Kitchener Take on WHL Champions Everett in Game Two of Their Memorial Cup Quest
OHL Kitchener Rangers

Kitchener Take on WHL Champions Everett in Game Two of Their Memorial Cup Quest

Published on May 24, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kelowna, BC - The Kitchener Rangers opened their Memorial Cup campaign on a high note with a statement win over the Kelowna Rockets, and now all eyes shift to tonight's battle against the Everett Silvertips. Riding the momentum from the opening victory, the Rangers are set to hit the ice once again with puck drop set for 6:00 p.m. PT. and 9:00 p.m. EST.

TV: TSN 1/3 / RDS (Canada)

TV: The NHL Network (US)

Video Stream: Victory Plus

Radio: 570 NewsRadio Kitchener

WATCH PARTIES

As the Rangers prepare for late-night puck drops in Kelowna, fans are also encouraged to gather throughout the tournament at local restaurants and community watch parties to cheer on the Blueshirts. Rangers partners will be hosting Official Watch Party locations once again, creating an electric atmosphere throughout #RTown. Fans can enjoy the games with full audio and prizing at Four Fathers Brewing, Moose Winooskis, Jack Astor's Kitchener and Boston Pizza Bingemans!

Follow along for everything Memorial Cup 2026 at our Memorial Cup Headquarters live on our website here!

PLAYOFF RESULTS

The OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers took care of the Barrie Colts in four games, en route to hoisting their 5th J. Ross. Robertson Cup in franchise history. Sam O'Reilly (3G 3A) and Dylan Edwards (3G 3A) led the way for the Blueshirts in the final series as they each recorded six points in the four-game set. The Kitchener Rangers held an impressive playoff record of 16-2-0 during the 2026 OHL Playoffs.

Round 1: Saginaw Spirit, Round 2: Soo Greyhounds, Round 3: Windsor Spitfires, Round 4: Barrie Colts

The WHL Champion Everett Silvertips captured their first Ed Chynoweth trophy as they beat the Prince Albert Raiders in five games in the WHL Championship series. It was the third time that Everett had made an appearance in the championship series (2004 & 2018). Like the Kitchener Rangers, the Silvertips held a record of 16-2-0-0 during the 2026 WHL Playoffs.

Round 1: Portland Winterhawks, Round 2: Kelowna Rockets, Round 3: Penticton Vees, Round 4: Price Albert Raiders

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Tonight will be the first game that these two franchises face off against each other as Everett makes their first ever Memorial Cup appearance.

RANGERS ROUND UP (16-2-0-0)

The Rangers won their opening Memorial Cup game against the Kelowna Rockets by a final score of 5-0. Christian Kirsch 's excellent play from the OHL playoffs continued right into the Memorial Cup as he turned away all 24 shots from the Rockets including a perfect 3/3 penalty kill. Kirsch made history on Friday night becoming the first import goaltender to record a shutout at the Memorial Cup.

Jack Pridham picked up the first star and Player of the Game honours with a goal and an assist in his return to Kelowna as the former West Kelowna Warrior helped the Rangers surge to a 5-0 win. Pridham joined the Rangers in 2024 from the Warriors in the BCHL.

Alexander Bilecki picked up two assists in the Game 1 victory over Kelowna. The draft eligible defenceman has been a key factor in the playoffs for the Rangers as he recorded 11 points (2G, 9A) in 18 games and now through one is game tied for the team lead in points. Bilecki, who was ranked as high as the 49th North American Skater heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, only looks to add to his draft stock here in Kelowna.

Haeden Ellis netted his first career Memorial Cup goal to seal the Ranger win at 5-0. Ellis had a productive regular season with 29 points (14G, 15A) in 63 games as well as 8 points (3G, 5A) in 17 playoff games. The 19 year-old centre has been a key focal point in Kitchener's middle six and will look to propel his game for the rest of the tournament following a successful Game 1 win.

Drafted Rangers:

The Kitchener Rangers have a loaded roster of NHL drafted talent. Among twelve players drafted to the NHL, five were selected in the 2025 NHL Draft: Gabriel Chiarot (Vancouver Canucks), Matthew Hlacar (Toronto Maple Leafs), Andrew MacNiel (Montreal Canadians), Cameron Reid (Nashville Predators), and Luca Romano (New York Islanders). The other six players were taken in 2024: Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators), Christian Humphreys (Colorado Avalanche), Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks), Sam O'Reilly (Tampa Bay Lightning via EDM), Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks), and Jared Woolley (Los Angeles Kings). Matthew Andonovski (Ottawa Senators) was selected in 2023.

SCOUTING THE SILVERTIPS (1-0-0-0)

The Everett Silvertips opened their Memorial Cup campaign in style on Saturday, May 23rd, securing a 5-3 victory over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in an impressive all-around performance. Jesse Heslop led the way and earned Player of the Game honours after putting together a strong two-way effort, finishing with a goal and an assist. Matias Vanhanen also made a major impact on both ends of the ice, capping off his night with a short-handed empty-net goal in the final 20 seconds to seal the result and add extra cushion on the scoreboard. The turning point came in a dominant second period from Everett's offence. Lukas Kaplan, Zackary Shantz, and Carter Bear struck in quick succession, piling on three goals in a relentless scoring surge.

Everett finished as the top seed in the WHL with a final record of 57-8-2-1, good for 117 points. The team also finished with the most points in the entire CHL and carried their dominating play into the 2026 WHL Playoffs as they went on to hold a 16-2-0-0 record dropping one game in the second round to Kelowna and one game in the Championship Series to Prince Albert.

The 2026 WHL Championship run included series wins against Round One: Portland, Round Two: Kelowna, Round Three: Penticton and Round Four: Prince Albert.

Julius Miettinen led the team in scoring during their playoff run and was third in team scoring during the regular season. The Finnish forward came over from Finland in 2023 and has played with the Silvertips ever since. The Seattle second-round draft pick recorded 76 points (35G, 41A) in 52 games as well as picking up 27 points (14G, 13A) in 18 games in the playoffs.

Carter Bear highlights this Everett team as the Detroit Red Wings selected Bear 13th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft where he has been a key factor in Everett's deep playoff run. Bear recorded 77 points (36G, 41A) in just 53 games as well as 22 points (7G, 15A) in 18 playoff games. Bear also spent time with team Canada in the World Junior Championships, finding himself in the lineup for two games.

Landon Dupont led the Silvertips from the back end as the top 2027 NHL draft prospect recording 73 points (18G, 55A) in 63 games. Dupont earned exceptional status in 2024 allowing him to be picked 1st overall in the 2024 WHL Priority Draft. Dupont also picked up 23 points (5G, 18A) in 18 games this postseason.

Drafted Silvertips:

Five players from the Everett Silvertips have heard their names called at the NHL Draft over the past two years. In 2025, Carter Bear (Detroit Red Wing), Shea Busch (Florida Panthers), Luke Vlooswyk (Philadelphia Flyers). Julius Miettinen (Seattle Kraken), and Tarin Smith (Anaheim Ducks) were selected in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Broadcast Coverage:

All games will be broadcasted live on TSN/RDS in Canada and on The NHL Network in the United States. Games will also be broadcasted live on the radio through 570 NewsRadio Kitchener where you will hear the familiar voices of Mike Farwell and Josh Piercey. Streaming services are available through the Victory + platform.

2026 Memorial Cup schedule:

May 22 - Game 1: Kitchener 5-0 Kelowna

May 23 - Game 2: Everett 5-3 Chicoutimi

May 24 - Game 3: Kelowna vs. Chicoutimi - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 25 - Game 4: Everett vs. Kitchener - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 26 - Game 5: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 27 - Game 6: Kelowna vs. Everett - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 28 - Tie-breaker (if necessary) - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 29 - Semi-final - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 31 - Final - 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT

UP NEXT:

Fresh off Monday night's battle with the Everett Silvertips, the Kitchener Rangers play their third-and-final round robin game tomorrow night against the QMJHL Champion, Chicoutimi Saguenéens at 6:00 p.m. EST and 9:00 p.m. PT.

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from May 24, 2026


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