Rangers and Silvertips Stand on the Brink of 2026 Memorial Cup Glory
OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers and Silvertips Stand on the Brink of 2026 Memorial Cup Glory

Published on May 31, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kelowna, BC - A long and grueling season that has seen 68 regular season games, 18 playoff games, three Memorial Cup round-robin games, has led us all to one final showdown between the Kitchener Rangers and Everett Silvertips for a chance to reach the pinnacle of junior hockey. The Memorial Cup Final goes tonight at 4:00 p.m. PST / 7:00 p.m. from Prospera Place.

TV: TSN 1/3/4 / RDS (Canada)

TV: The NHL Network (US)

Video Stream: Victory +

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!

Along with our usual watch party locations, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium will be open with free admission to the game. Non-perishable donations are welcomed and will be donated to the Waterloo Region Food Bank.

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

MEMORIAL CUP RESULTS

Kitchener comes into the Memorial Cup with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record. In their opening game the Rangers blanked the host Rockets by a final score of 5-0, backed by a perfect 24-save performance from Christian Kirsch. Kitchener would then play WHL Champions, Everett. The game was tightly contested through the first half of the game, however the Ranger offence would explode for four-straight goals en route to a 6-2 victory, with Cameron Reid recording three points including the games first goal. The Rangers would then clinch a spot in the final with a 3-2 victory over the QMJHL Champion, Chicoutimi Saguenéens. Dylan Edwards picked up a pair of assists and Jack Pridham scored in his third-straight game, maintaining the Rangers' perfect record and a bye into the Memorial Cup Final.

Everett would begin their Memorial Cup tournament against Chicoutimi, winning 5-3 on the back of a three-goal second period. Jesse Heslop would earn Player of the Game honours with a multi-point performance. Everett would then play Kitchener where they would drop their first-and-only game 6-2. Everett would then face off against the Kelowna, who they had originally knocked out in the second round of the WHL Playoffs in five games. Everett would dominate, blanking the Rockets 4-0 on the back of a 28-save shutout from Anders Miller. With Kitchener having the bye into the final, Everett would have to play in the semi-final in which they would meet Chicoutimi. Everett dominated once again, defeating the QMJHL champions 6-1. Projected first overall pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Level Draft, Landon DuPont, would score twice, leading the Silvertips into the final against the Rangers.

HEAD TO HEAD

Kitchener beat Everett 6-2 in round robin play which was the first ever matchup between these two clubs. Cameron Reid picked up three points and Player of the Game honours. Jack Pridham also netted two goals adding to his tournament lead and helping the Rangers remain perfect in the tournament. Kitchener is looking for their third Memorial Cup crown in their seventh trip to the final, while Everett reaches the final in their first Memorial Cup appearance.

RANGERS ROUND UP (3-0-0-0)

The Kitchener Rangers needed just three games to secure their place in the 2026 Memorial Cup Final, showcasing their depth, skill, and consistency throughout the tournament. With a perfect 3-0 record in round-robin play, the Blueshirts now have their sights set on re-capturing Memorial Cup glory.

Jack Pridham starred in the round robin leading the Rangers and the tournament in goals (4). The overage forward had a major impact with the Blueshirts since joining the team in the 2024-25 season. Pridham led the team in points with 90 in the regular season and will look to cap off his OHL career with a Memorial Cup win.

After winning both the Red Tilson (League MVP) and the Wayne Gretzky Trophy (Playoff MVP) Sam O'Reilly has been a major part in the Rangers perfect record in the Memorial Cup picking up 4 points (2G, 2A) in the first three games. O'Reilly, who has already picked up a Memorial Cup victory with the London Knights in last year's tournament, will bring valuable experience to the final game of the season.

Christian Kirsch's play has been outstanding through the first three games of the tournament. The San Jose Sharks prospect has picked up all three wins recording one shutout and sporting a 1.33 goals against average, as well as a .957 save percentage. Kirsch's stellar play and outstanding 19-2-0-0 record in post regular season games will look to excel just one more time in the Memorial Cup Final.

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 Entry 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 (3-1-0-0)

It took Everett four games to punch its ticket to the 2026 Memorial Cup Final. The Silvertips delivered a strong performance in Friday's semifinal, defeating the Chicoutimi Saguenéens 6-1 to secure their spot in the championship game. After winning two of three round-robin contests, Everett enters the final with a 3-1-0-0 tournament record.

Matias Vanhanen has led the Silvertips in both points (7) and goals (3) through the round robin and the semi-final games. Vanhanen, a Finish forward who also led the Silvertips in points (87) during the regular season is ranked as high as 35th (TSN/Craig Button) for the upcoming NHL draft, and ranked 54th by NHL Central Scouting amongst North American Skaters for the upcoming draft.

Landon DuPont had a stellar semi-final game leading the Silvertips to the final by netting two goals en route to a 6-1 victory. DuPont is currently the top prospect heading into the 2027 NHL Entry Draft and will look to become the third CHL exceptional status player to win the Memorial Cup joining Sean Day (OSH, 2017) and Micheal Misa (SAG, 2024). DuPont became the first exceptional status defenceman to score at a Memorial Cup tournament and joined Joey Veleno as the second exceptional status player at any position to score in a Memorial Cup game. DuPont was fifth in scoring in the WHL amongst all defencemen as a player who just celebrated his 17th birthday on May 28th.

Carter Bear is tied with Matias Vanhanen for the team lead in goals with three, as well as adding an assist, good enough for four points in as many games. Bear, who is currently the highest drafted player on the roster as he was selected 13th overall by the Red Wings. The Winnipeg, MB native was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship tournament in which he featured in two games. The Red Wings prospect picked up 77 points (36G, 41A) through 53 games and 22 points (7G, 15A) in 18 playoff games.

Drafted Silvertips:

Five players from the Everett Silvertips have heard their names called at the NHL Entry Levell Draft over the past two years. In 2025, Carter Bear (Detroit Red Wing), Shea Busch (Florida Panthers), and Luke Vlooswyk (Philadelphia Flyers). Julius Miettinen (Seattle Kraken) and Tarin Smith (Anaheim Ducks) were selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Level 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 2-3 Chicoutimi (OT)

May 25 - Game 4: Everett 2-6 Kitchener

May 26 - Game 5: Chicoutimi 2-3 Kitchener

May 27 - Game 6: Kelowna 0-4 Everett

May 29 - Semi-final: Chicoutimi 1-6 Everett

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 31, 2026


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