2026 Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship awarded to Zander Wheatley, Alivia Guilbeaux
Saginaw Mich. – For the third season, the Canadian Hockey League, the Saginaw Spirit, and Saginaw Valley State University have selected two recipients to receive the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship. Zander Wheatley and Alivia Guilbeaux, both from Saginaw County, have each been awarded $5,000 in support of their post-secondary education at Saginaw Valley State University.
“Education is a major priority for the CHL teams that host the Memorial Cup,” said Spirit President and Managing Partner Craig Goslin. “This scholarship program with the CHL, Saginaw Spirit, and Saginaw Valley State University illustrates that perfectly. It has been an honor to celebrate each of our recipients through the past three seasons, including Zander and Alivia today.”
The Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship dates back to Saint John, N.B. and the 2022 Memorial Cup. Since then, two individuals from each Memorial Cup hosting community are awarded $5,000 scholarships. This scholarship program, which reflects the CHL’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and legacy-building, continues to grow as part of the Memorial Cup’s lasting impact. Each community scholarship lasts for five years following the region’s hosting of the Memorial Cup, meaning the potential for $50,000 in scholarship awards.
Zander Wheatley is majoring in pre-medicine with a minor in athletic coaching. Alivia Guilbeaux is a first-generation college student, studying to become a nurse.
About the Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is the Canadian Hockey League’s iconic championship event, bringing together the league champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), along with a host team, in a four-club round-robin tournament to crown the national champion. First awarded in 1919, the Memorial Cup has become one of the most storied and prestigious trophies in hockey, shaping more than a century of junior hockey history in North America.
Originally donated by the Ontario Hockey Association to honor Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the First World War, the trophy was rededicated in 2010 to commemorate all fallen members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Today, the Memorial Cup stands as a powerful symbol of remembrance, sacrifice, and national pride, while showcasing the best junior hockey talent in the world.
