The Ontario Hockey League remains on top.
With a decisive 6-2 victory against the Everett Silvertips on Sunday night, the Kitchener Rangers secured the 2026 Memorial Cup.
This marks the team’s third win of the Memorial Cup, having previously triumphed in 1982 and 2003. They now join teams like the Cornwall Royals, Kamloops Blazers, Windsor Spitfires, and London Knights as only the fifth team to win this event three times.
Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas makes history as the first European coach to lead a team to a Canadian Hockey League championship.
Kitchener is also notable for being the third consecutive OHL team to win the Memorial Cup.
Jack Pridham, a draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, had another stellar game. He contributed one goal and one assist, bringing his tournament total to five goals and seven points over four games. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly added three points in this match, totaling three goals and seven points overall. He was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s MVP. Along with Los Angeles Kings prospect Jared Woolley, he is now a two-time Memorial Cup champion after winning with the London Knights last year.
Kitchener has been exceptional throughout this season. They finished with one of the best records in OHL history and topped their Western Conference standings. The Rangers breezed through playoffs with only two losses while claiming their fifth J. Ross Robertson Cup-first since 2008-by sweeping past Barrie Colts in finals. Their momentum carried into Kelowna where they went undefeated in round-robin play and dominated their opponents by outscoring them 22-7 across four games.
For Everett Silvertips, it was their first time at Memorial Cup after winning their first Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. With key players like Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear and Seattle Kraken draft pick Julius Miettinen leading them, they finished second in round-robin before defeating Chicoutimi Saguenéens in semifinals to reach Sunday’s final. Vanhanen topped Silvertips scoring with four goals and six points during this tournament.
This marked yet another year where a WHL team reached finals but did not claim victory; it was their third loss out of four years. The last time a WHL team won was when Edmonton Oil Kings took home the title back in 2014.
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