Community Rallies to Send Rangers off to the 2026 Memorial Cup
OHL Kitchener Rangers

Community Rallies to Send Rangers off to the 2026 Memorial Cup

Published on May 20, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


After 18 years, the J. Ross Robertson Cup returned to Kitchener as hundreds gathered at City Hall to celebrate the OHL Champions and send them off to the Memorial Cup.

For the Blueshirts faithful, this moment has been nearly two decades in the making.

Despite a heat warning and impending storm clouds, fans gathered as early as 4:00 p.m. in Carl Zehr Square. The sea of blue, red, and white clustered around the stage for live music from The Golden Keys, refusing to let the weather dampen the hometown celebration.

For long-time Kitchener Auditorium usher Dawn Fiskin, the send-off was deeply reminiscent of the Rangers last trip to the Memorial Cup in 2008 and the year they brought the national trophy home in 2003.

"When you work at The Aud every single night, you see how much this city lives and breathes with the team," Fiskin said. "To go 18 years without seeing that J. Ross Robertson Cup come back to Kitchener... it's been a long time coming, and looking out at the square today, you can see the relief and the pure joy on everyone's faces. Kitchener needed this."

For many Rangers fans, this is their very first time experiencing a national championship run.

"I look around the crowd tonight and I see all these young kids on their parents' shoulders, and it just takes me back to 2008 and 2003," Fiskin continued. "The little ones here today...they've only ever heard stories about the double-decker buses and the cup being raised at City Hall. To know that this 2026 run is giving them their own core memory-something they are going to carry with them for the rest of their lives just like we did-that's what makes me the proudest to be a part of this community."

Sheila Sames, 41, has been cheering for the Rangers since she was five years old. Now, she's passing her love for the team down to her kids. For her 17-year-old son, Keegan, this championship bridges a longtime love for the sport of hockey and a lifetime cheering for the Rangers.

"I've been watching the Rangers my whole life," said Keegan. "We've had season tickets for a couple years and it's awesome watching-win or lose, it's a great community."

For his 9-year-old sister, Carley, the Rangers are her favourite hockey team. When asked if she was going to be allowed to stay up past her bedtime to watch the late-night West Coast broadcasts this week, mom was quick to jump in with a smile.

"I'll definitely let her stay awake," Sheila laughed. "It's something to remember for the rest of her life, and something for her and her brother to be able to bond over."

While the team will be thousands of miles away in Kelowna, they carry with them the support of the entire city.

Head Coach Jussi Ahokas called the local crowd "the sixth player on the ice," a testament to the team's perfect 10-0 post-season record at home. "We play at the Aud, and we win at the Aud," he said to cheers from the crowd.

In Kitchener, the team belongs to the community. That unique ownership structure dictates everything from the decisions made in the front office down to the culture in the locker room. Rangers Chief Operating Officer, Joe Birch, noted that this championship group is a direct reflection of a management team that actively scouts for character.

"There are responsibilities and expectations," said Birch. "The community gives the players a lot, and we expect a lot back from our players."

Competing in a national tournament on live television, the players bear a unique weight as ambassadors of not only the game of hockey, but the hard-working, blue-collar identity of the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

"The Rangers have such a long history of being a community-focused team, from its ownership model, to sponsoring minor hockey, partnering with organizations like Oktoberfest for their 50th anniversary, and the annual Remembrance Day Jersey," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. "I think the love that they show the community has really been shown this year from the community back to the Rangers."

Looking out at the crowd, Rangers Captain Cameron Reid made it clear that the community's support means a lot to the players. "It's absolutely everything," Reid said. "We're going to give back to that; we're going to be the hardest working team there."

The whole city of Kitchener is behind the team, providing fuel the players will carry with them across the country to Kelowna.

"My message to the boys is just to enjoy every single second of it and give it everything they've got," said Dawn. "They have earned the right to be on that national stage, the whole city is behind them, and they are going to remember this experience for the rest of their lives."

As the team left the stage to cheers of "We want the Cup" and "Bring home the Cup," the words were a reminder that the work isn't done-it's only just beginning.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from May 20, 2026


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