Liam Lefebvre scored his second goal of the game 5:28 into overtime as the Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat host Kelowna Rockets 3-2 on Sunday night to move to 1-1 in the Memorial Cup.
KELOWNA, British Columbia — The puck didn’t just slip past defenders in overtime. It was fired decisively, like the game knew exactly where it wanted to end.
At 5:28 of overtime, Liam Lefebvre scored his second goal of the night to give the Chicoutimi Sagueneens a 3-2 victory over the host Kelowna Rockets in the Memorial Cup.
Lefebvre struck in the three-on-three tiebreaker after taking a pass from Nathan Lecompte in the left circle. He then unleashed a one-timer past Kelowna goalie Josh Banini.
Chicoutimi didn’t arrive in this tournament on momentum alone. The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Sagueneens bounced back a night after opening the tournament with a 5-3 loss to the Western Hockey League champion Everett Silvertips.
Anton Linde added a goal for Chicoutimi. Lucas Beckman made 27 saves in the win.
For Kelowna, Tij Iginla and Mazden Leslie found the net. Banini stopped 26 shots.
Iginla, who was born in the shadow of greatness as the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, is 19 years old and was drafted sixth overall by Utah in 2024.
The game swung on timing in regulation. After Linde gave Chicoutimi a 2-1 lead with a tip at 5:59 left in the third, Leslie answered at 4:10 remaining. A long rebound fell to Leslie on the right side of the goal, and he was able to chip it in to level the score.
Lefebvre also set the tone early. He opened the scoring for Chicoutimi on a breakaway with 5:22 left in the first period, flipping a backhander into the top netting. Iginla tied things up at 6:29 of the second with a shot from the left circle.
Kelowna’s broader tournament start has been rough. On Friday night, the Rockets fell 5-0 to the Ontario Hockey League champion Kitchener Rangers to open the four-team Memorial Cup.
Now, the schedule tightens. On Monday night, Everett will face Kitchener. The Silvertips are trying to become the fourth U.S. franchise to win the event, following Portland in 1983 and 1998, Spokane in 1991 and 2008, and Saginaw in 2024.
In the final round-robin games, Kitchener will play Chicoutimi on Tuesday night, and Kelowna will face Everett on Wednesday night.
Memorial Cup Chicoutimi Sagueneens Kelowna Rockets Liam Lefebvre Nathan Lecompte Josh Banini Lucas Beckman Anton Linde Tij Iginla Mazden Leslie Everett Silvertips Kitchener Rangers