Philadelphia Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk are your 2025 Memorial Cup champions, giving the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers the business in a 4-1 decision for the London Knights Sunday night.
Almost a year ago to the day, Barkey, Bonk, and the Knights were eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 Memorial Cup in a tightly contested 4-3 loss, but now that the Flyers duo has captured the elusive title, they’ll begin their respective pro careers known as nothing but winners.
Barkey, for example, played in the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the Knights. He had 24 points in 20 games in 2022-23, 27 points in 18 games last year, and 20 points in 10 games this year.
In the Memorial Cup, the Flyers’ former third-round pick was tied with Toronto Maple Leafs forward prospect Easton Cowan for the lead in scoring, with both players posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in five games.
Bonk, too, was impressive throughout his Knights career, especially when the stakes were elevated. Though he won’t be much of a point-producer at the NHL level, Bonk had 11 assists in 21 playoff games in 2022-23, 16 points in 18 games last year, and 14 points in 17 games this year.
The second of the Flyers’ two 2023 first-round picks finished with only two assists in this year’s Memorial Cup run after having six points in four Cup games last year, but that’s fine.
Bonk benefitted from a niche power play role that helped him elevate his scoring numbers on a strong London team. His role changed this season, and it’ll help him in his adjustment to eventual NHL life with the Flyers.
This, combined with Barkey’s high-flying scoring and tenacity, led the Knights to back-to-back OHL championships and the Memorial Cup that haunted them this time last year.
It’s the perfect sendoff for two promising Flyers prospects who will officially enter the pros for the first time in a few months.
Read the full article here
