Silvertips secure berth in semi-finals of 2026 Memorial Cup
The Everett Silvertips advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 Memorial Cup after a 4-0 win over the Kelowna Rockets Wednesday night.
Kayd Ruedig, Jaxon Pisani, Matias Vanhanen and Carter Bear (DET) scored for the Silvertips while Anders Miller turned away all 28 shots he faced.
Kelowna’s Josh Banini made eight saves before he was replaced by Harrison Boettiger who stopped 22 of 23 shots.
“Great performance by Anders and some key timely offence,” said Everett head coach Steve Hamilton. “Overall, I’m really proud of our group.”
The Silvertips will now meet the Sagueneens – who they beat 6-2 earlier in the tournament – in Friday’s semi-final.
“We didn’t want to be in a position where we were leaving our fate going forward in someone else’s hands,” Hamilton said.
Matias Vanhanen continues to show NHL scouts why he should be selected at the 2026 #NHLDraft!
His third of the #MemorialCup has the @WHLsilvertips up 3-0! pic.twitter.com/WoMu0WEdxE
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 28, 2026
Ruedig opened the scoring 7:22 into the first frame as he threw the puck goalbound off the right side boards where it hit Kelowna d-man Rowan Guest in the left arm and found its way past Banini.
The lead was doubled just 25 seconds later through Pisani who scored his first career goal on a shot from the point that beat Banini high.
“It was pretty surreal and obviously very cool to do it at the biggest junior hockey tournament that there is,” Pisani said.
Vanhanen’s impressive tournament continued as in the middle frame he snagged his third of the tournament where he used his skating to create separation before firing a wrister home just 63 seconds in that ended Banini’s evening.
Bear had Everett’s fourth with 6:53 to play as after his initial shot in the middle slot was saved he collected the rebound and spun and fire home his second of the tournament.
Everett’s star defenceman Landon DuPont (2027) was held out of the game after taking warmups.
“He’s a little nicked up,” Hamilton said. “He wanted to give it a try, but he should be good going forward.”
The winner of Friday’s semi-final will head to the final to face off against Kitchener Sunday.
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 0-3 Everett
May 29 – Semi-final — 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
May 31 – Final — 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
