Theo Rochette and Charles Savoie celebrate the Quebec Remparts first goal on May 29, 2023 as Seattle's Kevin Korchinski looks on. (Photo via Candice Ward/CHL)
Theo Rochette scored twice as the Quebec Remparts punched their ticket to Sunday’s Memorial Cup championship game with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds Monday night.
The Remparts improved to 2-0 at the tournament while the Thunderbirds dropped to 1-1.
The game between the QMJHL and the WHL champions was the closest one of the tournament so far, producing just four goals, well below the average of 10.6 in the first three games played at Sandman Centre.
Monday’s game looked like it could have been another high scoring affair when Rochette, the Remparts captain, scored just 54 seconds into the first period.
Theo Rochette gives the @quebec_remparts the lead inside the opening minute! #MemorialCup
Départ parfait pour les Remparts! Le capitaine donne les devants aux siens! #CoupeMemorial pic.twitter.com/JQkpTnxTaX
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 30, 2023
It wasn’t to be though, as fans inside Sandman Centre had to wait until 16:55 of the third period for Rochette to score his second of the night – and third of the tournament – to put the QMJHL champions on the brink of a second win in four days.
THEO ROCHETTE GWG 😤 #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/e0rSmgKW61
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 30, 2023
Nolan Allan and the T-Birds finally solved William Rousseau, with their own netminder pulled for the extra attacker at 17:38, to give the WHL champions a glimmer of hope. Their quest for the late equalizer was ended once Charles Truchon scored an empty-netter from behind his own blue line at 19:42, to seal the win for the Remparts.
🎥HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT🎥
Late-game lightning, courtesy of Nolan Allan.@SeattleTBirds | @NHLBlackhawks | #MemorialCup | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/mCO7CjqxiI
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 30, 2023
.@quebec_remparts d-man Charle Truchon finds the back of the net from behind his own 🔵 line! #MemorialCup
Charle Truchon marque dans un filet désert de derrière sa propre ligne bleue! #CoupeMemorial pic.twitter.com/DEeBNJszOR
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 30, 2023
Rousseau turned aside 35 of 36 shots for his second win of the tournament. His counterpart, Seattle’s Thomas Milic, made 19 saves on 21 shots in a losing effort.
William Rousseau ❌ #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/QCXOW4PpTG
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 30, 2023
🎥SAVE OF THE NIGHT🎥#MemorialCup Milic Magic. @RealCdnSS | @SeattleTBirds | #NHLDraft | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/C3Uk1gMzEw
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 30, 2023
The Remparts will play the winless Peterborough Petes Tuesday night. The Ontario Hockey League champions, who lost their first two games to Seattle and Kamloops, need to beat the Remparts to remain in playoff contention.
The Blazers and Thunderbirds will wrap up the round-robin portion of the tournament with a rematch of the last two WHL Western Conference Championship series on Wednesday. Should the Petes lose on Tuesday, the two WHL rivals will face each other in the tournament semi-final on Friday.
If the Petes beat the Remparts, they would face the loser of Wednesday’s Kamloops-Seattle game in Thursday’s tiebreaker game, with a spot in the semi-final up for grabs.
Pre-game coverage on RadioNL will get underway at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday with Kirk Fraser and 5 p.m. on Wednesday with Jon Keen.
You can find a schedule of events and more of RadioNL’s coverage of the Memorial Cup here.
