In the end, the 2026 Memorial Cup final was less about the back-and-forth early scrap and more about a deeper statement on what it takes to claim junior hockey’s ultimate prize. The game opened with the kind of frantic pace that had fans on their feet right away—Luke Ellinas tipping home the first goal, Matias Vanhanen answering in a heartbeat, Dylan Edwards restoring Kitchener’s edge before Jared Woolley’s late-second-period rocket made it 3-1—but those early tallies only set the stage. Once the Rangers flipped the switch in the third, with Jack Pridham and Sam O’Reilly cashing in 37 seconds apart on the power play, the contest turned into a coronation. Carter Bear’s backdoor finish gave Everett a momentary pulse, yet by then the outcome felt inevitable. For Kitchener, this wasn’t just another title; it was their third Memorial Cup in franchise history, the first since 2003, capping an undefeated run through the tournament and a season that saw them dominate the OHL playoffs with veteran savvy and depth. It marked the third straight year an OHL club stood atop the CHL, while the Silvertips, in their first-ever Memorial Cup appearance, showed they belonged but simply ran into a machine built for this exact moment. When Christian Humphreys’ shorthanded empty-netter sealed it, the Rangers weren’t just winners—they were the clear kings of Canadian junior hockey for 2026, a team that blended skill, structure, and experience into something special that’ll be remembered for years.
2024 Ottawa Senators 4th rounder Luke Ellinas makes it 1-0 for the Rangers at 5:47 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Alexander Bilecki and Haeden Ellis.– Luke Ellinas opened the scoring for the Kitchener Rangers just 5:47 into the Memorial Cup final, getting the faintest tip on Alexander Bilecki’s point shot that beat Everett goalie from close range. The quick strike set the tone for the Rangers’ 6-2 romp, though the Silvertips answered just 28 seconds later in a wild early exchange.
Nokia, Finland (home of all those phones) native Matias Vanhanen ties up the game for the Tips at 6:15 of the first period. The assist went to Landon Dupont.–Matias Vanhanen answered just 28 seconds later for the Everett Silvertips, banging home a rebound in front after Landon DuPont’s sharp shot was kicked out by Christian Kirsch. The Finnish prospect’s quick strike knotted the Memorial Cup final at 1-1 early in the first, giving the underdogs a spark in what became a 6-2 Kitchener romp.
20 year old Quinnipiac commit and former Erie Otter Dylan Edwards gives the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 13:15 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Sam O’Reilly and Jack Pridham.–Dylan Edwards restored Kitchener’s lead late in the first period, wiring a sharp shot from the left circle off a crisp backhand feed from Sam O’Reilly with 6:45 to go. The 20-year-old’s second goal of the Memorial Cup final put the Rangers up 2-1, silencing Everett’s early momentum in what turned into a 6-2 Kitchener victory.
Shots on goal in the first period were 15-7 for Everett
Jared Wooley, the Los Angeles Kings 2024 6th rounder who is playing in his 3rd straight Memorial Cup gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead at 15:26 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Haeden Ellis and Wheatley, Ontario native Cameron Arquette.–Jared Woolley gave Kitchener some breathing room late in the second period, ripping a shot under the bar from the slot off a backhand feed from Haeden Ellis with 4:34 remaining. The LA Kings prospect’s marker made it 3-1 heading into the final frame and stood up as the eventual game-winner in the Rangers’ Memorial Cup victory.
Shots on goal in the second period were 16-9 for Kitchener
Jack Pridham makes it a 4-1 game just 26 seconds into the third period while the Rangers were on the Power Play. The assists on the goal went to Sam O’Reilly and Cameron Reid.–Jack Pridham snapped Kitchener’s two-goal lead back to three just 26 seconds into the third period, blasting home a power-play marker on a two-man advantage after Everett took back-to-back penalties. The Blackhawks prospect’s fifth goal of the Memorial Cup, set up by Sam O’Reilly, swung the momentum hard in the Rangers’ favour and opened the floodgates early in the final frame.
Sam O’Reilly made it a 5-1 game for the Rangers at 1:03 of the third period while on the Power Play. The assists on the goal went to Jack Pridham and Cameron Reid.–Sam O’Reilly extended Kitchener’s lead to 5-1 early in the third period, getting credit for a power-play goal when his shot attempt deflected in off an Everett defender’s skate at 1:03 on the lingering two-man advantage. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect’s opportunistic marker, coming 37 seconds after Pridham’s tally, effectively sealed the Rangers’ dominance and capped a four-point night in the Memorial Cup victory.
2025 Detroit Red Wings first rounder Carter Bear stopped the bleeding a bit and gave the Tips a glimmer of hope when he scored at 2:59 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Finn Julius Miettinen and Landon Dupont.–Carter Bear cut into Kitchener’s lead midway through the third period, snapping home a backdoor one-timer off a crisp cross-crease feed from Julius Miettinen at 2:59 to make it 5-2. The former Team Canada World Junior forward’s fourth goal of the Memorial Cup gave the Silvertips a brief spark of life in what was becoming a tough night against the Rangers.
Christian Humphreys scored short handed into the empty net at 18:23 with the assist on the goal going to Sam O’Reilly.–Christian Humphreys iced the Memorial Cup final with a short-handed empty-netter late in the third, firing the puck into the yawning cage from center ice at 18:23 after Everett pulled Anders Miller in a desperate bid to close the gap. The Colorado Avalanche prospect’s marker, coming while shorthanded, capped a dominant night for the Rangers and put the finishing touch on their championship victory.
Shots on goal in the third period were 9-8 for Kitchener. The shots were even for the game with each team registering 32.
Christian Kirsch stopped 30 of the 32 shots that he faced for the win for the Rangers. For the Silvertips Anders Miller stopped 26 of the 31 shots that he faced.
Guelph, Ontario — the Guelph Storm will host the 2027 Memorial Cup at the Sleeman Centre. It’ll be the third time the city has hosted the tournament (after 1998 and 2027 marks their bicentennial), with the event scheduled for spring 2027.
