It's the biggest tournament in junior hockey and as always it showcases the talents of the best young hockey players in Canada.
Every year the MasterCard Memorial Cup takes place as the championship teams from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the host city's team all fight for junior hockey glory in the weeklong tournament.
It gets underway Friday night at the Credit Union Centre when the host Saskatoon Blades face off against the top team from the OHL - The London Knights.
The big challenge for Saskatoon will be shaking off the rust. The Blades were swept in the first round of the WHL playoffs by the Medicine Hat Tigers and haven't played since. London, meanwhile, is coming off a Cinderella-type OHL championship series against the Barrie Colts. The Knights brought game seven against Barrie down to the wire, winning on a last second goal, literally. Forward Bo Horvat scored with one second left on the clock to send London to the Memorial Cup. It's worth noting the Knights were in last year's tournament and are guaranteed a spot in next year's, too, as they've been named the host team.
When it comes to national attention there's no doubt the Blades and Knights will be the two teams most overlooked. The Portland Winterhawks and Halifax Mooseheads boast some of the most exciting young players in recent memory. When these two clubs play each other Saturday it will be a battle of projected top prospects. Seth Jones (Portland), Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax) and Jonathan Drouin (Halifax) are expected to be the top three picks in this year's NHL entry draft.
It's not just those three, these teams have been utterly dominant in their respective postseasons to this point. The Mooseheads lost an unheard of one game on their road to the cup, putting them at a total of 11 losses if you count the regular season.
The Winterhawks went 16-5 in the WHL playoffs, and outscored opponents by more than double.
Anything can happen in a tournament with this many skilled players. For most, it will be their first time playing on a national stage with all eyes watching, but judging the skill levels, not their last.
