After a 32-year wait, the Chicoutimi Saguneens are back on top of the QMJHL.
The Sags secured the third Gilles-Courteau Trophy in franchise history after a Game 6 win over the Moncton Wildcats.
In defeat, Moncton’s Gabe Smith (UTA) was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as QMJHL Playoffs MVP after he led the league in both goals (19) and points (33) in the postseason.
As for Chicoutimi, regular season MVP Maxim Masse (ANA) led the team in postseason scoring with 24 points. Mavrick Lachance registered one point fewer while Nathan Lecompte tallied 20 points. The club had a pair of players reach double digits in goals in Lachance and captain Emmanuel Vermette.
In goal, Lucas Beckman (OTT) was outstanding as he won all 16 postseason games and recorded a 1.98 GAA and .918 save percentage..
As QMJHL champions, the Sags will join the Kelowna Rockets, the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers at the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota that will take place May 21 – May 31.
The Sagueneens were one of the top clubs in the CHL all-season long; they were ranked all 26 weeks and held the no. 1 spot on three occasions. Their 321 goals for and 150 goals against both led the CHL while their 49 wins were the second most in franchise history.
In the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs, the Sagueneens stormed past Halifax in a four-game sweep where they outscored the Mooseheads 24-4. In Round 2, they swept Quebec where they conceded just two goals all series while Beckman posted back-to-back shutouts in Game’s 3 and 4. In the third round, they needed six games to eliminate Rouyn-Noranda.
After Chicoutimi and Moncton split the first two games of the QMJHL Finals, the Sags jumped ahead 2-1 after Thomas Desruisseaux had the overtime winner in Game 3. After the Wildcats levelled the series in Game 4, the Sags stole Game 5 after a stunning comeback that saw them win 7-6 having once trailed 4-0. In Game 6 Sunday, five different skaters had goals as the Sags won 5-1.
Chicoutimi will open its 2026 Memorial Cup campaign on May 23 against Everett before they battle hosts Kelowna a day later. They close out their round-round on May 26 against Kitchener.
The 2026 tournament will be Chicoutimi’s fourth appearance at a Memorial Cup after 1991, 1994 and 1997. The club have never won a Memorial Cup in franchise history.
The 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota is scheduled for May 21-31 in Kelowna, B.C. Every game of the 2026 Memorial Cup will air in Canada on TSN and RDS, with live streaming available on TSN.ca, the TSN app, RDS.ca, and the RDS app. In the United States, fans can watch every game on NHL Network, while viewers outside Canada can stream the tournament live on Victory+.
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2026 Memorial Cup schedule:
May 22 – Game 1: Kitchener vs. Kelowna — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 23 – Game 2: Everett vs. Chicoutimi — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 24 – Game 3: Kelowna vs. Chicoutimi — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 25 – Game 4: Everett vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 26 – Game 5: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 27 – Game 6: Kelowna vs. Everett — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 28 – Tie-breaker (if necessary) — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 29 – Semi-final — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 31 – Final — 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
(Photo credit: Vincent Ethier)
