The Everett Silvertips announced their arrival at the 2026 Memorial Cup with a statement.In a wild, momentum-swinging opener against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Saturday night in Kelowna, the WHL champions battled back from an early deficit and rode a explosive second period to a 5-3 victory. Five different Silvertips found the net, Anders Miller stood tall in goal, and Everett showed exactly why they’re being talked about as serious contenders. From the gritty responses after Chicoutimi took leads to the rapid-fire goals that flipped the game on its head, it was the kind of entertaining, hard-fought win that gets a team believing. This was more than just the first win of the tournament — it felt like the beginning of something special for the Tips.
Jesse Heslop makes it a 1-0 game for Everett at 1:14 of the first period unassisted.–Heslop opened the scoring for the Silvertips just 74 seconds after the puck was dropped. Chicoutimi was unable to clear the zone and the puck eventually made its way to Heslop at the bottom of the right circle. With his back to the net, he swept a backhand that beat Beckman five-hole.
Chicoutimi ties it up with their first shot of the game at 9:13 of the first period when Christophe Bertholet scored. The assists on the goal went to Seattle Kraken 2024 3rd rounder Alexis Bernier and Dane Anton Linde.–Christophe Berthelot responded eight minutes later, pouncing on a rebound from an Alexis Bernier shot.
Shots on goal in the first period were 10-6 for the Silvertips
Nashville Predators 2024 4th rounder Alex Huang gives Chicoutimi the lead at 5:39 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to University of Vermont commit Liam Lefebvre and Northeastern University commit Nathan Lecompte.–Then, at 5:39 of the second period, Alex Huang gave the Sags a 2-1 lead with a laser of a shot that beat goaltender Anders Miller over the right shoulder.
Spruce Grove, Alberta native Lukas Kaplan ties it up for Everett at 6:12 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Kelowna, BC native Jaxsin Vaughn and former Swift Current Bronco Rylan Gould.–After Chicoutimi briefly took a 2-1 lead on Alex Huang’s goal at 5:39, Kaplan raced down the ice and fired a hard wrist shot that bobbled through Chicoutimi goaltender Lucas Beckman and trickled across the line just 33 seconds later, knotting the score at 2-2 (with Kayd Ruedig on the scene to ensure it counted).
St. Cloud commit Zackary Shantz gives the Silvertips a 3-2 lead at 13:55 of the second period. The assist on the goal went to Nanaimo, BC native Jesse Heslop.–Zackary Shantz’s goal was a beautiful back-door tap-in that restored Everett’s lead midway through the second period. After Jesse Heslop won a puck battle behind the Chicoutimi net and snuck a perfect feed out front to a wide-open Shantz on the left side, the St. Cloud State-bound forward made no mistake with the easy finish at 13:55, putting the Silvertips up 3-2. It was a classic tic-tac-toe play that showcased Everett’s quick-strike ability and shifted the momentum for good.
Detroit Red Wings 2025 first rounder Winnipeg native Carter Bear then makes it 4-2 Silvertips at 14:45 of the second period. The helpers on the goal went to the projected first overall NHL draft pick in 2027 Landon Dupont and Finn Matias Vanhanen.–Carter Bear’s goal was a clinical finish that gave Everett some breathing room late in the second period. Just 50 seconds after Zackary Shantz’s go-ahead marker (at 14:45 of the second), the Detroit Red Wings prospect jumped on a turnover, received a cross-ice feed from 16-year-old star defenseman Landon DuPont on a 2-on-0 rush, and wired a wrister past Lucas Beckman to make it 4-2. It was a highlight-reel play that showcased DuPont’s vision and Bear’s finishing ability as a top prospect.
Shots on goal in the second period were 11-7 for the Silvertips
Chicoutimi gets within one with their goalie pulled when Anaheim Ducks 2024 3rd rounder and UMass commit Maxim Masse makes it 4-3 at 19:32 on the Power Play. The assists on the goal went to Levis, Quebec native Thomas Desruisseaux and Northeastern University commit Jordan Tourigny.-Maxim Massé’s goal was a late-game power-play snipe that gave Chicoutimi a glimmer of hope with just 28 seconds remaining. With Everett leading 4-2 and goaltender Lucas Beckman pulled for the extra attacker (creating a 6-on-4 advantage after a late penalty), the Anaheim Ducks prospect wired a one-timer from the slot — set up by Thomas Desruisseaux and Jordan Tourigny — past Anders Miller to cut the deficit to 4-3 at 19:32 of the third.
A brutal give away by Chicoutimi right on the tape for Matias Vanhanen to tap it into the empty net and make the score of the game 5-3 with only 21 seconds left.
Shots on goal in the third period were 16-12 for Everett. The Silvertips outshot the Sagueneens 37-25 in the game.
Anders Miller made 22 saves on the 25 shots that he faced for the win for the Silvertips. For Chicoutimi Lucas Beckman made 32 saves on the 36 shots he faced.
The star of the game was Jesse Heslop
Attendance in Kelowna was 6007
Next Memorial Cup game is Sunday May 24th when the Kelowna Rockets play Chicoutimi
