Everett wins first Memorial Cup game in franchise history
In their first ever Memorial Cup game, the Everett Silvertips emereged victorious after a 5-3 win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in Kelowna, B.C.
Jesse Heslop, Lukas Kaplan, Zackary Shantz Carter Bear (DET) and Matias Vanhanen all scored for Everett while Anders Miller made 22 saves.
For Chicoutimi, Christophe Berthelot, Alex Huang (NSH) and Maxim Massé (ANA) found the back of the net as Lucas Beckman (OTT) stopped 32 shots.
Heslop wrote his name into the Everett history books as he became the first player in franchise history to score at a Memorial Cup when he opened the scoring just 74 seconds in when his backhander off an errant pass slipped under Beckman’s pad.
Chicoutmi got themselves level in the first through Berthelot who fired home from down low at 9:13 after Alexis Bernier’s (SEA) initial shot had been blocked.
The Sags had their first lead of the night at 5:39 of the second through Huang whose wrister from the right dot went bar down. But a trio of Everett goals had the Tips in control through 40 minutes.
Kaplan equalized just 33 seconds later as his wrister snuck through Beckman before Shantz made it 3-2 at 13:55 as he scored down-low after Heslop forced a turnover and fed a pass out front.
Bear made it 4-2 at 14:45 as he was the beneficiary of Landon DuPont’s cross-ice feed after he picked up the puck at the blue line to force a 2-on-0.
Massé cut the deficit to 4-3 with 28.1 seconds left in regulation as he scored on the power play – with the Chicoutimi net empty – but Vanhanen scored into the empty-net just 7.2 seconds later after he intercepted a cross-ice feed to secure Everett’s first ever Memorial Cup win.
The Sagueneens are back in action Sunday night when they face hosts Kelowna while the Silvertips will battle Kitchener Monday in their next contest.
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 vs. Chicoutimi — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 25 – Game 4: Everett vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 26 – Game 5: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 27 – Game 6: Kelowna vs. Everett — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 28 – Tie-breaker (if necessary) — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 29 – Semi-final — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 31 – Final — 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
