Blackhawks prospects MacKenzie Entwistle, Alexis Gravel and Jake Ryczek will compete in this year’s Memorial Cup round-robin tournament from May 16-26 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Entwistle and the Guelph Storm punched their ticket to the Memorial Cup with an 8-3 win over the Ottawa 67’s in Game 6 of the OHL Championship series Sunday. Entwistle, who was acquired by Chicago from Arizona last July, scored seven goals and 21 points during the playoffs en route to his second straight OHL title. The 6-foot-4, 181-pound forward had a goal and an assist for the Hamilton Bulldogs at last year’s Memorial Cup.
Gravel and Ryczek will play for the Halifax Mooseheads, who earned an automatic bid as the host team. The Mooseheads, however, are no slouch as a host team as they advanced to the QMJHL President Cup Final, where they fell in six games to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Gravel, a 2018 sixth-rounder, was 14-8 with a 2.73 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 23 QMJHL playoff games. Ryczek, a 2016 seventh-rounder, had 13 assists in the same span.
The Prince Albert Raiders will represent the WHL after defeating the Vancouver Giants 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 of the WHL Championship series Monday night. The Giants’ loss puts a bit of a damper on the Memorial Cup as 17-year-old Bowen Byram, who is the top rated defenseman won’t be in action.
All games will be broadcasted on NHL Network.
Memorial Cup schedule
May 17: Prince Albert vs. Halifax, 6 p.m.
May 18: Rouyn-Noranda vs. Guelph, 2:30 p.m.
May 19: Halifax vs. Guelph, 6 p.m.
May 20: Rouyn-Noranda vs. Prince Albert, 6 p.m.
May 21: Guelph vs. Prince Albert, 6 p.m.
May 22: Halifax vs. Rouyn-Noranda, 6 p.m.
May 23: *Tiebreaker, 6 p.m.
May 24: Semifinal, 6 p.m.
May 26: Championship, 6 p.m.
*if necessary
All times Central