The Lethbridge Hurricanes will not be hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup.
The Canadian Hockey League has announced that Kelowna, British Columbia will host the 106th edition of the tournament in the spring of 2026.
The Kelowna Rockets were one of the five Western Hockey League teams vying for the host gig. The other teams hoping to secure the spot were the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, Brandon Wheat Kings, and the Spokane Chiefs.
Of those teams, the Hurricanes and Tigers have never hosted the tournament. The Chiefs hosted the event in 1998, while the Rockets hosted in 2004 and the Wheat Kings in 2010.
“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,” says Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to these four finalists for all the work they put into creating outstanding bids. 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.”
The 2025 Memorial Cup is set to take place from May 22 to June 1 in Rimouski, Quebec.
The 2024 event was hosted by the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, marking the first time in 26 years the Memorial Cup tournament was held in the United States.
The Spirit won the event with a 4-3 win in the final against the London Knights. It was the team’s first CHL title.
