The Kelowna Rockets have rolled into the 2026 Memorial Cup as hosts at Prospera Place with a sharp, veteran-laden roster built for a championship run. Under GM Bruce Hamilton and head coach Derrick Martin, they smartly used their hosting advantage to skip a full rebuild, instead blending returning stars, high-end NHL prospects, and smart mid-season acquisitions into a deep, skilled group ready to compete on home ice.Led by dynamic forward Tij Iginla, who torched the league with 90 points in just 48 games, captain Carson Wetsch’s career-best 72-point season, import sniper and WJC MVP Vojtěch Čihař (who exploded in the playoffs), veteran blueliner Mazden Leslie, and steady netminder Harrison Boettiger, the Rockets finished with a strong 38-21-6-3 record. They swept Kamloops before pushing eventual WHL champs Everett to the brink in a hard-fought five-game conference semifinal. With elite skill up front, experienced leadership, and the electric home crowd behind them, Kelowna enters as a legitimate contender for the franchise’s second Memorial Cup — and they’re poised to make noise on familiar ice.
“A”
