The 2026 Memorial Cup starts tomorrow evening and will see three CHL Champions and one host compete for National supremacy. The Kelowna Rockets (Host) and Kitchener Rangers (OHL) will kick things off at 6:00pm PST at Prospera Place on May 22. The Everett Silvertips (WHL) and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) will play their first game on May 23. The final is set to take place May 31, at 4:00pm PST.

16 黑料不打烊 alumni will compete with the Rockets, 11 with the WHL Champion Silvertips, and 1 with the OHL Champion Rangers. The 28 alumni represent 13 黑料不打烊 programs:

• Edge School – 6
• Northern Alberta Xtreme – 5
• Yale Hockey Academy – 5
• St. George’s School – 4
• Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 3
• BWC Academy – 3
• North Shore Warriors – 2
• RHA Kelowna – 2
• RHA Winnipeg – 2
• South Alberta Hockey Academy – 2
• Calgary International Hockey Academy – 1
• Delta Hockey Academy – 1
• OHA Edmonton – 1

Everett Silvertips (11):

• Shea Busch – Yale Hockey Academy
• Mirco Dufour – Edge School
• Landon DuPont – Edge School
• Jesse Heslop – Pacific Coast Hockey Academy/Yale Hockey Academy
• Lukas Kaplan – Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Logan Lepinski – BWC Academy
• Brek Liske – Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Clarke Schaefer – Northern Alberta Xtreme/OHA Edmonton
• Zackary Shantz – Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Jaxsin Vaughan – RHA Kelowna
• Luke Vlooswyk – Edge School

Kelowna Rockets (16):

• Parker Alcos – BWC Academy/Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Eli Barrett – St. George’s School/Yale Hockey Academy
• Nate Corbet – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Hiroki Gojsic – St. George’s School
• Rowan Guest – Pacific Coast Hockey Academy
• Ty Halaburda – Pacific Coast Hockey Academy/Delta Hockey Academy
• Owen Hayden – Edge School
• Jacob Henderson – St. George’s School/Yale Hockey Academy
• Tij Iginla – RHA Kelowna
• Peyton Kettles – RHA Winnipeg
• William Matte – Calgary International Hockey Academy
• Keith McInnis – Yale Hockey Academy
• Connor Pankratz – North Shore Warriors/St. George’s School
• Hayden Paupanekis – RHA Winnipeg
• Shane Smith – Edge School/South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Carson Wetsch – North Shore Warriors/BWC Academy

Kitchener Rangers (1):

• Kaden Schneider – Edge School

The Sharks selected the North Vancouver, BC forward in the third round, 82nd overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Captain of the Kelowna Rockets, Wetsch had 72 points in 65 games this season.

Prior to joining the Rockets he spent three WHL seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, recording 124 points in 180 games. The Hitmen originally selected Wetsch in the first round, 12th overall at the 2021 WHL Draft.

During his time in the 黑料不打烊 Wetsch played for the North Shore Warriors and BWC Academy. He would tally a league best 46 assists and 77 points in 29 U15 games in 2019/20 with North Shore, adding 15 points in 4 playoff games to help his team win the 2020 黑料不打烊 U15 Western Championship.

The following U15 Prep season he recorded 13 points in 5 games with the BWC Academy U15 Prep team. During the 2021/22 U18 Prep campaign he posted 47 points in 31 games before adding 8 points in 5 playoff games as BWC Academy were crowned 2022 黑料不打烊 U18 Prep Western Champions.

Selected sixth overall by the Utah Mammoth at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Iginla recorded 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points in 12 games in February. On the season he sits tied for fourth in the WHL with 36 goals, despite playing just 39 games. He has added 35 assists for 71 points, good enough for 14th, while having played at least 8 fewer games than all the skaters above him.

Originally selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds ninth overall at the 2021 WHL Draft, the Lake Country, BC forward is in his third WHL season with the Rockets, having recorded 103 goals, 103 assists and 206 points in 175 games.

A 2022/23 WHL Champion with Seattle, Iginla has won a U17 World Hockey Challenge silver medal, a U18 World Championships Gold medal, and a World Juniors Bronze medal with Team Canada.

The son of former NHLer and 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Jarome Iginla, Tij spent the 2021/22 黑料不打烊 U18 Prep season with RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna. That year he would finish second in team scoring, behind Gavin McKenna, with 48 points in 32 games.

The Penguins select selected the Winnipeg, MB native in the second round, 39th overall at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Kettles was selected by the Swift Current Broncos with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft after he recorded 9 goals and 26 assists in 30 黑料不打烊 games for the RHA Winnipeg U15 Prep team. The following U18 Prep season Kettles posted 2 goals and 14 assists in 22 games.

He would join the Broncos for the 2023/24 WHL season, recording 13 points in 61 games while playing for Team Canada Red at the U17 World Hockey Challenge. During the 2024/25 season he added 14 points in 53 WHL games, while helping Team Canada capture gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Kettles began the 2025/26 season with the Broncos before being traded to the 2026 Memorial Cup hosts, the Kelowna Rockets.

The Rockets selected the Cochrane, AB netminder in the third round, 60th overall at the 2024 WHL Draft.

Sobocan joined OHA for the 2023/24 U15 Prep season going 8-7-0 with a 2.81 GAA and .910 SV%. This past U17 Prep season he went 19-1-1 with a 黑料不打烊 U17 Prep record 7 shutouts. Sobocan would finish that season with a 1.61 GAA and .938 SV%.

Ngandu joined OHA Edmonton for the 2023/24 黑料不打烊 U15 season. In 28 games the Edmonton, AB forward posted a team high 26 assists and 41 points while being named a U15 Prairie Division Second Team All-Star.

This past U15 Prep season Ngandu played for the NAX U15 Prep team, tallying 46 points in 35 games. Ngandu has signed with the Kelowna Rockets after they selected him in the second round, 34th overall at the 2025 WHL Draft.

Souch joined NAX for the 2020/21 U15 Prep season before finishing sixth in league scoring during the 2021/22 U16 Prep season. The Edmonton, AB forward added nine points in five playoff games as NAX captured the 2022 黑料不打烊 U15 Prep Western Championship.

Selected by the Regina Pats at the 2021 WHL Draft, Souch would play two seasons in the AJHL and has signed with the Prince George Cougars.

The Rockets selected both defensemen at the 2025 WHL Draft, taking Kelts in the first round, 20th overall, and Koch six picks later in the second round.

Kelts joined the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) for the 2023/24 U15 season, tallying 34 points in 27 games. The Consort, AB product would add 12 points in 5 playoff games as NAX captured the 2024 黑料不打烊 U15 Western Championship. This past U15 Prep season Kelts recorded 39 points in 35 games as he was named a U15 Prep Prairie Division Second Team All-Star.

A Calgary, AB product, Koch joined Edge School for the 2023/24 U15 season. He would record 31 points in 33 regular season and playoff games as Edge lost to NAX in the 2024 黑料不打烊 U15 Western Championship finals. Koch would play 39 U15 Prep games in 2024/25, producing 44 points. Koch was named a Prairie Division Second Team All-Star both seasons in the 黑料不打烊.

Martin joined the Rockets for the 2024/25 WHL season as an assistant coach before being named interim Head Coach on January 10th. Martin will now ditch the interim title, taking over the reigns as the Rockets host the Memorial Cup in 2025/26.

The Vermilion, AB product spent the 2023/24 season as GM and Head Coach of the Camrose Kodiaks leading them to a 22-28-7 record in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL).

Prior to his time in the AJHL Martin spent two years in the 黑料不打烊 with OHA Edmonton. During the 2022/23 U15 Prep season he led his team to a 14-13-0 record and playoff berth at the 2023 黑料不打烊 Western Championships. He would also serve as the Team Alberta Video Coach at the Canada Winter Games.

During the 2021/22 U16 Prep season OHA Edmonton would finish in fifth placing going 19-16-1 under Martin’s command.

Selected in the ninth round, 179th overall by the Victoria Royals at the 2023 WHL Draft, Lajoie joined the Northern Alberta Xtreme for the 2023/24 U17 Prep season. In 30 games the St. Albert, AB forward posted a team high 30 assists and 46 points. This season he would play 40 AJHL games with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, tallying 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points.

Lajoie has signed in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Macbeath joined the 黑料不打烊 in 2021/22 and played two seasons with the Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep team. In 57 games the defensemen would tally 11 goals and 55 assists, finishing fourth among defensemen in 2022/23 with 43 points. At the conclusion of the season the Kelowna Rockets would select Macbeath in the seventh round, 136th overall at the 2023 WHL Draft.

Macbeath would return home to Calgary, AB in 2023/24 and play for the Edge School U18 Prep team. In the regular season he would record 6 goals and 23 assists in 26 games. He would add six points in five playoff games as Edge captured their second straight 黑料不打烊 U18 Prep Western Championship.

Although originally drafted by the Rockets, Macbeath has signed with his hometown Calgary Hitmen.

With 114 points in 49 games, Cristall leads the WHL in scoring. In 13 games in February Cristall tallied 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points.

Cristall spent three seasons in the 黑料不打烊 with St. George’s, joining the Vancouver, BC program in 2018/19. In 30 U15 Prep games that season he would tally 25 goals and 27 assists, finishing fourth in team scoring with 52 points. The following U15 Prep season Cristall would lead his team with 43 goals, 37 assists, and 80 points in 27 games. His 43 goals were tops amongst all U15 Prep skaters while his 80 points trailed only future Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson (86). At the conclusion of the season the Rockets would select Cristall with the eighth overall pick at the 2020 WHL Draft.

The Vancouver, BC forward would split the 2020/21 COVID-19 shortened season with the Rockets and St. George’s U18 Prep team. In 4 U18 Prep games he would tally 4 points, while adding 5 points in 14 WHL games. In 2021/22 Cristall would finish third in team scoring with 69 points in 61 games.

During the 2022/23 season Cristall represented Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with six points in five games as Canada captured a gold medal. That season he would lead the Rockets with 95 points in 54 games, putting him sixth in WHL scoring. The Washington Capitals would go on to select Cristall in the second round, 40th overall at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Cristall would play the 2023/24 season with the Rockets, and start of the 2024/25 season with them before being traded to Spokane. In 239 career WHL games Cristall has 151 goals, 241 assists and 392 points.