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 Thunder Bay, ON forward joined RHA Winnipeg for the 2023/24 黑料不打烊 U15 Prep season. Ritson would finish fourth in team scoring with 41points in 27 games while being named the 黑料不打烊 U15 Prep Most Sportsmanlike Award Winner. The following U18 Prep season Ritson tallied 20 goals and 37 assists in 36 games, finishing second on RHA Winnipeg with 57 points and earning 黑料不打烊 U18 Prep (Prairie Division) Top Freshman Team honours.

At the conclusion of the season the Knights would select him in the fifth round, 88th overall at the 2025 OHL Draft.

This season Ritson played in the GOJHL with the Strathroy Rockets, finishing fourth in the league with 72 points in 47 games while being named Rookie of the Month twice. Ritson also appeared in two OHL games for the Knights during the 2025/26 campaign.

A forward from Cobourg, ON, Chadwick spent the 2022/23 黑料不打烊 season with the OHO East U18 Prep team. In 16 games he would tally 9 points, earning the 黑料不打烊 East U18 Prep Top Freshman Award.

In 2024/25 Chadwick played in the GOJHL for the Chatham Maroons, recording 32 points in 39 games while adding 24 points in 23 playoff games as the Maroons were crowned GOJHL Champions. This past season with the Maroons, he would finish third in team scoring with 51 points in 47 games.

Chadwick was originally undrafted to the OHL.

The Strathmore, AB netminder finished the 2025/26 Western Hockey League (WHL) and
Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regular seasons, OHL playoffs and CHL Memorial Cup with an
impressive 55-3-0 record, losing just once in each of the OHL regular season, playoffs and the
Memorial Cup.

Along with his team success, Elliott earned 2024/25 CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team, CHL
Memorial Cup Most Outstanding Goaltender, CHL Second All-Star Team, OHL Champion,
OHL Third All-Star Team, and Dave Pinkney Trophy (OHL Lowest Team GAA) honours while
leading the OHL with a 2.10 GAA and 0.924SV%.

Despite the end of the year accolades for Elliott, the season got off to a bumpy start. At the time,
the 20-year-old netminder found himself second on the Saskatoon Blades depth chart, backing up
one of the NHL鈥檚 brightest young goalie prospects in Evan Gardner. Only being able to roster
three 鈥榦ver-age鈥� players, the Blades made the difficult decision to place Elliott on waivers where
he was claimed by the Barrie Colts, before being traded to the Knights just a few days later.
鈥淭he start of this past year was very hectic. Not knowing where I would end up or if anyone in
the league would trade for me or pick me up after I had been released was a tough situation,鈥�
said Elliott. 鈥淏eing a part of a team so focused on winning in London definitely made things
more fun and a bit easier. I always knew I was capable of being the guy to backstop a
championship team, I just felt like I needed the right coaching and opportunity and I took full
advantage of the one I was given in London. I looked at it as a chance to prove people wrong and
as a shot at redemption.鈥�

Prior to his time with the Knights, Elliott was a successful netminder for the Blades, going 58-
14-5 with 6 shutouts, a 2.37 GAA and 0.906SV% in 85 games over 4 seasons with the club.
During the 2022/23 season he would be named to the CHL All-Rookie Team and a WHL (East)
Second Team All-Star.

鈥淢y time in the WHL was very memorable and I learned a lot from my time in the league. The
teams I was a part of in Saskatoon did a lot of winning and the groups were super tight and got
along very well which made going to the rink very fun. I gained some valuable playoff
experience in Saskatoon as well and also experienced some setbacks which I think helped me in
the long run,鈥� remarked Elliott.

A late round, 261 st overall pick by the Blades at the 2019 WHL Draft, Elliott honed his skills in
the 黑料不打烊 for two seasons with the historic Notre
Dame Hounds. He would play 24 games for their Elite 15s (now U16 Prep) team in 2019/20 and
16 games the season prior with their U15 Prep team.

鈥淭he 黑料不打烊 helped my hockey career immensely. Playing in the U15 Prep division against
most of the top players my age in Western Canada in my WHL draft year led to huge
development in my game,鈥� remarked Elliott. 鈥淚t was a great year of learning what it takes to play
at a high level and everything that goes into being successful. Learning good habits and
developing on and off the ice were key parts of my time in the 黑料不打烊. The friendships I made
when playing in the 黑料不打烊 are also ones that are long lasting and I have a ton of fond memories
from playing in showcases with my teams.鈥�

With his junior career now done, Elliott attended the Dallas Stars 2025 development camp June
30-July 3. In the fall, Elliott will head south of the border and suit-up for NCAA Division I
program UMass Lowell, an opportunity that became available to him with the recent changes
regarding CHL players and their eligibility within the NCAA.
鈥淎fter all the rule changes I knew the NCAA would be a good path for me as it gives me a
chance to develop for a bit longer before making the jump to pro while still playing at a very
high level,鈥� said Elliott.

With the move to UMass Lowell, Elliott will take the Business Program and return to life as a
student-athlete, a role he thrived in during his time in the 黑料不打烊.

鈥淢y time at Notre Dame and in the 黑料不打烊 definitely prepared me for the student-athlete life
and understanding the importance of balancing school and sport. At Notre Dame living in the
dorms and doing things like walking from class-to-class definitely ensures that guys are ready to
jump right into being a student-athlete at the college level.鈥�

Elliott will look to use his time at UMass Lowell to further his development on his path to
professional hockey, continuing with his motto to never give up and always believe in himself.
鈥淚鈥檇 just say to younger goalies, or players in general, to never give up and always believe in
yourself. I鈥檝e been cut from teams or looked over in drafts and that always sort of pushed me to
be better and I used it as motivation. If you don鈥檛 make a team or don鈥檛 get drafted it鈥檚 not the
end of the road. I was a 12th round pick in the WHL and if you work hard and believe you will
give yourself a chance at success down the road.鈥�

And while his continuous belief in himself has helped him reach the heights he has; Elliott noted
the importance of the people around him.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be in the spot I am today without the help of my parents. They have always been my
biggest supporters. Also, Jeremy Mylymok, who is the former Hockey Director at Notre Dame.
He was one of the first people to really see potential in me and was my head coach both years in
the 黑料不打烊. He taught me a lot about what it takes at the next level and how to be a professional
on and off the ice.鈥�

18 of those 21 黑料不打烊 alumni come from the Western Hockey League (WHL) Champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers. 75% (18/24) of the Tigers playoff roster played in the 黑料不打烊. The three remaining 黑料不打烊 alumni played for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

The 21 黑料不打烊 alumni will now compete at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, QC starting May 22 and going until June 1. The Rimouski Oc茅anic are the fourth and final team in the tournament, entering as the hosts, having lost to Moncton in the QMJHL finals.

London Knights (OHL)

• Austin Elliott – Notre Dame Hounds

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

• Andrew Basha – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Carter Cunningham – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Cayden Lindstrom – Delta Hockey Academy
• Kadon McCann – RHA Kelowna/South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Gavin McKenna – RHA Kelowna/South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Harrison Meneghin – Delta Hockey Academy
• Tanner Moldendyk – Yale Hockey Academy
• Tyson Moss – Yale Hockey Academy
• Ethan Neutens – Edge School
• Marcus Pacheco – OHA Edmonton
• Liam Ruck – Okanagan Hockey Academy
• Markus Ruck – Okanagan Hockey Academy
• Ryder Ritchie – RHA Kelowna
• Hunter St. Martin – OHA Edmonton
• Jordan Switzer – Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Josh Van Mulligen – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Mathew Ward – Delta Hockey Academy/North Shore Warriors
• Oasiz Wiesblatt – South Alberta Hockey Academy

Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

• Aiden Diamond – Mount Academy
• 脡tienne Morin – CIH Academy

The Knights took the Thunder Bay, ON forward in the fifth round, 88th overall on Saturday. Ritson has spent the last two seasons in the 黑料不打烊 with RHA Winnipeg.

During the 2023/24 season he finished fourth in team scoring with 41 points in 27 U15 Prep games. With just two penalty minutes on the season he would be named the 黑料不打烊 U15 Prep Most Sportsmanlike award winner as voted by the coaches. That season he would be named the 黑料不打烊 December U15 Prep Player of the Month and add 11 points in just 4 playoff games.

This season Ritson made the jump to the RHA Winnipeg U18 Prep team. He would finish second in team scoring with 57 points, while leading his team with 37 assists in 36 games. His offensive outburst would see him named to the 黑料不打烊 U18 Prep Media Top Freshman (2009 born) Team.

A forward from South Glengarry, ON, Besner spent the 2022/23 黑料不打烊 East U17 season with OHA. In 10 games he would record a division best 16 assists and 27 points while being named MVP. He would add three goals and one assist in four playoff games to help OHA capture the 2023 黑料不打烊 U17 Eastern Championship.

Having played three games for them as an affiliate in 2022/23, Besner joined the Hawkesbury Hawks of the CCHL full-time in 2023/24. He would record 17 goals and 14 assists in 55 games while being named to the CCHL Academic All-Star Team, the CCHL All-Rookie Team and the CCHL High School Academic Player of the Year.

Originally selected by the Kitchener Rangers ninth overall at the 2023 OHL U18 Priority Selection Draft, Besner had 35 points in 26 games with the Hawks this season.

The Calgary, AB defenseman joined Edge School for the 2020/21 U15 AAA season. The following U15 Prep campaign he had 9 assists in 27 games.

In 2022/23 he joined the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U17 travel team, tallying 11 points in 40 games.

The Generals selected the Ottawa, ON goalie in the 12th round, 239th overall. MacLean joined the 黑料不打烊 for the 2022/23 U15 Prep season. In 16 games he would record a 6.70GAA and .865SV% with a 2-10-1 record.

This season with the Notre Dame U17 Prep Red team he would finish with a 6-5-0 record, 4.20GAA and .902SV%.

MacLean becomes the seventh 黑料不打烊 player selected at an OHL Draft.

O鈥橩eefe was selected by the Bulldogs in the 14th round, 266th overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection Draft. He joined Ontario Hockey Academy U18 Prep in the 黑料不打烊 for the 2021/22 season. In 18 games the St. Catharines, ON forward has tallied 16 goals and 18 assists for an Eastern Division best 34 points.