NHL Prospects Set to Shine at 2026 Memorial Cup
OHL Kitchener Rangers

NHL Prospects Set to Shine at 2026 Memorial Cup

Published on May 21, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


The future of the NHL will be on full display at the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota.

This year's tournament will feature a plethora of talent as 32 NHL drafted players will suit up for the Kelowna Rockets, Everett Silvertips, Kitchener Rangers and Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

The Rangers - who won their first OHL title since 2008 - lead the way with 12 NHL prospects led by first round selections Cameron Reid (NSH) and Sam O'Reilly (TB).

Hosts Kelowna - who will make their first Memorial Cup appearance since 2015 - have eight NHL prospects on their roster led by Tij Iginla who was the first ever pick by the Utah Mammoth when chosen sixth overall in 2024. Iginla is also the highest drafted player in the entire tournament.

Chicoutimi - who ended a 32-year wait for a QMJHL title - boast seven NHL prospects. Leading the way is the reigning QMJHL MVP Maxim Massé who was a third-round pick by Anaheim in 2024.

Finally, Everett - who will make their Memorial Cup debut after they won their first WHL title - bring five NHL prospects to the table led by Carter Bear who was the 11th overall selection by Detroit in 2025.

The Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators lead NHL representation at the tournament with three prospects each while the LA Kings Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Utah Mammoth also have a pair each playing in Kelowna

The 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota is scheduled for May 21-31 in Kelowna, B.C. Every game of the 2026 Memorial Cup will air in Canada on TSN and RDS, with live streaming available on TSN.ca, the TSN app, RDS.ca, and the RDS app. In the United States, fans can watch every game on NHL Network, while viewers outside Canada can stream the tournament live on Victory+.

NHL Prospects by Team:

Kitchener Rangers (12)

Matthew Andonovski - Ottawa Senators (140th overall / 2023)

Gabriel Chiarot - Vancouver Canucks (175th overall / 2025)

Luke Ellias - Ottawa Senators (104th overall / 2024)

Matthew Hlacar - Toronto Maple Leafs (217th overall / 2025)

Christian Humphries - Colorado Avalanche (215th overall / 2024)

Christian Kirsch - San Jose Sharks (116th overall / 2024)

Andrew MacNiel - Montreal Canadiens (189th overall / 2025)

Sam O'Reilly - Tampa Bay Lightning via Edmonton Oilers (32nd overall / 2024)

Jack Pridham - Chicago Blackhawks (92nd overall / 2024)

Cameron Reid - Nashville Predators (21st overall / 2025)

Anthony Romano - New York Islanders (74th overall / 2025)

Jared Woolley - LA Kings (164th overall / 2024)

Kelowna Rockets (8)

Parker Alcos - Vancouver Canucks (189th overall / 2024)

Vojtech Cihar - LA Kings (59th overall / 2025)

Hiroki Gojsic - Nashville Predators (94th overall / 2024)

Peyton Kettles - Pittsburgh Penguins (39th overall / 2025)

Tij Iginla - Utah Mammoth (6th overall / 2025)

Hayden Paupanekis - Montreal Canadiens (69th overall / 2025)

Tomas Poletin - New York Islanders (106th overall / 2025)

Carson Wetsch - San Jose Sharks (82nd overall / 2024)

Chicoutimi Sagueneens (7)

Lucas Beckman - Ottawa Senators (97th overall / 2025)

Alexis Bernier - Seattle Kraken (73rd overall / 2024)

Émile Guité - Anaheim Ducks (159th overall / 2025)

Alex Huang - Nashivlle Predators (122nd overall / 2025)

Tomas Lavoie - Utah Mammoth (89th overall / 2024)

Maxim Massé - Anaheim Ducks (66th overall / 2024)

Maxim Schäfer - Washington Capitals (96th overall / 2025)

Everett Silvertips (5)

Carter Bear - Detroit Red Wings (11th overall / 2025)

Shea Busch - Florida Panthers (128th overall / 2025)

Julius Miettinen - Seattle Kraken (40th overall / 2024)

Tarin Smith - Anaheim Ducks (79th overall / 2024)

Luke Vlooswyk - Philadelphia Flyers (157th overall / 2025)

2026 Memorial Cup schedule:

May 22 - Game 1: Kitchener vs. Kelowna - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

May 23 - Game 2: Everett vs. Chicoutimi - 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

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

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from May 21, 2026


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