The 2026 Memorial Cup is coming to Kelowna

Photo: Contributed

The Memorial Cup is coming back to Kelowna.

The Canadian Hockey League announced the city has won the bid to host the 2026 Memorial Cup, beating out Spokane, Brandon, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

“We are excited to be heading to Kelowna for the 2026 Memorial Cup,” said CHL president Dan MacKenzie.

“With the largest number of CHL teams seeking to host a Memorial Cup in more than 15 years, the selection process for the 2026 tournament was incredibly competitive given the strong bids put forth by all five bidding clubs.

“We look forward to working alongside the Kelowna Rockets and the City of Kelowna to make the 106th edition of the Memorial Cup a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both fans and players alike.”

This is the second time Kelowna has played host to the Memorial Cup. Kelowna hosted, and won it in 2004.

The city lost out to Saskatoon in its bid to host in 2013 and were successful in 2020, however that event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHL Commissioner Dan Near said it was clear through the Rocket’s bid submission that the city has built an event that could go down as the greatest Memorial Cup in history.

Rockets president and GM Bruce Hamilton thanked those within the organization, Mayor Tom Dyas and bid committee co-chairs Dave Rush and Steve Thompson for their work on the bid and commitment to the event.

“The Memorial Cup is for the City of Kelowna and the surrounding area. We get the chance to bring this event back to the Okanagan and while it has been a long grind to get it, we’re excited for the city as well as our season ticket holders,” said Hamilton.

“It’s an opportunity for something special.”