DuPont scores twice in return, Silvertips rout Sagueneens 6-1 to advance to 2026 Memorial Cup Final
Kelowna, B.C.- The Everett Silvertips will play for the Memorial Cup in the club’s first-ever appearance at the tournament.
Projected top 2027 NHL Draft pick Landon DuPont scored twice in his return to the lineup to seal a 6-1 win, while netminder Anders Miller denied 25 of 26 opportunities for a .962 save percentage.
“In a game like this when you win or go home,” DuPont said postgame. “No guy in that room wanted to go home. I think we did a good job showing up and just mentally… It’s not hard getting up from your nap and heading to this game. It’s pretty cool.”
As the teams settled into a nervy first period, alternate captain Jaxsin Vaughan drew first blood as the ‘Tips capitalized on a costly Chicoutimi turnover.
Lukas Kaplan stole the puck inside the Sagueneens blueline and immediately put it up to a lone Vaughan for a point-blank shot in the slot that was destined for the top corner.
JAXSIN VAUGHAN!!! MAKES NO MISTAKE!!! 😤🚨@WHLsilvertips | #WantTheFight | #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/DVJJRwgOkn
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
Utah Mammoth Thomas Lavoie kept it close by levelling the match with a four-on-four tally midway through the frame, but Everett had a quick answer- much as they did in round-robin action against the Sags.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear collected the puck behind the Chicoutimi net and ripped a pass to DuPont on the blueline.
The exceptional-status defender curled and dragged before firing a long shot through traffic for his first goal of the tournament.
“I hate watching our team play,” DuPont said of his one-game stint in the press box. “I hate being in the crowd. I just wanted to be out there and to get one in the first almost felt like a relief, just I was just super happy to be back and playing.”
OH MY GOODNESS!! WHAT A RELEASE FROM LANDON DUPONT!! 😱😱@WHLsilvertips | #WantTheFight | #MemorialCup
🇨🇦 TSN 1/3 | RDS
🇺🇸 NHL Network | Victory+ pic.twitter.com/BVB7ki7eqM— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
Following more of the themes from the first meeting between these squads, Everett created distance off the steam of a three-goal second period.
After hitting the crossbar earlier in the period, Bear converted his third goal of the Memorial Cup to make it a 3-1 game.
With Everett reaping the rewards of a delayed penalty, Nolan Chastko sprung Bear for a partial break, where he went bar down with a pair of Sagueneens defenders hot on his heels.
What’s more- the goal came after an extended shift in the defensive zone that nearly saw Chicoutimi tie the match.
“Anders was big and has been for us all year, and those are the moments where you get that key save, or you’re able to thwart the mounting tide,” Hamilton added. “We were able to kind of just resettle ourselves, and you get a quick strike, and suddenly you’re back in business. There’s ebbs and flows to the game.”
BARDOWN. BEAUTY. 🚀
Carter Bear (@DetroitRedWings) gets his third of the #MemorialCup and makes it 3-1.@WHLsilvertips | #WantTheFight
🇨🇦 TSN 1/3 | RDS
🇺🇸 NHL Network | Victory+ pic.twitter.com/zyq3WiFZI7— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
Overager Zackary Shantz was the next to find twine on a grit-and-grind shift.
After Jesse Heslop put a shot off the metal, Everett kept the pressure on before Shantz poked a rebound home.
CUE THE GOAL HORN! 🤩
Zack Shantz buries the loose puck and makes it 4-1. @WHLsilvertips | #WantTheFight | #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/hB4EThdtYc
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
After getting taken down behind his own net, DuPont got some revenge by capping off the period with a furious one-timer on a four-on-three powerplay.
CERTIFIED MISSILE!! 😮💨🚨
Landon DuPont gets his second of the game. 5-1 @WHLsilvertips #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/pBm1DrbYHA
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
Everett kept its foot on the gas pedal with another powerplay goal just 45 seconds into the final period.
A precision passing play saw Rylan Gould tee up 2026 WHL Playoffs MVP and Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen for a one-timer in the slot.
Miettinen’s first tuck of the tournament made it 6-1 and spelled the end of Ottawa Senator prospect Lucas Beckman’s night in net.
KING JULES!! GETS HIS FIRST OF THE MEMORIAL CUP!!! 👑👑@WHLsilvertips | @SeattleKraken | #SeaKraken | #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/oFF0uN2vUU
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 30, 2026
From there, the Silvertips locked it down.
Precourt would stop all eight shots he faced in relief until the clock ticked down to a 6-1 final.
Everett will battle the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers for the 2026 Memorial Cup on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PT.
“It’s the last game of the season, so it’s our last game with each other,” Bear said postgame. “We’re never gonna play with this group of guys again, so obviously it’s a special game for sure.”
for Carl. Carter, just walk us through what you saw playing kitchen in the round robin, and what your preparation will look like for the human resume.
TSN will broadcast to fans in Canada, while Victory+ and the NHL Network will carry the games for those in the United States and around the world.
Loading ...