Beck, Spirit look to close out historic season on top at Memorial Cup

beck, spirit look to close out historic season on top at memorial cup

Saginaw Spirit enjoyed a historic season in 2023-24, being one of four teams in the Canadian Hockey League to win 50 games en route to crossing the 100-point plateau for the first time in the team’s 22-year history with 102. Spirit's Owen Beck (62) handles the puck during OHL hockey action against the London Knights, in Saginaw, Mich., in an April 29, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Saginaw Spirit, Eric Young, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Owen Beck has a second chance at glory and is locked in on finishing his career on top.

Beck and the host Saginaw Spirit look to make more history when the Memorial Cup begins Friday and runs through June 2.

It’s Saginaw’s first-ever appearance at the tournament but the second in a row for Beck. He was with a Peterborough team that lost to Seattle in the semifinal of the 2023 tournament.

“It's exciting,” Beck said. “Last year's tournament was a lot of fun, obviously coming in a little differently than we were last year as (Ontario Hockey League) champions in Peterborough. But yeah, to be in this tournament two years in a row is pretty special. It’s the biggest tournament in junior hockey and one of the hardest trophies to win."

“This is a special group,” he added. “I think this group's got a great chance to win. … It would just mean so much to finish off my junior career with this group that (became) my brothers and just being able to capture that one trophy that I haven't been able to win yet.”

Beck was traded from the Petes to the Spirit in January and finished the season with 81 points (34 goals, 47 assists) in 57 games. The 2022 second-round pick of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens added another 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) through 17 post-season contests as Saginaw was ousted in six games by eventual OHL champion London Knights.

Being one of two players on the team who’s competed at a Memorial Cup before, along with defenceman Jorian Donovan, Beck wants his team to understand the task at hand.

“Having gone through last year and being unsuccessful, you learn a lot from those losses, being that close,” he said. “Coming into this year, obviously for guys that haven't been here much, it's like I said, it's exciting. There's a lot going on.

“It's easy to get lost in all the hype and anticipation and excitement and the crazy atmosphere that's going to be around Saginaw this coming week. We really just got to stay focused.”

The Western Hockey League champion Moose Jaw Warriors and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Drummondville Voltigeurs round out the four-team tournament.

For the first time in Canadian Hockey League history, all three champions swept their respective league finals.

Saginaw, in the Western Conference finals for the second time in team history, was the only team to win a game against London in the OHL playoffs.

“We're confident, for sure,” star defenceman Zayne Parekh said. “We know how good our group is and we know that we probably deserved a better fate and in our playoffs there. But we think we're the favourites to win this.”

The Spirit enter the tournament as one of just four teams across the CHL to have a 50-win season, crossing the 100-point plateau for the first time in club history with 102. They were led by Parekh, who paced the team and all CHL defencemen with 96 points (33 goals, 63 assists).

The 18-year-old, who’s a finalist for CHL defenceman of the year, is fifth among North American skaters on the NHL’s draft prospect rankings list. He is one of nine NHL prospects on the Spirit.

Saginaw has a chance to become the third team to win the Memorial Cup on home ice in the last six tournaments, and be the eighth ever — and first since 2011 — to win as a debutant.

But first, the Spirit will have to make good on more of their scoring chances, head coach Chris Lazary said.

“I think just kind of the goal-scoring aspect of our team — we create a lot, we defend, we do a lot of good things well. It's just in the red zone, making sure we convert a little bit more,” he said. “And obviously to me, we play hard, we angle, we do all these things that you need to do to win.

“We just got to put a few more pucks in the net. I think that's just guys taking advantage of opportunities when they do come, whether it's 5-on-5, power play, whatever and making sure we score.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2024.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press

OTHER NEWS

11 minutes ago

Boeing secures $210.94M U.S. Navy contract

11 minutes ago

TMNT Fans Should Be Excited for July 17

11 minutes ago

Shea Weber to become 21st Canadiens captain inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame

11 minutes ago

Oakland mayor’s spokesperson resigns amid FBI crisis

11 minutes ago

Billionaire John Paul DeJoria: I think Shari Redstone wants us to buy Paramount

11 minutes ago

Paramount Global Co-CEOs Have Hired Bankers to Evaluate Asset Sales, Tell Employees They've Identified Areas for Job Cuts

11 minutes ago

Carnival sails ahead as cruise demand grows

11 minutes ago

Ooredoo to splash Nvidia GPUs across the Middle East

11 minutes ago

Pokemon Fan Shares Luxray and Gliscor Fusion

11 minutes ago

UK heatwave: Met Office warns temperatures could hit 30C today after water alert

11 minutes ago

Met Office Wednesday Morning Weather Forecast 26/06/2024

11 minutes ago

'Summer of Soccer' best bets for 6/26: A historically close Euro group and a crucial Copa clash

11 minutes ago

Denmark finish second in Group C and advance to the knockout stages due to little-known tiebreaker as they finished level on points with Slovenia

11 minutes ago

Incredible Starfield Autopilot Mod Completely Overhauls Space Travel

11 minutes ago

Madden NFL 25 Gameplay Reveal Shows Off New Features Coming This Year

11 minutes ago

Mark Ingram's 75-yard touchdown run is the Saints Play of the Day

11 minutes ago

Cats veteran's season still alive despite injury

11 minutes ago

Niger in mourning after 'terrorist armed group' kill 20 soldiers, one civilian

11 minutes ago

Michael Phelps tears into regulators over China doping accuations

11 minutes ago

Fortnite had to do away with all its crossovers to find its fun

11 minutes ago

Things to do in London this weekend (June 28 – 30)

11 minutes ago

Riley Gaines: We are asking for safety in our sports

11 minutes ago

Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns' massive payday is put on hold as he is forced to pull his $3million home from auction

11 minutes ago

Video: Pregnant Mandy Moore, 40, stuns in a see-through knit frock after appearing on The View in NYC

11 minutes ago

Video: The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei shocks fans as he cuts his luscious locks in lieu of a summer BUZZ CUT

11 minutes ago

Video: Reality star is threatened with physical assault in vile messages after posting an innocent video of her outfit

11 minutes ago

Why Jarryd Hayne could still be in BIG trouble for allegedly raping woman - as he faces another potentially devastating legal drama

17 minutes ago

Real Madrid captain Nacho leaving the club a few weeks after lifting Champions League trophy

17 minutes ago

White House adviser says Biden isn’t ‘permanently screwed’ by inflation anger. Here’s why.

17 minutes ago

How Melania Will Defy White House Tradition if Donald Trump Wins

17 minutes ago

Man accused of killing four people and injuring 10 others in mass shooting at Arkansas grocery store pleads not guilty

17 minutes ago

Where do the Cowboys land in ESPN's roster rankings?

17 minutes ago

Man dead after killing 5 in North Las Vegas shooting, police say

17 minutes ago

Mum spots 'horrifying' set of decaying 'toes' under a tree - before the bizarre story behind them is revealed

17 minutes ago

First Squad member Jamaal Bowman ousted from Congress despite AOC's last-ditch effort to save him

17 minutes ago

Tragic end to urgent search for three missing fishermen who disappeared while chasing bluefin tuna

17 minutes ago

Rep. Lauren Boebert wins Colorado Republican primary after switching districts

17 minutes ago

Mexico face Venezuela in key Copa America clash amid injury woes

17 minutes ago

Lindsay Selby charged over fatal bus crash that killed Tia Cameron in Brisbane CBD

17 minutes ago

Rate hike risk grows amid inflation acceleration