https://chl.ca/whl Tue, 26 May 2026 04:39:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://chl.ca/whl/article/silvertips-drop-6-2-decision-to-ohls-kitchener-rangers-in-memorial-cup-bout Tue, 26 May 2026 04:39:57 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/silvertips-drop-6-2-decision-to-ohls-kitchener-rangers-in-memorial-cup-bout 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.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-4-player-to-watch-carter-bear-everett-silvertips Tue, 26 May 2026 00:27:42 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-4-player-to-watch-carter-bear-everett-silvertips 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.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-head-to-head-playoff-mvps-miettinen-and-oreilly-getting-down-to-business Tue, 26 May 2026 00:10:37 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-head-to-head-playoff-mvps-miettinen-and-oreilly-getting-down-to-business Kelowna, B.C.- Julius Miettinen's favourite part of hockey? Winning. The Everett Silvertips centreman has done a lot of that lately. Miettinen, 20, is fresh off a statement playoff run that saw him post a league-best 27 points (14G-13A) and a +21 rating in 19 games en route to winning Everett's first WHL Championship and Playoff MVP honours. Miettinen has made WHL history as the first Finnish-born player to earn Playoff MVP honours, and just the second import skater, following former Kelowna Rockets star Leon Draisaitl, who picked up the hardware in 2014. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2055507179806056470 Now, the 6-foot-4, 207-pound forward is aiming to pick up some points in Everett's second match at the 2026 Memorial Cup. "You've got to treat every game like it's your last," Miettinen said. "You've just got to go out there and give what you've got, and I think that's what we've been doing the whole year." Miettinen was +2 with a high-danger shot and 10 faceoff wins in a 5-3 win over the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens in Everett's Memorial Cup debut on Saturday. The Silvertips (1-0-0) would clinch a berth in the title match with a win over the Kitchener Rangers (1-0-0) on Monday, May 25. But they'll need to get past 2025 Memorial Cup champion Sam O'Reilly to do so. Miettinen and O'Reilly are the only Playoff MVPs competing in the tournament, with forward Gabe Smith earning the recognition in the QMJHL as a member of the runner-up Moncton Wildcats. O'Reilly, 20, is a three-time OHL Champion and helped the London Knights capture the CHL's top prize in Rimouski last spring. He brings 10 games of Memorial Cup experience and already chipped in a goal in a 5-0 drubbing of the Kelowna Rockets in the 2026 opening match. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound centreman also posted 28 points (17G-11A) in 18 playoff matches to tie for second in the OHL playoff scoring race. O'Reilly, who was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, was also named the OHL's Most Outstanding Player for 2025-26 after putting up a combined 71 points (29G-42A) in 56 games with London and Kitchener. He's sure to meet his WHL counterpart at the faceoff dot come puck drop at 6:00 p.m. PT. TSN is broadcasting to fans in Canada, while those in the United States and around the world can stream the action on Victory+. NHL Network will also carry the game for fans in the U.S.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/five-moments-that-defined-the-everett-silvertips-season Mon, 25 May 2026 23:10:35 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/five-moments-that-defined-the-everett-silvertips-season Kelowna, B.C.- The 2025-26 season is, undoubtedly, the greatest in Everett Silvertips history. And that's no small feat coming from one of the league's most consistent franchises. While the 'Tips bask in the glow of WHL Championship glory and gear up for their Memorial Cup debut, we're looking back on five key moments that helped make it all possible. A 'Tip' of the hat The Silvertips entered 2025-26 as the reigning regular-season champions, but had designs on winning it all from the get-go. Everett was hot out of the gates with three hat tricks in the first two weeks. After falling behind 3-0 in the second period to the Wenatchee Wild in the season opener, Zackary Shantz bagged his first career hat trick to force a shootout where Shantz, NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen and Nolan Chastko all lit the lamp to earn a 4-3 comeback win. On October 3, 2025, Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen picked up a hat trick of his own in a 7-1 drubbing of Tri-City, and the following night, Florida Panthers prospect Shea Busch erupted for three goals and two assists in a 9-4 decision against Victoria. All three hat tricks came inside Angel of the Winds Arena- and fans were happy to toss their caps. The team's high-powered offence helped Everett open the season on a 10-0-1-0 run- and it's no wonder they would go on to be the third-highest-scoring team in the regular season. Trade Deadline dominance General Manager Mike Fraser hasn't been known to go for big revamps at the trade deadline, instead looking for impact players without squandering draft capital. But two moves at the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline, in particular, ended up paying massive playoff dividends. On January 2, the Silvertips acquired towering Philadelphia Flyers defensive prospect Luke Vlooswyk from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for Cole Temple and Cameron Dillard. Five days later, Fraser added veteran blueliner Kayd Ruedig to the stable in a swap with the Kamloops Blazers. Everett leaned heavily on its defensive depth when Captain Tarin Smith exited the playoffs after the first round with an upper-body injury, elevating draft-eligible Brek Liske to the top pairing with Landon DuPont and cranking up Vlooswyk and Ruedig's minutes. Ruedig, 18, picked up a goal and two assists in Everett's 6-2 win over Prince Albert to level the championship series, while Vloowsyk stepped up with the game-tying goal in the second period of Game 3- an eventual 3-2 Silvertips victory. The cardiac comeback In hindsight, Shantz laid the groundwork for the 'Cardiac Tips' mythos on the first night of the campaign. Everett has come by its reputation for thrilling comebacks honestly- the rally towels fans waved during the championship were even emblazoned with the 'Cardiac Silvertips' moniker. But, according to Silvertips play-by-play voice Casey Bryant, one of those thrilling wins stands above the rest. On January 21, 2026, the Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets had surged out to a 3-0 lead over Everett late in the second period at Angel of the Winds Arena. With 17 seconds remaining in the frame, Vanhanen gave his team a jolt with a sneaky wrister from the slot. Clarke Shaefer tallied his 10th goal of the season in the third period to bring the Tips within one before Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear jumped out of the penalty box and blew down the ice to net the game-tying goal. Rylan Gould's powerplay marker stood as the game-winner, while Bear added his second of the night with an empty-netter in the 5-3 win. "The Cardiac Tips are who they are because of their ability to impose these comeback wins against anyone," Bryant explained. "When the trade deadline came and went, the Tips knew they’d only get one more crack at the host Kelowna Rockets in the regular season, and that they’d more than likely be seeing them again in the playoffs. They wanted to make a statement. Sure enough, down 3-0 late in the second, the Tips chipped away and scored five unanswered to win it. It was their 12th straight win against the Rockets in the season series (dating back to the 2023-24 season) and 4th comeback against them this season. Proof they were undaunted by the Memorial Cup hosts." Everett and Kelowna will face each other in round-robin Memorial Cup action on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:00 p.m. PT. Central Division Road Warriors Recent WHL Champions Medicine Hat (2025) and Moose Jaw (2024) saw their status as cup contenders skyrocket after dominant road trips through the U.S. Division. In turn, Everett followed the trend with a massive 4-1-0-0 swing through the Central Division from February 10-16. After doubling up the Red Deer Rebels 6-3 to open the trip, four different skaters found the back of the net for a 4-0 shutout against the Edmonton Oil Kings, who were neck-and-neck with the Tigers for the division lead at the time. Landon DuPont wowed fans in his home province with eight points (3G-5A) in five games, including a one-goal, two-assist outing in an 8-4 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Their most memorable win of the trip came against the 2025 WHL Champs, where DuPont opened the scoring and Bear notched a pair before Shantz bagged the overtime winner and a 4-3 win in Medicine Hat. Everett faltered with a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Hitmen to close out the trip, but hey, pobody's nerfect. The Silvertips went on to set a WHL record for most road victories in a 68-game schedule with a 29-5-0-0 run in enemy territory. Slaying the Dragon... er, Hawks? Sometimes you have to exorcise some demons to make victory that much sweeter. The Portland Winterhawks had been the face of playoff misery for Everett after eliminating the Silvertips for three consecutive seasons. In a way, it felt like the road to the Ed Chynoweth Cup was destined to go through Portland. "To get them in the first round, yeah, absolutely, that needed to be taken care of," Head Coach Steve Hamilton said ahead of Game 1 of the WHL Championship Series. "I think (it) mentally, probably, propelled some guys forward, getting past a hurdle that they hadn't before in the last four or five years. Really, really important. And then I thought we'd just kind of gotten better and better as we've gone." Miettinen piled up two goals and an assist as Everett shot out to an 8-1 victory in Game 1, and the team never looked back. The Silvertips outscored the Winterhawks 25-5 en route to a sweep, with Miettinen, DuPont, Bear, Vanhanen and Shantz all picking up six points in four games. Anders Miller also earned his first playoff shutout with a 19-save effort in Game 3. There could be more impactful moments on the horizon as the Silvertips prepare to fight for the most difficult trophy to win in sports- the Memorial Cup. Everett will play its first-ever Memorial Cup match against the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Saturday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. PST.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/sagueneens-ground-rockets-in-overtime-at-memorial-cup Mon, 25 May 2026 04:42:01 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/sagueneens-ground-rockets-in-overtime-at-memorial-cup Kelowna, B.C.-  The Kelowna Rockets brought the physicality and the opportunities, but found themselves grounded by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in a 3-2 overtime loss at the Memorial Cup on Sunday night. Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla earned Kelowna's first goal of the tournament, while Josh Banini made 26 saves in his tournament debut. "I was really proud of the resiliency of the group on their bounce back," Head Coach Derrick Martin told reporters. "I thought that the guys were really bought in, and the bench was really energetic this evening. It's a game of inches. We lost one more inch than they did, which is unfortunate. At the same time, what makes me proud of this group is they're never going to quit, they're never going to say die. We've still got an opportunity, and our plan now is to come here on Wednesday night and change the script a little bit." Bolstered by a feverish crowd, Kelowna imposed its will on the Sagueneens through the early goings, but the team had had its apparent first goal of the tournament- a low wrister from Shane Smith- called off due to goaltender interference. Chicoutimi got a taste of the same disappointment after the QMJHL Champs had a goal of their own disallowed due to a hand pass, but broke through for real after a failed pinch saw Liam Lefebvre fly down the ice on a breakaway to fake and bury a backhand shot. In the second period, alternate captain Iginla got the fans on their feet with the Rockets' first goal of the Memorial Cup- for real. Nashville Predators prospect Hiroki Gojsic carried the puck down the wall before reversing the puck to Iginla for a one-timer that was destined for the twine on the blocker side. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058737396871823420 The Rockets nearly took their first lead of the night on an odd-man rush with seven minutes left in the frame, but Beckman reminded fans why he was a finalist for QMJHL Goaltender of the Year with a sensational glove save. It all came down to the final 20 minutes, where the Sags broke through with a tipped shot from Anton Linde that barely eked over the goal line, despite a furious attempt by Banini to paddle it down. As the Rockets shot into desperation mode, alternate captain Mazden Leslie played hero by redirecting a wide rebound into a yawning Chicoutimi cage to ensure the teams would march on. Leslie, the WHL's active games played leader and 2025 WHL Defenceman of the Year finalist, skated as a right winger for the second time in May in hopes of giving the team an offensive jolt. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058757525324124339 The Rockets survived a late penalty kill to push the game to three-on-three, sudden-death overtime, where Lefebvre called game with his second strike of the night. Kelowna (0-1-1) is idle until Wednesday, May 27, when they face off against their playoff rival Everett Silvertips (1-0-0) in an all-WHL round-robin finale. Everett is back in the hot seat to battle the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers (1-0-0) on Monday, May 25, at 6:00 p.m. PT. TSN will carry all games for fans in Canada, while Victory+ is streaming for free for fans in the United States and around the world. NHL Network is also broadcasting for U.S.-based fans.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-head-to-head-predators-prospects-gojsic-and-huang-on-the-prowl Mon, 25 May 2026 00:39:40 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-head-to-head-predators-prospects-gojsic-and-huang-on-the-prowl Kelowna, B.C.- The Kelowna Rockets and Chicoutimi Sagueneens are ready to hit the Prospera Place ice in search of their first win of the 2026 Memorial Cup. While one team will be reduced to prey, the battle features at least two Predators. Rockets forward Hiroki Gojsic and Sagueneens defenceman Alex Huang both call the Nashville Predators organization home. Gojsic, 20, was tapped by the Preds with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 203-pound winger has collected 60 goals and 68 assists for 128 points in 184 games over parts of three seasons in Kelowna and averaged a career-best .75 points per game in 2025-26. He also added a goal and two assists in nine games in the 2026 WHL Playoffs, with his lone tally coming as part of a massive Rockets comeback for a 4-3 overtime win against the eventual-WHL Champion Silvertips in Game 4. Gojsic, from Langley, B.C., put pen to paper on his entry-level deal with Nashville back in the fall of 2024. After being shut out by Kitchener 5-0 in the tournament opener, generating offence is the name of the game for Gojsic and the Rockets. "I think just be better in a neutral zone, just move pucks quicker, and have that shot mentality," Gojsic said on Sunday morning. "I think last game we passed up some looks that we probably could have shot on, and maybe that was the difference. Our team identity is being physical, so whenever somebody makes a big hit or a big play or something like that, then yeah, we get pretty excited, for sure." The rough-and-tumble Rockets will try to stymie the smooth-skating Huang, who already scored at the tournament to briefly give Chicoutimi a 2-1 lead over Everett on Saturday night- though the Silvertips would roar back for a 5-3 win. Huang potted 11 goals and 59 assists for 70 points in 62 games in his third season with the Sags. The 6-foot, 180-pound rearguard also finished second in playoff scoring among all QMJHL defencemen with 19 points (2G-17A) in 20 contests. Huang, from Rosemere, Que., was selected by the Predators with the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. "They're willing to throw numbers at you in order to get pucks, and when they have the puck and they can get up to speed, they're a dangerous hockey team," Rockets Head Coach Derrick Martin said. "I thought Everett did a good job of getting numbers above them, and then when Everett had the puck, lengthening the rink and making them chase a little bit. It's a copycat league that we play in, so you've got to take some of that stuff at the same time, you've got to make it your own, so we've got to make sure we compete to get pucks back hard." The Rockets and Sagueneens face off at 6:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 24. Fans in Canada can follow along on TSN, while Victory+ will carry the action for fans in the United States and around the world.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-3-player-to-watch-vojtech-cihar-kelowna-rockets Sun, 24 May 2026 23:01:00 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-3-player-to-watch-vojtech-cihar-kelowna-rockets Kelowna, B.C.- The 2026 Memorial Cup features one of the most impressive classes of import players the CHL has seen in years, and Kelowna Rockets forward Vojtech Cihar is certainly one to watch. In the past year, Cihar has gone from hearing his name called at the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles, where he was selected by the Kings themselves, to a lackluster start in the Czech Extraliga, a breakout performance at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, a fresh start in the Okanagan, and now, a chance to play for one of the most coveted trophies in the sporting world. "It's kind of crazy, I know," Cihar said. "I'm just trying to live my life and try to try to, like, be the best in every team I will be in." Cihar had just eight points (4G-4A) in 27 games with HC Energie Karlovy Vary before World Juniors, and the Rockets had acquired his rights in a blockbuster trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (a move that also saw veteran Shane Smith make tracks for B.C.). The Chomutov, Cze. product had fans in Europe- and Kelowna- buzzing as he posted 12 points (4G-8A) in seven games to earn World Juniors silver and tournament MVP honours. But he admits he needed a change of scenery when it came to his club team, and Los Angeles brass wanted to see the 19-year-old develop his game in the WHL, so after the tournament, it was time to land in North America, with a new team and smaller ice surface waiting for him. Cihar was surprised by how similar Kelowna and his hometown were in terms of nature and scenery- and it didn't take long to find his footing at the rink, either. He erupted for 12 goals (including a hat trick) and 19 assists in 31 regular-season games to close out the campaign and hit a new gear in the postseason with a team-leading 13 points (6G-7A). https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2039195328608604643 Perhaps most importantly, he assisted the game-tying and overtime goal in Game 4 and the game-tying goal to force extra time in Game 5 against the eventual-WHL Champion Everett Silvertips in their second-round series. For Head Coach Derrick Martin, Cihar's impact goes far beyond scoring. "He might lead our team in shot blocks in the playoffs, and his willingness to put his body on the line to make plays," Martin remarked. "He has an ability to play really heavy in one-on-one battles and come out with a lot of pucks, and some of that's his headiness and his intelligence, but you know, some of it's just his will. I don't think it took him a whole bunch of time to get really comfortable here and play the game that he's capable of. He's a guy that's beloved in the dressing room, he's a bit of a glue guy for us, and he does a lot of little things on the ice that you know, I don't even know that the average fan gets to pay attention to, but we appreciate a whole bunch." Cihar has also found sizzling chemistry with Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla. With all his early success with the Rockets, it's a little surprising that Cihar feels his confidence is the aspect of his game that's grown the most in 2025-26. "Confidence to be more on the puck and play with the puck, make the plays, and maybe just like try to shoot more than in Czechia," Cihar explained. "Maybe the physicality improved a lot, too, and obviously the skating too, because it's such a fast, fast league, and I just needed to adjust." https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2021814740692197585 Cihar will look for another clutch performance as Kelowna faces the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday night- and his family and girlfriend have made the trek from Czechia to cheer him on. Both clubs are on the hunt for their first wins at the tournament. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place. Fans in Canada can watch the game on TSN, while NHL Network and Victory+ are available for those in the United States. Additionally, fans outside of Canada can stream the action on Victory+.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/memorial-cup-lookback-rockets-defend-home-ice-with-franchise-first-memorial-cup Sun, 24 May 2026 21:46:03 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/memorial-cup-lookback-rockets-defend-home-ice-with-franchise-first-memorial-cup Kelowna, B.C.-  Twenty-two years after the Kelowna Rockets won the Memorial Cup on home ice, memories of the Cinderella run still echo throughout Prospera Place. So much has changed, but so much is the same. The old scoreboard has been replaced by a sleek, high-tech jumbotron, then-captain Josh Gorges is behind the bench and alumni like Shea Weber are in the stands, rather than on the ice, but the passion never left. It feels like yesterday that a sold-out crowd nearly took the roof off the joint during the anthems alone, amping up netminder Kelly Guard with a rousing 'On GUARD for thee' during O Canada. Back on May 23, 2004, Guard was near-unassailable in the Memorial Cup final, a 2-1 win over the QMJHL Champion Gatineau Olympiques. Guillaume Fornier put Gatineau ahead on a third-period powerplay strike, but the Rockets mustered a comeback for ages. Just over three minutes later, Randall Gelech found the equalizer by snapping a rebound past David Tremblay and throwing himself flat into the glass in celebration- almost like he was hoping to pass through it and embrace the fans themselves. With overtime on the horizon, Justin Keller did it all himself with a tight backhander that just found its way between the goaltender and the post to eke across the goal line. Looking back, it would be worth asking how much of the arena reaction Keller himself saw before he was enveloped by a swarm of red Rockets jerseys. The Memorial Cup is lauded as the hardest trophy to win in all of sports- and that Rockets core knew that better than anybody. While they entered the tournament as the host team, they'd been agonizingly close to getting to the big dance in seasons prior. "Each year we just got a little bit further," Gorges recalled. "We lost out in the first round in my first year. The second year, we make the second round. Third year, we went to the Memorial Cup. Fourth year, we won. So it was this progression that kind of built over time, and over that time, I mean, people in this city really gravitated to the Kelowna Rockets." The title meant something extra to Gorges, who grew up in Kelowna and had watched the team closely since it relocated from Tacoma in 1995-96. "They gave me my chance," Gorges, now 41, added. "I was a no-name guy playing bantam hockey. Didn't get drafted, didn't know where things were going to go, and the Kelowna Rockets reached out- my hometown, which was special itself- but for whatever reason, they gave me an opportunity. Without that, I wouldn't be where I am today. I talked to Bruce (Hamilton) a lot about this, just that opportunity to come and let me show that I can play at this level, and I can be a guy that can come and help do some things here." Some fans might remember that Gorges actually wasn't the first to lift the Memorial Cup during the trophy presentation, instead handing it to Hamilton for the first hoist before taking it back to his teammates. At the time, they were only the third-ever host team to win the CHL's top prize and the first host to go undefeated at the tournament, having stumped Guelph 1-0, Gatineau 4-1, and Medicine Hat 2-1 in round-robin action. The 2003-04 Rockets featured cult favourite players like Guard, who won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP and Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup's top goaltender; Gorges, who won the George Parsons Trophy for most sportsmanlike player and went on to play 13 seasons in the NHL; Blake Comeau, who strung together 16 seasons in the show; and, of course, Shea Weber- the two-time Olympic gold medalist whose NHL career spanned more than two decades and 1,038 regular-season games. Current Rockets like Tij Iginla (Utah Mammoth) and Vojtech Cihar (Los Angeles Kings) carry similar weighty expectations- and they'll fight to recreate that magic on Sunday night as Kelowna faces the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens in round-robin action. Puck drop at Prospera Place is set for 6:00 p.m. PT.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/silvertips-down-chicoutimi-sagueneens-5-3-for-first-ever-memorial-cup-win-in-tournament-debut Sun, 24 May 2026 04:01:03 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/silvertips-down-chicoutimi-sagueneens-5-3-for-first-ever-memorial-cup-win-in-tournament-debut Kelowna, B.C.- The Everett Silvertips can add another first to their historic 2025-26 season. Veteran forward Jesse Heslop picked up a goal and an assist as the WHL Champions defeated the QMJHL-winning Chicoutimi Sagueneens 5-3 in their Memorial Cup-opening match on Saturday night. Fittingly, it was the longest-serving active Silvertip, Heslop, who scored the team's first-ever goal at the tournament. The Nanaimo, B.C. product got the cowbells rattling just 1:14 into the period with a no-look backhand shot that fooled Ottawa Senators prospect Lucas Beckman. "Jesse's a fabric guy around here and has been for a long time," 2026 WHL Coach of the Year Steve Hamilton said postgame. "Probably some symbolism in that. He's been here, he's been through some playoff disappointments, so obviously the year is special for him as well as the rest of the group." https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058357972070445192 The Silvertips buzzed as they outshot the Sagueneens 8-0 through the first seven minutes of play, but the QMJHL Champs drew even as forward Christophe Berthelot converted on the Everett doorstep. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk denied the Sagueneens of another golden opportunity as he hit the ice for a major block to break up a two-on-one rush, and Anders Miller ensured the teams would hit the dressing rooms tied at one as he robbed QMJHL regular-season MVP Maxim Masse (Anaheim Ducks) of a grade-A chance on the edge of the blue paint. In the middle frame, Nashville Predators pick gave Chicoutimi its first lead of the game with a bar-down rip, but as the goal was being announced, Lukas Kaplan blew down the ice and wristed a hard shot on Beckman. The puck bobbled through the goaltender and trickled over the goal line, with Kayd Ruedig on the scene to ensure it made it all the way. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058376252428525941 Heslop continued his whale of a game by winning a low puck battle and sneaking a pass to a wide-open Zackary Shantz on the back door for a tap-in. https://twitter.com/CHLHockey/status/2058378166260101226 In another blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Defenceman of the Year finalist Landon DuPont thwarted an attempted Chicoutimi breakout and wired a centering feed to Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear for a one-timer in the slot. Bear's first goal of the tournament marked three second-period goals and two tallies in a span of 50 seconds for the lone U.S.-based club at the Memorial Cup. It would also stand as the game-winning goal. https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2058383766935183692 "(We) often talk about response and how important it is to talk and breathe after moments and not feel that tension, and we responded right away, which was good," Hamilton added. "And then we really had a solid push, and, you know, that's a key component for us, resiliency within games, within moments, not letting them snowball against us, trying to cut that off and regain that push." With the netminder pulled and the Sags on a late powerplay, Masse got his side within one with a 6-on-4 goal with under 28 seconds left in regulation. But Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen stifled any more hope of a QMJHL comeback as he picked off a Chicoutimi breakout pass and gave his team some breathing room with an empty-netter moments later. Anchorage, Alaska product Anders Miller denied 22 of 25 shots for a .880 save percentage, while Heslop was named Player of the Game. Everett (1-0-0) returns to the ice on Monday, May 24, against the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers (1-0-0). The host Kelowna Rockets (0-1-0) will try to muscle out their first win of the tournament against Chicoutimi (0-1-0) on Sunday, May 25, at 6:00 p.m. PT.]]> https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-2-player-to-watch-landon-dupont-everett-silvertips Sun, 24 May 2026 00:35:51 +0000 https://chl.ca/whl/article/2026-memorial-cup-game-2-player-to-watch-landon-dupont-everett-silvertips Kelowna, B.C.- Landon has landed. Sixteen-year-old Everett Silvertips alternate captain Landon DuPont has broken new ground throughout his junior hockey career. He's the first defenceman to be granted exceptional status to play in the WHL full-time as a 15-year-old. He's the first defenceman aged 16 or younger to hit 50 points in their rookie season since Hockey Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer in 1989-90. He helped the Everett Silvertips capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history. Now, he's set his sights on the 2026 Memorial Cup. "We're here to win," DuPont told reporters ahead of the 'Tips tournament-opening game against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. "We're not just here to be here and have fun, we're here to win. This is a business trip." https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/2057957108486988102 The 5-foot-11, 183-pound rearguard will garner much of the attention from the QMJHL Champion Sagueneens in Game 2 on Saturday night. DuPont dominated in his second WHL season with 73 points (18G-55A) and a +59 rating in 63 regular-season games and was named a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for WHL Defenceman of the Year. He also cracked the 2025-26 WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team. But he ultimately won the trophy that matters most. DuPont netted 23 points (5G-18A) in 18 postseason tilts to bring Everett to the 'tip' of the mountain. The Calgary, Alta. product was only held off the scoresheet twice in the postseason and went on an 11-game point streak to kick off the playoffs. "You look at the elite puck movers in the NHL, and the qualities that they have, and I think he's got all those," Silvertips bench boss and 2026 WHL Coach of the Year Steve Hamilton said. "His physical strength- you know, he's not super tall, but he's so strong, and and that allows him to separate. When he's under pressure, he's able to separate and escape, and then once his head's up and he's looking downfield, he sees what's open." DuPont's efforts helped the Silvertips establish themselves as the highest scoring and stingiest team of the four clubs competing for CHL glory. Now, the projected top 2027 NHL Draft pick is gunning to become the third CHL exceptional status player to win the Memorial Cup. It all starts on Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place. TSN will carry the game for fans in Canada, while those in the United States can follow along on NHL Network or Victory+. Victory+ is also available for viewers in the U.S. and around the world.]]>