The hosts of this year’s Memorial Cup tournament are honouring a local naval reserve base with special edition jerseys.
This year’s edition of the tournament — which crowns the Canadian Hockey League champions — begins today (Friday, May 23) in Rimouski, Quebec. The host Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League unveiled their commemorative jersey during Thursday’s Arrival of the Cup parade rally at Sun Life Financial Coliseum, and will wear them in the tournament’s opening game against the Western Hockey League champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The jersey features the badge of HMCS d’Iberville, a naval reserve division based in Rimouski that was formally commissioned in 1987, on the front of a navy blue base. Angled white and royal blue stripes appear on each arm, and royal blue and white triangles adorn the sides of the jersey, near the hem.
The historical name d’Iberville commemorates Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville, a Canadian sailor and explorer who was born in Ville-Marie (present-day Montreal) in 1661 and died in 1706. He fought the English in Hudson Bay and around Newfoundland (1686-97), then established Louisiana, becoming the territory’s first governor.
A poppy sits on the left chest of the jersey, signifying the tournament’s connections to the Royal Canadian Legion and its efforts to honour Canada’s military efforts. Numbers on the sleeves and back, as well as names on the back, are set in a white block font. The 2025 Memorial Cup logo sits on the left shoulder, while the Océanic’s primary logo is on the right shoulder.
Overall, the striping and numbers of the commemorative jersey are reminiscent of the jerseys the Océanic wore from 1999 to 2009, when players like Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards were on the team.
Since 2008, the Memorial Cup host team has worn a specially designed commemorative jersey in the opening game as a tribute to local military personnel. Following the game, the jerseys are auctioned off to benefit the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Poppy Fund, which supports veterans and their families. Over that time, the CHL and its member leagues have raised more than $316,000 for the Poppy Fund.
Last year’s hosts, the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit, wore a red jersey with silhouettes of two soldiers on a grey background saluting on either side of the Saginaw Veterans Monument from World War II at the Saginaw County Veterans Memorial Plaza. And in 2023, the host Kamloops Blazers wore jerseys honouring Indigenous veterans.
The Océanic and Tigers square off tonight (Friday, May 23) at 7 p.m. ET on TSN. Other teams playing in this year’s Memorial Cup include the OHL champion London Knights and the QMJHL champions, the Moncton Wildcats.
