2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: London Knights have tightest schedule, can it be overcome?

Three years ago, the Windsor Spitfires showed having the least favourable schedule at the MasterCard Memorial Cup is not a portent of doom. All it took was an unprecedented comeback.

One team receives the short end of the scheduling stick at the Memorial Cup. Holding a four-team round-robin means one team has to play three times in four days — back-to-back against the two teams from the host league on Saturday and Sunday and then one day off before playing their final first-round game on Tuesday. In recent years, the QMJHL's best have faced this grind when the tournament is in Western Canada. The WHL takes its turn when an Ontario team hosts. When the QMJHL hosts like this season, it's the OHL's turn in the barrel.

It sometimes means a team can be practically eliminated before the event even gets into full swing. In 2009 at Rimouski, that almost befell the Taylor Hall-led Windsor Spitfires, who lost their first two games before winning their final round-robin contest, a tiebreaker, the semifinal and final to claim the first of successive championships. Now London, a young team poised for big things beyond this season, faces the same deal. There's an awareness it's a rough road, but it's not deal-breaker.

The Knights are also 13-5 this season while playing their third game in three or four days, including 3-1 in the post-season. Granted, that was against teams they were largely better than. Here is a look at how teams with the compact schedule have fared across the past 10 tournaments.

Kootenay Ice, 2011 — Led by Washington Capitals prospect Cody Eakin, the Ice made the tournament semifinal before coming up empty in the semifinal vs. Mississauga. They were just 1-2 in the round-robin, though, and got outscored 11-6. Kootenay caught a couple breaks. The first was that their final round-robin game was against eventual champion Saint John, which had already clinched a spot in the final by winning its first two games. The other was that the Owen Sound Attack, whom they faced in the tiebreaker, were depleted after losing stars Joey Hishon and Garrett Wilson to injury. (Hishon has not played since that head shot nearly a year ago from then-Ice captain Brayden McNabb.)

Moncton Wildcats, 2010 — The 'Cats, whose blueline was graced by Brandon Gormley like current host Shawinigan, went 0-3 and went home early. They had a two-goal lead slip away in a 5-4 opening loss to the Calgary Hitmen, then had a flat performance the next day vs. host Brandon. With QMJHL scoring champion Nicolas Deschamps sidelined and goalie Nicola Riopel battling flu, Moncton played gamely before bowing out with an overtime loss to Windsor.

Windsor Spitfires, 2009 —

See above. They won the tournament. And hey, current Knights centre Austin Watson was part of that team too.

Spokane Chiefs, 2008 — The Chiefs also overcame this obstacle. They spoiled the Kitchener Rangers' vision of winning it all on home ice, winning the final 4-1 to cap a 4-0 tournament. Their example might provide London supporters with a convenient example. The Chiefs were also built around defence and a goalie who was as impregnable as Michael Houser has been for Knights. Current Tampa Bay Lightning farmhand Dustin Tokarski was tourney MVP with

Not only did the Chiefs break the mould, they also broke the Memorial Cup.

Lewiston MAINEiacs, 2007 — Lewiston started well by beating the Medicine Hat Tigers on Day 2 of the tournament. After that, they lost three in a row, including two chances to eliminate the OHL's Plymouth Whalers. Plymouth won their round-robin game 2-1 in overtime and then finished off Lewiston 5-1 in an all-American tiebreaker game.

Vancouver Giants, 2006 — The Giants eventually lost the semifinal to host Moncton after being forced to go through the tiebreaker. The Don Hay-coached Giants started 0-2 after losing to the QMJHL teams, then beat the Peterborough Petes (3-2 and 6-0) twice before coming up snake-eyes.

Moncton was the tournament host, but opted not to play the opening game, taking the QMJHL champion's schedule instead.

Kelowna Rockets, 2005 — Shea Weber and friends, the most recent team to play in three consecutive tournaments, ended up going three-and-out. Kelowna opened with a 3-2 double-OT loss to the Ottawa 67's and goalie Danny Battochio, who was on a once-a-lifetime roll. Then they had to face a generational London Knights squad and the Sidney Crosby-led Rimouski Océanic.

Gatineau Olympiques, 2004 —

Benoît Groulx's bunch was also able to persevere. The crafty coach's team reached the final before losing to those aforementioned Rockets at Prospera Place.

Gatineau opened with a 3-1 victory over Medicine Hat on Day 2 and lost the following day to Kelowna. They got the Guelph Storm, which had played the previous day, for the final round-robin game and rolled 7-2. That put the 'Piques into the semifinal, where they beat Medicine Hat again, 6-5.

Kelowna Rockets, 2003 — Taking the long view, this must have been the trade-off for getting to host in between championship seasons. The Rockets also went 1-2 in the round-robin and were outscored 10-6 (Dead Puck era, eh), but got into the semifinal after the host Quebec Remparts went winless. They lost a close 2-1 semifinal to the then-Hull Olympiques.

Kootenay Ice, 2002 — Like the '08 Chiefs and '09 Spitfires, the Ice also raised the old chalice. Like that 2004 Gatineau team, they had a 2-1 round-robin, but were granted the bye to the final by virtue of their Day 2 win over the Erie Otters. (The Erie Otters were once in the Memorial Cup, really.) The tournament format worked out to coach Ryan McGill's team's advantage in the end. This was still the era when the CHL held a Saturday semifinal and Sunday championship game. The Ice had three days off before their 6-3 win in the final over Victoriaville, which was extended to overtime in the semifinal.

What application all this has to the tournament to come remains to be seen. But recent history shows it can be done. Three teams winning in 10 seasons despite the grueling start are actually decent odds. Only one other reached the final, though.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.