Rangers shutout Rockets in 2026 tournament opener
The Kitchener Rangers scored three times in the third period as part of a 5-0 win over the host Kelowna Rockets on the opening night of the 2026 Memorial Cup.
Dylan Edwards, Jared Woolley (LA), Jack Pridham (CHI), Sam O’Reilly (TB) and Haeden Ellis scored for the Rangers while Christian Kirsch (SJ) stopped all 24 shots he faced in the win to record the third ever Kitchener shutout in Memorial Cup history.
Kelowna’s Harrison Boettiger made 34 saves in defeat.
“The guys made it pretty easy for me,” Kirsch said. “They didn’t give up much and that helped me to get the shutout. It was a great team effort and now we have to keep going.”
Leading 2-0 after 40, Pridham got the Rangers’ third at 11:32 as he found himself in behind the Rockets defence before he beat Boettiger glove side with a wrister.
O’Reilly made it four only 1:22 later when his backhander ensured he scored in his third straight Memorial Cup. Ellis completed the scoring with 5:46 left in regulation when Alexander Bilecki’s shot hit him as he drove to the crease.
“The first win is important,” Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas said. “I thought our team was ready and we played a good team game.
“All in all, they were focus and all lines played really well.”
Edwards scored the first goal of the tournament at 4:38 of the first as from essentially the goal line he banked a shot in off of Boettiger’s arm after Carson Campbell’s initial shot had gone wide of the net.
Kitchener doubled its lead late in the second through Woolley who pinched down low and buried Pridham’s pass from behind the net. In his 10th career Memorial Cup game, it was Woolley’s first point at the tournament.
“I feel like I am more urgent and more focused,” Kirsch said. “I love the pressure and the pressure makes me better and I really like the adrenaline that comes with these big games.”
Kirsch’s shutout is the first at the tournament in two years when London blanked Drummondville 4-0 when Michael Simpson made 31 saves.
“The tournament’s just started and there’s a lot of work ahead of us and we have to stay humble and keep working,” Kirsch said.
Kelowna’s Peyton Kettles (PIT) made his return to the line-up as he played his first game since Nov. 8.
The Rockets are back in action Sunday when they face Chicoutimi while the Rangers will battle the Silvertips Monday.
2026 Memorial Cup schedule:
May 22 – Game 1: Kitchener 5-0 Kelowna
May 23 – Game 2: Everett vs. Chicoutimi — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
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
