Memorial Cup: Players to watch
NHL's top 3 prospects face off in Saskatoon
The 2013 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon will feature the three players the NHL considers the top prospects for the June draft: Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones, and Halifax Moosheads forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin.
Those three highlight a list of several talented draft-eligible players ranked in the top 100 by NHL Central Scouting or The Hockey News who are playing in the tournament. There are also top players at Canada's showcase junior hockey event who have already been drafted by NHL clubs, a list that includes Western Hockey League trophy winners Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan of Portland and Ontario Hockey League award winner Seth Griffith of London, among others.
Below, a snapshot of the teams competing for the Memorial Cup and some of their top prospects, either drafted already or named in the top 100 by either NHL Central Scouting or The Hockey News.
Saskatoon Blades
- Head coach: Lorne Molleken
- History: Memorial Cup appearance in 1989
- WHL: Last won in 2008
- Regular season: 44-22-6
- Playoffs: 0-4
- Result: Swept by Medicine Hat in opening round
- Last played: March 27
| PLAYER | NHL TEAM/DRAFT YEAR |
| Lukas Sutter, C | Winnipeg |
| Shane McColgan, RW | NY Rangers |
| Darren Dietz, D | Montreal |
| Dalton Thrower, D | Montreal |
| Josh Nicholls, RW | Toronto |
| Duncan Siemens, D | Colorado |
| Michael Ferland, LW | Calgary |
| Matej Stransky, RW | Dallas |
Portland Winterhawks
- Head coach: Travis Green
- History: Won Memorial Cup in 1983, 1998
- WHL: Last won in 2008
- Regular season: 57-12-3
- Playoffs: 16-5
- Result: Beat Edmonton for WHL championship
- Last played: May 10
| PLAYER | NHL TEAM/DRAFT YEAR |
| Seth Jones, D | 2013 |
| Nicolas Petan, C | 2013 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand, LW | 2013 |
| Chase DeLeo, | 2014 |
| Mac Carruth, G | Chicago |
| Ty Rattie, RW | St. Louis |
| Brandon Leipsic, C | Nashville |
| Taylor Leir, LW | Philadelphia |
| Troy Rutkowski, D | Colorado |
| Tyler Wotherspoon, D | Calgary |
| Derrick Pouliot, D | Pittsburgh |
London Knights
- Head coach: Dale Hunter
- History: Won 2005 Memorial Cup, 2012 runner-up
- OHL: Last won in 2010
- Regular season: 50-13-5
- Playoffs: 0-4
- Result: Beat Barrie for OHL championship
- Last played: May 13
| PLAYER | NHL TEAM/DRAFT YEAR |
| Bo Horvat, C | 2013 |
| Nikita Zadorov, D | 2013 |
| Dakota Mermis, D | 2013 |
| Max Domi, C | 2013 |
| Remi Elie, LW | 2013 |
| Jacob Jammes, RW | 2014 |
| Alex Broadhurst, C | Chicago |
| Seth Griffith, RW | Boston |
| Chris Tierney, C | San Jose |
| Josh Anderson, LW | Columbus |
| Ryan Rupert, C | Toronto |
| Olli Maatta, D | Pittsburgh |
| Scott Harrington, D | Pittsburgh |
| Anthony Stolarz, G | Philadelphia |
Halifax Mooseheads
- Head coach: Dominique Ducharme
- History: Memorial Cup appearance in 2000
- QMJHL: Last won in 2012
- Regular season: 58-6-4
- Playoffs: 16-1
- Result: Beat Rouyn-Noranda for QMJHL championship
- Last played: April 25
| PLAYER | NHL TEAM/DRAFT YEAR |
| Zachary Fucale, G | 2013 |
| Jonathan Drouin, LW | 2013 |
| Nathan MacKinnon, C | 2013 |
| Martin Frk, RW | Detroit |
| Stephen MacAulay, C | St. Louis |
| Brent Andrews, C | Nashville |
| Konrad Abeltshauser, D | San Jose |
| Brent Andrews, C | Nashville |
Memorial Cup schedule
The games May 17 and 18 are at 7 p.m. ET, as is the championship. All other games are at 8 p.m. ET.
- MAY 17: London-Saskatoon
- MAY 18: Portland-Halifax
- MAY 19: Saskatoon-Halifax
- MAY 20: Portland-London
- MAY 21: Halifax-London
- MAY 22: Saskatoon-Portland
- MAY 23: Tiebreaker (if necessary)
- MAY 24: Semifinal
- MAY 26: Championship