The ultimate area for the 2026 Memorial Cup will likely be decided over the subsequent two weeks because the WHL, OHL and QMJHL finals play out.
The winners of the best-of-seven sequence will be part of the host Kelowna Rockets in the four-team event, Might 22-31.
This is a have a look at the three league finals:
Kitchener Rangers (No. 1 seed in Western Convention) vs. Barrie Colts (No. 2 seed in Japanese Convention)
The Rangers completed off a five-game win over the Windsor Spitfires final Friday, whereas the Colts rallied from a 3-1 sequence deficit with two extra time victories after which a 5-0 Recreation 7 triumph on Monday in Brantford, Ont., towards the closely favoured Bulldogs.
Now, they’ve to go to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, one of many nice venues in junior hockey, for two extra highway video games to begin this sequence Wednesday and Friday.
The Colts performed many of the final three video games with out injured co-captain and Utah Mammoth first-round decide Cole Mammoth. Additionally they created some off-ice drama with their weird post-game press convention on Monday in which first-year coach Dylan Smoskowitz and star defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson answered each query with what is outwardly a crew slogan: “Nobody cares, work more durable.”
Smoskowitz, 33, has apologized (the Colts reportedly needed extra gamers in the press convention), and now hopes his crew can give attention to the duty at hand.
Rangers star ahead Sam O’Reilly received the Pink Tilson Trophy on Tuesday as probably the most excellent participant in the OHL.
It has been a busy 12 months for O’Reilly, whose NHL rights had been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Edmonton Oilers in the Isaac Howard deal final summer time earlier than he switched OHL addresses on the January commerce deadline when the Rangers acquired him from the arch-rival London Knights.
The sturdy two-way ahead leads the OHL with 14 targets in 14 playoff video games. He additionally has loads of expertise in the highlight, having received a pair of OHL titles and one Memorial Cup with the Knights the previous two years.
Colts goalie Ben Hrebik, who went undrafted final 12 months in the NHL, has to be placing himself into consideration for this 12 months’s draft together with his current play.
The six-foot-three Hrebik had a 40-save shutout in Recreation 7 towards the Bulldogs and stopped 54 photographs in a 4-3 extra time win in Recreation 6.
His playoff save share of .925 is nicely above Kitchener counterpart Christian Kirsch’s .894 clip. Kirsch, a local of Switzerland, is a fourth-round San Jose Sharks decide.
After the Knights and Oshawa Generals performed in the previous two OHL finals, we’ve got a special look for this 12 months’s championship.
Whereas a perennial energy, the Rangers have not superior to the league last since their final title in 2008.
The Colts, additionally a constant contender in the Japanese Convention, have not performed for an OHL crown since 2013 and received their solely league title in 2000.
Everett Silvertips (No. 1 seed in Western Convention and league) vs. Prince Albert Raiders (No. 1 seed in Japanese Convention)
The marquee matchup in this sequence, which begins Friday in Everett, Wash., options two dynamic defencemen.
Everett’s Landon DuPont, allowed in the league a 12 months early final season after getting distinctive standing, has been excellent. A front-runner to go first total in the 2027 NHL Draft, DuPont has 4 targets and 13 assists in 13 playoff video games. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if DuPont returns to the WHL or heads to the NCAA subsequent season.
In the meantime, Prince Albert’s Daxon Rudolph needs to be a top-10 decide in this 12 months’s NHL Draft. He leads WHL post-season scoring with 9 targets and 14 assists in 15 video games. Like DuPont, he could possibly be very intriguing for NCAA groups subsequent season.
Braeden Cootes began his season enjoying three regular-season video games for the Vancouver Canucks.
He might finish it on the Memorial Cup.
Acquired by Prince Albert this season in a take care of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Cootes has given a giant increase to the Raiders in their quest to seize their first WHL title since 2019. The Canucks first-round decide has six targets and 12 assists in 15 playoff video games, serving to the Raiders overcome the reigning champion Medication Hat Tigers in a six-game Japanese Convention last.
The Silvertips have nailed a pair of picks in the CHL Import Draft.
Finnish forwards Matias Vanhanen (thirty first total this 12 months) and Julius Miettinen (thirtieth total in 2023) lead the crew in playoff scoring.
Miettinen is a second-round Seattle Kraken decide, whereas Vanhanen is certain to be drafted this 12 months after being handed up final 12 months.
The Silvertips have fallen quick in their two appearances in the league last — in their enlargement 2003-04 season and 2017-18.
They will strive to grow to be the second American crew in three years to win the Memorial Cup after the Saginaw Spirit received on residence ice in 2024.
Apparently, that Spirit crew additionally featured a participant granted distinctive standing — present San Jose Sharks ahead Michael Misa.
Moncton Wildcats (No. 1 seed in league) vs. Chicoutimi Sagueneens (No. 2 seed in league)
These two groups battled for prime spot all season.
It wasn’t determined till the ultimate weekend of the season, with the Wildcats (50-10-2-2) ending one level forward of the Sagueneens (49-10-3-2).
Moncton received its last 9 video games to eke out prime spot.
It could possibly be essential. The Wildcats took benefit of residence ice to beat the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 6-2 in Recreation 7 of the semifinals on Tuesday.
The sequence begins Friday in Moncton, N.B.
Two coaches with wonderful resumes sq. off.
Chicoutimi’s Yanick Jean is the winningest coach in QMJHL historical past, although he’s nonetheless wanting for his first league crown.
Moncton’s Gardiner MacDougall guided the Wildcats to the title in his first 12 months in the QMJHL final 12 months after successful 9 U Sports activities crowns on the College of New Brunswick.
The Wildcats are attempting to grow to be the primary crew to go back-to-back in the Q since Saint John in 2011 and ’12.
Chicoutimi is making its first look in a Q last since 1997 and hasn’t received it since 1994.
The sequence pits final 12 months’s playoff MVP (Moncton’s Caleb Desnoyers) towards this 12 months’s regular-season MVP (Chicoutimi’s Maxim Masse).
Desnoyers is a Utah Mammoth first-round decide, whereas Masse is a third-round Anaheim Geese choice.
Nonetheless, neither participant is in the highest 5 in playoff scoring this season. Moncton’s Gabe Smith, additionally a Utah prospect, leads the way in which with 24 factors in 15 video games.
The highest two goalies in the QMJHL playoffs go head-to-head.
Chicoutimi’s Lucas Beckman, an Ottawa Senators prospect, has a 1.43 goals-against common, whereas Rudy Guimond is at 1.98 for Moncton.
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