Winterhawks to reach the WHL Championship series.

The Winterhawks have been led by the duo of Berkly Catton and Andrew Cristall, who both join McKenna in the top three of WHL playoff scoring.

Cristall leads all playoff performers with 20 goals and 37 points while Catton is tied with McKenna with eight goals and 35 points.

Cristall also led the WHL in scoring during the regular season with 48 goals and 132 points while Catton finished third with 38 goals and 109 points.

Joining those two on the top line is winger Shea Van Olm who exploded this season with 49 goals and 92 points. The overage winger also has 11 goals and 27 points in the playoffs as he prepares to join Penn State in the NCAA next season.

Like Medicine Hat, Spokane has rolled through the playoffs, losing one game to the Vancouver Giants in the first round and two games to the Victoria Royals in Round 2.

Button believes the key to beating the Chiefs is to remain disciplined and to remain on the attack offensively against them.

“You can’t take penalties against Spokane, they’re just too good,” said Button. “You can’t get into an offensive boxing match with them, but you also can’t just sit back defensively.

“You won’t be able to play a low-scoring game against them because if you try that, you’ll be taking body blow after body blow, and you won’t be able to weather it. I think you have to attack Spokane, but that line of Catton, Cristall, and Van Olm  can carry a lot of minutes and they’re dangerous.”

Knights stay perfect heading into OHL Final

One of the only CHL teams that has had more success than Medicine Hat in the postseason is the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights.

London is looking to return to the Memorial Cup tournament after they lost in the championship game last season in heartbreaking fashion.

Last year, the Knights needed 18 games to claim the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. This season they have been even more dominant. The Knights have yet to lose a game in the playoffs, sweeping away the Owen Sound Attack, Erie Otters, and Kitchener Rangers to reach the OHL Championship Series.

“[The Knights] were too deep for those teams,” said Button. “They have a great blueline, depth up front, and they were able to get Austin Elliott out of the WHL, who is a good goalie and has only enhanced what London is.”

In fact, radio voice of the Knights, Mike Stubbs did the math and found that they have only been behind for 30:51 throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.

London is a team on a mission, with 13 returning players from last year’s Memorial Cup runner up squad, led by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan.

Cowan was a force for the Knights last year, recording 34 goals and 96 points in the regular season to be named the OHL MVP. He added to his lore by putting up another 10 goals and 34 points in the playoffs to also gain OHL Playoffs MVP honours.

Cowan is right back up near the top of the OHL playoff scoring leaderboard this season with eight goals and 27 points.

“Earlier in the year, Cowan took some time to get back to the level he finished with last season, but he’s well past that now,” said Button. “He’s always pushing his level higher and that’s something great competitors have because they’re never satisfied with where they’re at.

“He’s a better player right now than he was last year at this time.”

Another key performer for the Knights has been the play of defenceman Sam Dickinson, who was second among all OHL blueliners in scoring with 29 goals and 91 points in the regular season.

The San Jose Sharks prospect is continuing his dominance on the backend in the playoffs with seven goals and 22 points in only 12 games.

Button believes that his growth and overall game will have him skating in the NHL next season.

“I don’t think there’s any way he’s back in London next year, he should be playing in San Jose,” said Button. “He’s an all-situation player and he has been learning how to manage the different points of the game.

“He’s never had a problem with initiative and always wants to step up. With players like Dickinson, you want to see him understanding the game, the flows, and the rhythms.”

The OHL Championship Series will be a rematch of last season, with the Oshawa Generals sweeping the Barrie Colts to return to this stage.

Last year, the Knights had their way with the Generals, outscoring them 31-9 in a four-game sweep.

The Generals’ core pieces like Beckett Sennecke, Cal Ritchie, and Luca Marelli are all a year older, stronger and faster, and the team brought in more depth by trading for star forward Colby Barlow and defenceman Andrew Gibson.

The result has Marelli, Barlow, and Sennecke in the top three spots in OHL playoff scoring with 31, 29, and 27 points, respectively, and 2025 NHL Draft eligible forward Owen Griffin in fifth place.

Despite Oshawa’s improvements, Button believes this is still London’s series to win. It’s just a matter of when.

“At the beginning of the year, I said that I’d be shocked if London wasn’t right back at the Memorial Cup,” said Button. “They’re too deep for those teams and there’s no team that can challenge them because there’s no other team in the OHL that’s good or deep enough.

“The question now is if they can go 16-0 to win the championship. I know I’m writing the ending, but it’s what I think. They have to prove me wrong because I can’t see anyone beating the Knights.”

Moncton awaits challenger in QMJHL Final

In the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Moncton Wildcats have booked their ticket into the championship series and are waiting to find out who their opponent will be.

The Wildcats have only lost one game in the playoffs, including sweeping away the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the semifinals.

They have been led by top prospect Caleb Desnoyers, who leads the QMJHL playoffs with nine goals and 24 points with one more game remaining before the championship series. Desnoyers also finished tied for fifth in league scoring in the regular season with 35 goals and 84 points as teams get a final look at him before the draft.

“He’s always been the lead guy throughout his hockey career,” said Button. “At this time last year, he was helping Canada win a gold medal at the under-18 World Championship as a 17-year-old on a line with McKenna and [fellow top prospect] Porter Martone.

“He’s always been in the front line, he’s always been a leader, he’s always been a difference maker, and he’ll be that way in the NHL too.”

Desnoyers was listed at No. 6 in TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie’s most recent rankings while Button had him at No. 7 on his last list.

Moncton is waiting to see who will come out on top in Game 7 between the Rimouski Oceanic and the Shawinigan Cataractes on Tuesday.

After Rimouski jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Shawinigan was able to claw back and tie the series. The Oceanic had a narrow 3-2 overtime victory in Game 5 on Friday to re-take the series lead, but the Cataractes answered right back on Sunday with a 5-1 victory in Game 6 to force a deciding game.

With Rimouski’s spot in the Memorial Cup solidified as hosts, the team loaded up before the season and at the deadline in order to make sure they could contend at the tournament. However, the Oceanic has had to deal with several injuries in the playoffs, including last year’s QMJHL MVP Mathieu Cataford and star defenceman Spencer Gill.

“There are different ways to be good,” said Button. “We talked about high-end guys like McKenna, Desnoyers, and Cowan, but if you don’t have that type of player, then you have a real opportunity to make a difference just in the way you play.

“It speaks to Rimouski’s depth for coming this far without key pieces. The way they play is really significant and they’re hard to beat.”

If Rimouski wins Game 7, the QMJHL’s representatives will be set with Moncton joining the hosting Rimouski. However, if Shawinigan comes up with the upset, then Moncton will have one more series to win to ensure their spot in the tournament.

“I always try to break things down to the final four teams when I’m projecting the playoffs,” said Button. “I recognize anything can happen, but [Rimouski and Moncton] are really, really good teams.

“When you have a scenario where you potentially have the two best teams in the QMJHL playing in the final, it’s great for the Memorial Cup and it’s great for the league. Unless something really adverse happens that’s significant, those two teams are destined to be in the final and boxed in as part of the Memorial Cup.”