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Silvertips blank Rockets, advance to 2026 Memorial Cup semifinal

Thu, 28 May 2026 05:20:55 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- It was Christmas in May at Prospera Place with an all-colour jersey matchup between the Kelowna Rockets and Everett Silvertips in the Memorial Cup round-robin finale. However, the Silvertips wouldn't give up a single goal, much less a lump of coal. The shorthanded Silvertips came out flying with a 4-0 over the Rockets to advance to the 2026 Memorial Cup semifinal. Everett has not lost consecutive games in 2025-26. Anders Miller denied all 28 shots he faced for his first Memorial Cup shutout and his sixth clean sheet of the 2025-26 season. "I feel like all the support I had going for this game has just, like, helped me motivate myself to come in there and just kind of play my game, trust my game," Miller said postgame. Matias Vanhanen and Kayd Ruedig each recorded a goal and an assist in the victory. Already entering the tournament without the services of team captain and Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect Tarin Smith, the Silvertips were also without Defenceman of the Year finalist and projected top 2027 NHL Draft pick Landon DuPont for the critical tilt. The battered blueline saw forward Nolan Chastko filling in on a pairing with NHL Draft-eligible Brek Liske. "That was a big, big moment as a group to rally around the fact that, you know, we have to insulate each other," Silvertips Head Coach Steve Hamilton said. "I have to give a shoutout to Nolan Chastko. I mean, Nolan is as consummate a team guy as you find anywhere. The story about him in November coming back and playing defensc for 30 games and moving back to forward... I'm glad we knew we could play there, and just knowing our group, I knew they would recognize the situation and make sure that we were taking care of each other out there. I like the team having made 28 blocks tonight. That's probably a pretty telling stat." The Western League clubs went tit for tat with solid early chances, including a wild sequence that saw Josh Banini stone Jesse Heslop on the doorstep before Anders Miller shut the door on Los Angeles Kings prospect Vojtech Cihar on a two-on-one rush. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059809480859406647 The WHL Champions hit paydirt midway through the first period as 2026 WHL Trade Deadline acquisition Ruedig turned off the wall and ripped a wrister on net, which trickled past Banini for Ruedig's first goal of the tournament. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059813341061885979 The PA announcer had barely started announcing the goal before Everett struck again. This time, it was 17-year-old rookie Jaxon Pisani with a point shot that solved the Kelowna netminder. In an interesting twist, the goal marks Pisani's first strike as a Silvertip, scoring in the Memorial Cup before lighting the lamp in WHL play. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059815185330958426 Pisani's father, retired NHLer Fernando Pisani, was also in attendance to see his son's trivia-worthy goal. "I was pretty ecstatic," the former Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner said on the TSN broadcast. "You know, to score his first goal in this stage in this environment, I was pretty happy for him." Just over a minute into the second period, NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen padded the lead as he blocked an attempted zone-clearing pass and wound deep into the Kelowna zone to snap a shot high blocker side. Vanhanen, who is ranked 54th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, sits third in goals at the tournament with three. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059827965001961959 Vanhanen's tuck prompted the Rockets to put fellow NHL Draft-eligible Harrison Boettiger in net. The Wheat Ridge, Col. product stood tall with a series of highlight reel saves, while holding Everett scoreless on three powerplays. Detroit Red Wings first-round pick and Silvertips alternate captain Carter Bear made it 4-0 after collecting his own rebound and lofting a shot past Boettiger. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059845666906726820 The loss marks the end of the Kelowna Rockets' season. "It wasn't from a lack of care on the bench, it was just, you know, if goals cost $1, we brought 75 cents to the rink with us tonight," Rockets Head Coach Derrick Martin said. "Props to them. I thought they played a good game. They're short-staffed right now. I thought Miller was big when he needed to be big. I didn't think we did a good enough job of testing him in the first 40 minutes. The end result is, unfortunately, we're done." Everett (2-1-0) will now face the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday, May 29, at 6:00 p.m. PT. TSN will broadcast to viewers in Canada, while those in the United States and around the world can follow along on Victory+ and NHL Network.

2026 Memorial Cup Head-to-Head: former Broncos teammates Gould and Kettles face off in round-robin finale

Thu, 28 May 2026 01:04:49 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- They're a long way from Speedy Creek, but former Swift Current Broncos Peyton Kettles and Rylan Gould are ready to get out of the stable and onto the ice with their new clubs at the 2026 Memorial Cup. The pair suited up for parts of three seasons with the Broncos before Gould was traded to the Everett Silvertips and Kettles was acquired by the Kelowna Rockets three games into the 2025-26 season. Kettles, 18, missed the bulk of the campaign with a shoulder injury that required surgery, but recovered in time to skate in the host squad's Memorial Cup-opening game. The 6-foot-6, 198-pound rearguard also signed his entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in November after being selected with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft. "It's definitely been a long journey, painful too, but just super excited to be able to be on this team and play in the tournament with the guys," Kettles said after Kelowna's match against Kitchener. Gould, 20, is capping off his major junior career in style after winning the West with the Silvertips. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward assisted Everett's game-tying goal en route to a 5-3 win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in their tournament opener, and logged a goal and a helper in a 6-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers. While the pair have caught up briefly in Kelowna, it's largely friends off for the Manitobans- Kettles from Winnipeg, and Gould from Headingley, heading into the high-stakes tilt. "I'm excited," Gould said on Tuesday morning. "Peyton's a good player, glad to see him healthy. You never really want to see anyone hurt or sidelined for that long, so it's good to see that he's healthy, but yeah, he won't be my friend tomorrow." "I think it's going to be pretty fun to play against him," Kettles added. "Obviously, guys get traded, and all that stuff, but it's gonna be cool to play against him. (I) train with him in summer, so it's gonna be a lot of fun." There's plenty on the line as Kelowna hunts for its first win of the Memorial Cup and Everett fights to keep its sparkling record of zero back-to-back losses alive. An Everett win would eliminate Kelowna, while a single-goal Rockets win would send Everett to the semifinal and set up a tiebreaker game between Kelowna and Chicoutimi. If Kelowna wins by two or more goals, the Rockets will advance to the semifinal and the Silvertips and Sagueneens will face off in the tiebreaker. The round-robin finale begins at 6:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, May 27.

2026 Memorial Cup Game 6 Player to Watch: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:23:12 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- The stage is set, and the stakes are high. Kelowna alternate captain Tij Iginla and his Rockets need a win against the Everett Silvertips to keep their season alive. From there, the sky is the limit. "It's do or die," Iginla said Wednesday morning. "We've just got to have our best game and put our best foot forward and come together as a group and get a big win." The Rockets feel they've built some momentum coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Iginla and alternate captain Mazden Leslie scored for the home side in the hotly contested affair. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound pivot also owns the second-most faceoff wins of any centre at the tournament with 36 in two games (55.4%). https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058737396871823420 After two tilts against unfamiliar opponents from the OHL and QMJHL, there's plenty of history to draw on between the Rockets and WHL Champion Silvertips. Everett eliminated Kelowna in five games in the second round of the 2026 WHL Playoffs, though the Rockets were one of only two teams to hand the 'Tips a postseason loss, and two of the games required overtime. Iginla, 19, scored twice against Everett in the playoffs, including the overtime winner to force a Game 5. The series also saw the teams combine for 166 penalty minutes and 45 powerplays. "Any team that plays with a lot of emotion, like we often do, I think has to be mindful of having that discipline and staying out of the box," Iginla added. "I think just trying to play real hard, whistle to whistle, and then in the scrums, being smart and not, you know, punching a guy in the face that's not punching you necessarily." The Utah Mammoth prospect was named a finalist for WHL Player of the Year after bagging 90 points (41G-49A) in 48 regular-season games. He also claimed bronze for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with eight points (4G-4A) in seven games. The Lake Country, B.C. product will lean on that experience with the Rockets' backs against the wall. "It's kind of similar to World Juniors in the sense it's that every game, you know, it's not a series," Iginla explained. "I see similarities there, and every player, every team is just doing everything they can." Should Kelowna win by a single goal, they'll face the QMJHL Champion Sagueneens in a tiebreaker match on Thursday. A win by two or more tallies would see Kelowna advance directly to Friday's semifinal, while the Silvertips and Sags would go head-to-head in the tiebreaker. It all gets going at 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place on Wednesday, May 27.

2026 Memorial Cup Game 6 Player to Watch: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:22:35 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- WHL Playoffs MVP Julius Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips need to do what they've done all season. Bounce back. The WHL Champions haven't lost back-to-back games in the 2025-26 regular season or playoffs. Now, they need to get back in the saddle against an old foe after falling 6-2 to the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers in Memorial Cup round-robin action. The Tips are going up against the very team they booted from the WHL Playoffs in the second round- the host Kelowna Rockets. Miettinen was a force to be reckoned with in that series, piling up four goals and two assists for six points in five games. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound centreman also won 71 draws against Kelowna for a 55.6% success rate at the dot. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2043174117738946575 Miettinen, 20, was a force through the postseason with 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points and a +21 rating in 18 games, tying for first in the league in points, sole possession of first in goals, seventh in assists and third in plus/minus. The Seattle Kraken prospect has yet to earn his first points at the Memorial Cup, though he was +2 in a 5-3 win over the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens in his tournament debut. There's no better time to break through than the round-robin finale against an old rival. Should Everett pick up a win, they'll eliminate the Rockets and book a rematch against the Sagueneens in the semifinal on Friday, May 29. If Kelowna wins by a goal, the Silvertips will still move on to the semifinal, while the Rockets and Sagueneens will dance in a tiebreaker game on Thursday, May 28. But if the Rockets pull ahead by two or more goals, Kelowna is going to the semifinal, and Everett and Chicoutimi go head-to-head on Thursday. Destiny is in the hands of the players. Now, it's time to see who will answer the call. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place. Fans can watch on TSN in Canada and Victory+ and NHL Network outside the country.

Western Hockey League mourns passing of longtime Raider Mark Odnokon

Wed, 27 May 2026 22:31:12 +0000

The Western Hockey League is mourning the passing of Mark Odnokon, longtime member of the Prince Albert Raiders.

The Raiders announced the passing of Odnokon on Sunday. He died at the age of 63.

Most recently, Odnokon served as a Skills Coach for the Raiders during the 2025-26 WHL season.

Hailing from Moose Jaw, Sask., Odnokon’s ties to the Raiders began in the late 1970s, when he played left wing for the Club during its final years in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) from 1978-79 through 1981-82. He helped the Raiders claim three consecutive SJHL titles (1980, 1981, 1982) before the Club joined the Western Hockey League for the 1982-83 season.

Odnokon returned to the Raiders as an assistant coach for two seasons – 1990-91 and 1991-92. He then served a second stint as an assistant coach from 2003-04 through 2006-07.

From 2015-16 through 2019-20, Odnokon was a Skills Coach for the Raiders, and helped the Club claim the WHL Championship in 2019.

Once again, from 2022-23 through this season, Odnokon lent his services as a Skills Coach for the Raiders.

Odnokon’s contributions to the Raiders also included time as the team’s Respect Champion. He was widely regarded as a great mentor for players, providing a safe place and support.

On behalf of the WHL and its 23 member Clubs, we extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to family, friends, and all of Odnokon’s Raider colleagues over his many years.

Vees, Royals complete trade involving signing rights of Graham Jones

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:29:52 +0000

Rockets’ Smith bringing heart and heroics to final WHL season

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:04:17 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- When 16-year-old Shane Smith was getting his first reps in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, he didn't just have championship aspirations. He also wanted to make a difference. "Coming into a bigger community, kind of looking up to Western Hockey League players when I was growing up, knowing the impact that they had on me and that I could have on the same kids... It's really huge for me, and kind of something that's always been with me since day one," Smith said. Indeed, some of Smith's most impressive stats have come off the ice. In 2023-24, his sophomore season, the Cessford, Alta. product led the Tigers with more than 200 volunteer hours. Smith was known for his regular school visits in the Medicine Hat area to speak to students about leadership, goal-setting and mental health- and to grab a stick for some floor hockey games. He also helped coach Medicine Hat Minor Hockey players in U19 to U15 age groups while taking part in events like Skate with the Tigers, Canadian Armed Forces Family Skates at CFB Suffield and Tigers Adaptive Floor Hockey Games with the Special Olympics Medicine Hat team ahead of the annual Joey Moss Tournament. To the surprise of no one, he was named a finalist for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the WHL's Humanitarian of the Year. Smith's giving spirit has been a common denominator throughout his time in the league- but a 2024-25 trade to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, combined with some difficult family news, saw him bring a personal cause to the forefront. His niece, Maia, was diagnosed with congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) at birth. The virus impacts roughly one in 200 Canadian newborns and is the most common non-genetic cause of birth defects and hearing loss in infants, according to the Canadian CMV Foundation. "She's fortunate to be asymptomatic, which is amazing, but obviously that can change any time," Smith explained. "She goes through two tests a year. Her specific case, they test her hearing twice a year to make sure everything's good. When she was diagnosed, right away it was a big shock for us, because us and my sister and brother-in-law, specifically, because we didn't really know what that was." While playing for the Hurricanes, Smith launched the 'Shane Scores for Maia' campaign, which saw the teen donate $25 for every point he scored to the Canadian CMV Foundation, while creating a platform to spread awareness of the condition. Since then, Smith has raised nearly $3,000 for the organization (the Hurricanes matched his donation after a 30-point run in 2024-25) in the name of now three-year-old Maia. "It's a bit of a smaller foundation, so obviously donating the money is great too, but the biggest part is the recognition to that foundation to make sure that you know people are aware of what can be a serious disease," Smith added. "(I'm going to) continue to do what I can, and what we can do as a family to raise awareness throughout, not just Saskatchewan, where she's living, but the whole country." He's carried the initiative on in Kelowna, where the Rockets had keyed in on him as a strong playmaker and veteran presence ahead of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup. "He's got a tremendous heart," Rockets Head Coach Derrick Martin said. "He cares about people. His emotional intelligence is off the charts. He knows the impact he has on a room and on the relationships that he carries, and we're just... It's hard to fabricate all the right words to say about him, but he means so much to us as a hockey team. He means so much to me as a coach." Of his four full seasons in the WHL, the Cessford, Alta. product has been named a finalist for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy three times, ultimately clinching the award in 2025-26. While he's still chasing the CHL's top prize, Smith says the recognition is one of his proudest achievements. "Probably the highlight in my career so far," Smith said. " It's a great honor to, you know, have that something I wanted to do when I came into the league. Opportunities were pushed towards me, and obviously took advantage of what I could in all three places I played, so just thankful for the opportunity I had in all three places, and continuing to strive to support the community and kind of be that role model around the community and around the league." But don't mistake his giving nature for weakness. Smith will be a key player for the Rockets as they prepare to battle the Everett Silvertips- the very team that knocked them out of the 2026 WHL Playoffs- with their season on the line. "We had some really tough days here, and he was a guy that never quit," Martin added. "I go back to the Everett series, and we go down t3-0. He's a guy that sent me a text and goes, 'I'll never quit, I promise I'll give you my best game. And he never needed to send a text like that. We knew what we were getting with him, but he's just a player that's all in all the time." Kelowna would fall in five games to the eventual WHL Champions- but Smith followed up that text by scoring the game-tying goal with eight seconds left in regulation to set up the Rockets' Game 4 win, and another late game-tying goal in Game 5. He'll look for more of that magic in the rematch between the Rockets and Silvertips on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:00 p.m. PT- with his immediate family in the building and Maia watching on from Saskatchewan.

Engineering opportunity: Mattias Uyeda reflects on unlikely rise from Junior ‘B’ to the Memorial Cup

Tue, 26 May 2026 21:30:51 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- The journey to the Memorial Cup is a winding, arduous one. When it comes to building best-of-the-best teams, General Managers have tinkered and toiled, often for years, developing drafted talent into NHL prospects, scouring other leagues for potential free agents and trading for high-end stars in hopes of capturing their league trophies and getting a shot at the CHL's ultimate prize. But in the 2026 field, no one has had a season quite like Mattias Uyeda. Six months ago, the 19-year-old defenceman was back in his hometown of Vancouver, B.C., working away at his engineering degree at the University of British Columbia and playing for the Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, a club that has bounced between various tiers of Junior 'B' and 'A' under the BC Hockey umbrella. At 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds, Uyeda hadn't been drafted by a WHL team during his bantam hockey days. Frankly, at this stage, major junior just wasn't on his mind. But he was enjoying a breakout season with the Sockeyes, netting 10 goals and 38 assists for 48 points in 25 games. Little did he know, the powerhouse Everett Silvertips had taken notice. General Manager Mike Fraser was looking for a mature, left-shot defenceman to bolster his top-tier blueline that already featured 2025 WHL Rookie of the Year Landon DuPont, Anaheim Ducks prospect Tarin Smith and NHL Draft-eligible Brek Liske. A scout had tipped Fraser off about Uyeda's sensational start, and the GM made the trip across the border to take a look. "We had good background with him in terms of his character and things like that," Fraser recalled. "He's not an overly big guy, but he's very strong physically and isn't afraid to throw the odd big check out there. You're always trying to make your team better, and he was putting up some pretty impressive numbers in that league, and I knew a little bit about him from when he was younger. It was a short trip for me, a short drive up, and obviously well worth the trip." https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2054761491023491396 What Fraser saw was enough to offer the teenager a three-game tryout with the reigning WHL regular-season champions. "At the start, to be honest, I was a little confused," Uyeda grinned. "It was the best team in the league reaching out. I knew that I was pretty dominant in my league back home, but for another powerhouse team to come and ask me to try out, I was a little shocked, because I've been playing in that league for two and a half years, and I hadn't really heard anything. I just took the opportunity and pounced on it." In mid-December, Uyeda inked a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement, putting his degree temporarily on hold to help the 'Tips chase history. He plans to use his WHL Scholarship to eventually resume his studies and specialize in civil engineering, following in the footsteps of his parents, who are engineers themselves. "It would be easy to dismiss him," 2025-26 WHL Coach of the Year Steve Hamilton said. "I give Mike credit, he went and watched him and said there's something there, you know. So that led to the next step of bringing him in on a three-game trial, and from there it kind of just kept moving forward. He's been exactly what we've needed from him. He's not a high-end offensive player at this level, in this league, but he's consistent and he's reliable. That's something that we were looking for, so I was really happy for him. He comes from a great family, and everybody's paths are a little bit different, and his is probably as unique as it gets." The Vancouverite posted six points (1G-5A) and a +3 rating in 31 regular-season contests before hitting a new gear in the playoffs. Uyeda put up five points (2G-3A) in 18 playoff games to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup- highlighted by a goal and an assist in his first postseason match and an early tally in the championship-winning game. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058694891941838992 Everett is 1-1-0 at the Memorial Cup, and Uyeda is +3 through a pair of games. Even as the stakes climb again with a critical match against the host Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night, Uyeda can take a moment and reflect on his unbelievable rise through the junior hockey ranks. "It was a surreal experience," Uyeda added. "I mean, only so many people get to even go to the Memorial Cup, let alone, you know, succeed and do well. It was just the first game, but just taking everything in one game at a time has been a really cool experience. Six months ago, I was probably getting ready to write some finals back at UBC. This experience has been unimaginable for me, honestly."

Silvertips drop 6-2 decision to OHL’s Kitchener Rangers in Memorial Cup bout

Tue, 26 May 2026 04:39:57 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- The Kitchener Rangers remain undefeated at the 2026 Memorial Cup after a resounding 6-2 win over the Everett Silvertips on Monday night. Despite outshooting the OHL Champions 42-28, the Silvertips were unable to string together a comeback after allowing three goals in quick succession in the second period. Postgame, Silvertips Head Coach Steve Hamilton emphasized his confidence in his team- and especially netminder Anders Miller. "Anders would be the first one to tell you, (he'd) probably like a couple back," Hamilton said. "That guy's been our rock for two months. I thought about making a change, and he wanted to work through it. I thought he was excellent in the third period, and that's part of giving your guys belief. We have their back, and that guy's been rock solid for us, and by no stretch of the imagination was that the only reason- we had some sort out problems and some puck management problems, and those things happen, and they happen in real time. These are young men, and nobody's intent on making mistakes. But they happen, and then how you deal with those things has been a strength of our team all year long, and I trust these guys wholeheartedly." But the Ed Chynoweth Cup winners have good reason to feel good about their chances moving forward. Everett hasn't lost back-to-back games in 2025-26. "We're a process-driven team, and we have a really short memory when it comes to certain things like this," Rylan Gould, who notched a goal and an assist for Everett, said. "We know it's a short tournament, and I mean, all year we've bounced back, and we've gone back to our process. So, for us, we're going to think about this one for a little longer, and then once we wake up tomorrow, it's a new day, and we'll move on from this." The teams traded opportunities from the jump, with Florida Panthers Shea Busch nearly converting on the Rangers' doorstep and Miller making a point-blank stop on Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Sam O'Reilly. Kitchener captain Camera Reid put his team on the board with a distance wrister placed high glove side on Miller. The Blueshirts extended their lead on the man advantage as Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) batted a loose puck home amid a scramble in the Everett crease. Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen sliced the deficit in half with a powerplay strike of his own. Gould ripped the puck towards Vanhanen on the doorstep, but the puck ricocheted off Reid, off Vanhanen and into the net. The Nokia, Finland product's tally marks the first goal Kitchener has allowed in Kelowna. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059087352606380089 In the middle frame, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk wired a long shot and collected his own rebound to give Lukas Kaplan a grade-A look in front. Kaplan couldn't convert, but Gould was wide open to swat the rebound home for his second point of the night. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059100814895931700 But the second period saw things slide out of reach as Christian Humphreys targeted the high corner again on a screened shot, and Vancouver Canucks pick Gabriel Chiarot had the puck pop out to him for a clean shot on a yawning cage. A turnover at the Silvertips' blueline saw Pridham walk in to snap his second goal of the night home and send Everett to the dressing room trailing 5-2, though a heavyweight tilt between alternate captain Jaxsin Vaughan and Montreal Canadiens pick Andrew MacNeil got fans fired up. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2059104037350633476 The Silvertips shot early and often in the third, but couldn't solve Kirsch. Cameron Arquette capped off the scoring with a late bomb to seal the win. Everett (1-1-0) and Kelowna (0-1-1) now prepare for an all-WHL showdown on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:00 p.m. PT. It's a must-win situation for the Rockets, who need to defeat the Silvertips to force a tiebreaker game and keep their Memorial Cup hopes alive. Kitchener (2-0-0 ) and Chicoutimi (1-1-0) will hit the ice for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 26, at 6:00 p.m. PT. A Rangers win would clinch a berth for the OHL squad in the Memorial Cup Final.

2026 Memorial Cup Game 4 Player to Watch: Carter Bear, Everett Silvertips

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:27:42 +0000

Kelowna, B.C.- Time to Bear down. Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear comes by his reputation as a quiet leader and fierce competitor honestly. The 19-year-old from Winnipeg, Man., is dialled in with a massive opportunity on the line on Monday night. Everett can secure a berth in the 2026 Memorial Cup championship match with a round-robin win against the OHL title-winning Kitchener Rangers. The Blueshirts have been idle since Friday, when they toppled the host Kelowna Rockets with a 5-0 win. Bear and the Tips are now tasked with trying to become the first team to get the puck past San Jose Sharks goaltending prospect Christian Kirsch, who made 24 saves for the first shutout of the tournament. Everett's top line of Bear, Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen and NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen will do their best to make life miserable for Kirsch and the Kitchener defence. Bear buried the game-winning goal in a hardscrabble 5-3 win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in Everett's Memorial Cup debut on Saturday. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058400310318760050 The 6-foot, 177-pound winger put up 22 points (7G-15A) and a +22 rating in the 2026 WHL Playoffs, finishing second among all skaters in plus/minus and sixth in points. He was only held off the scoresheet on four occasions. Four of those goals came in the championship series to help the Tips hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history. He's acutely aware of what the moment has meant to the community- and the opportunity ahead in Kelowna. "What we can do at a Memorial Cup could change Everett Silvertips hockey forever," Bear said. "It's just the Memorial Cup. We all watched it growing up, Canadian kids, and it's been a dream for all of us since we were little kids, watching and seeing all the great players that played in this tournament, all the great teams, and all the history behind it." Bear will take a swipe at the OHL Champs when puck drops at 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place in downtown Kelowna. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and Victory+ globally.