Defenceman Brandon Gormley will be eligible for selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca

The 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup gets underway on May 14 in Brandon, Manitoba.

The host team along with Calgary, Windsor and Moncton will compete for junior hockey supremacy and SPORTSNET.CA columnist Patrick King previews the four teams and runs down the strengths and weaknesses of each team ahead of the tournament.

MONCTON WILDCATS

Regular season record: 48-14-2-4 (102 points)

League regular season ranking: Third overall, second in Atlantic Division

Combined regular season and playoff road record: 30-10-2-2

Regular season goal differential: 276-164

Playoff goal differential: 95-48

Playoff record: 16-5

Memorial Cup appearances: One (2006)

Memorial Cup championships: None

League championships: Two (2006 and 2010)

Wildcats' Memorial Cup Schedule:

Moncton vs. Calgary, Saturday, May 15 - 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Moncton vs. Brandon, Sunday, May 16 - 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Moncton vs. Windsor, Tuesday, May 18 - 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

Tie-breaker (if necessary), teams TBD, Thursday, May 20 - 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

Semifinal, teams TBD, Friday, May 21 - 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

Championship, teams TBD, Sunday, May 23 - 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

No team is a more worthy of a league championship than the Moncton Wildcats. The Wildcats' playoff journey was the hardest travelled among the three champions and one of the toughest in recent memory.

Each of the four teams Moncton faced in the playoffs loaded up for a run at the President's Cup. The Wildcats faced the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, as the playoff format dictates the second- and third-ranked teams in each division meet in the first round. Moncton handled the Screaming Eagles with ease, taking the series in five.

The Wildcats then faced the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the second round. The Huskies held home-ice advantage as a division winner, in spite of finishing with 14 fewer points than the Wildcats. Moncton yet again stormed out to a 3-0 series lead before beating the Huskies in five.

The Wildcats then faced the defending league champion Drummondville Voltigeurs in the semifinal. Moncton goaltender Nicola Riopel outshone Drummondville's Jake Allen in the series and Moncton once again closed out a series early with a five-game win over the champs.

The biggest test came in the league championship series, where the Wildcats faced the Saint John Sea Dogs in the first all-Maritimes final in league history. The Sea Dogs tied the series at two games apiece after Moncton jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but couldn't use home ice to their advantage and fell in six to Moncton.

The Wildcats finished with the third-best record in the regular season, but due to the playoff format they enjoyed home ice only in their first series with Cape Breton. The odds were stacked against them considering the tough playoff schedule, which speaks volumes about of the strength of the team emerging as Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions.

Moncton made several big acquisitions during the trade period, but none bigger than the addition of overage goaltender Riopel. A ripple in the Flyers' system allowed Riopel to return to junior, where the Wildcats then decided to shift its focus towards building a champion. The other three major moves involved bringing in forwards Nicolas Deschamps, Gabriel Bourque and Kelsey Tessier in separate deals with Chicoutimi, Baie-Comeau and Quebec.

Strengths:

Moncton's success starts with the man in goal, Riopel. The league's most valuable player a year ago, Riopel is widely considered the best goaltender and posted a league record 2.01 goals against average last season. Riopel gives the Wildcats a dependable starter whose confidence exudes throughout the lineup. Although small at six feet and 167 pounds, Riopel is a fierce competitor and gives his team a chance to win.

The Wildcats don't possess a scoring star, but boast plenty of talent sprinkled throughout the lineup. The team's most dangerous offensive weapon is Deschamps, although it's unclear when he'll be ready to return to action. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Drummondville series and did not play in the finals.

Bourque's offensive game has taken off since his acquisition and he's one of the team's most dependable forwards in every situation. He scored eight of his 19 playoff goals in the six-game final over Saint John. Tessier, meanwhile, is a scorer and led the Wildcats in playoff points.

Moncton's defence is strong in transition and capable of leading rushes. While this team doesn't have the offensive flair of stereotypical teams emerging from the QMJHL, they more than make up for it with a balanced lineup.

Weaknesses:

This team does have a balanced offence and is capable of scoring opportunistic goals, but it might become an issue against the best of the best. Moncton's core forward group is very good and brings a lot of different elements, but they lack a true game-breaker such as Windsor's Taylor Hall or Calgary's Brandon Kozun. This problem could become costly particularly if Deschamps, their most natural playmaker, is unable to go in the Memorial Cup.

Keys to victory:

The Wildcats are a very strong systematic team. The reason they were able to eliminate such top teams is that each player knows his role and doesn't take chances that will hurt the team. Riopel has the ability to win games on his own while the team's balanced offensive attack is very opportunistic. Moncton isn't the most entertaining team in the tournament, but their dedication and discipline made them world beaters in their league.

Noteworthy:

The Moncton Wildcats are back in the Memorial Cup for the first time since winning the league title in 2006. The Wildcats were the hosts that year, but lost to the Quebec Remparts in the Memorial Cup final. That was the last year a QMJHL team qualified and won the Memorial Cup … The Wildcats were ranked seventh in the final rankings of the CHL Top 10 rankings … The QMJHL has the fewest Memorial Cup championships of the three leagues. Seven QMJHL teams have won the Memorial Cup since 1972 when the tournament originally introduced the format which included all three leagues.

NHL Drafted Wildcats:

Randy Cameron, 5th round in 2007 (Detroit Red Wings); Nicolas Deschamps, 2nd round in 2008 (Anaheim Ducks); Kelsey Tessier, 4th round in 2008 (Colorado Avalanche); Mark Barberio, 6th round in 2008 (Tampa Bay Lightning); David Savard, 4th round in 2009 (Columbus Blue Jackets); Gabriel Bourque, 5th round in 2009 (Nashville Predators); Nicola Riopel, 5th round in 2009 (Philadelphia Flyers)

2010 NHL Draft Eligible Players:

Brandon Gormley, D; Allain Saulnier, RW; Alex Saulnier, C; Patrick Downe, D.