2026 Memorial Cup preview – Silvertips vs. Rangers – May 31
The final of the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota Canada has arrived.
Either the Kitchener Rangers or the Everett Silvertips will be crowned champions tonight once the puck drops at 7pm ET / 4pm PT live on TSN 1/3/4, RDS, NHL Network and Victory+.
“Every team wants to win this tournament so to be able to have a chance to do that in the final game of the year is pretty cool,” said Kitchener’s Luke Ellinas (OTT).
For Kitchener, they swept their way to a finals appearance. Wins over Kelowna (5-0), Everett (6-2) and Chicoutimi (3-2) secured a perfect 3-0 round-robin that sent them to a Memorial Cup record seventh tournament final. Kitchener are two-time winners (1982/2003).
“We’ve looked forward to this game all year, we’ve worked towards this game year and we’re super excited to play in it,” Ellinas said.
In Kitchener’s 6-2 win over Everett on May 25, Jack Pridham (CHI) had a pair of goals while captain Cameron Reid (NSH) chipped in three points (1G/2A).
“Being able to use what knowledge we have, you don’t ever play these teams, so having one game under our belt against them is good and we can use that to our advantage,” Ellinas said.
As for Everett, their cinderella season will conclude on the biggest stage of them all.
After winning their first WHL championship earlier this month, the Tips’ have battled all the way to the final of the Memorial Cup in their first tournament appearance.
“It’s a huge opportunity and we’re super excited,” said Landon DuPont.
The Silvertips won their first ever Memorial Cup contest with a 6-2 victory over Chicoutimi before they fell to Kitchener. They concluded the round-robin with a 4-0 win over Kelowna to reach the semi-finals where they then defeated the Sagueneens again 6-1 to reach tonight’s final.
A win tonight would make Everett the first team since Saginaw in 2024 to win the Memorial Cup in its tournament debut and the fourth American team to lift the CHL’s signature trophy.
“It’s going to be hard,” DuPont said. “Kitchener’s a great team, they’re fast, they’re skilled, it’s almost like a Game 7. Everything is on the line so we have to come ready and play a full 60.”
The 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota is scheduled for May 21-31 in Kelowna, B.C. Every game of the 2026 Memorial Cup will air in Canada on TSN and RDS, with live streaming available on TSN.ca, the TSN app, RDS.ca, and the RDS app. In the United States, fans can watch every game on NHL Network, while viewers outside Canada can stream the tournament live on Victory+.
2026 Memorial Cup schedule:
May 22 – Game 1: Kitchener 5-0 Kelowna
May 23 – Game 2: Everett 5-3 Chicoutimi
May 24 – Game 3: Kelowna 2-3 (OT) Chicoutimi
May 25 – Game 4: Everett 2-6 Kitchener
May 26 – Game 5: Chicoutimi 2-3 Kitchener
May 27 – Game 6: Kelowna 0-4 Everett
May 29 – Semi-final: Chicoutimi 1-6 Everett
May 31 – Final — 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
