Hosts Begin Lining Up

One of the most prestigious trophies in sports will be awarded somewhere out in western Canada in 2026 as WHL teams begin to put together bids to host the 2026 CHL Memorial Cup tournament. Outside of the major cities which would have no issue with hosting the event, there are a handful of teams in cities that could bid for the honour of having the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL champions visit that would attract a lot of fans and sponsors. One has to wonder what the actual cost is to not only bid for the tournament hosting opportunity, but for some of the upgrades that are usually required for a handful of rinks to bring them up to Memorial Cup code. At the end of the day, a few cities are already in the running with another adding its name today!

The first team that I'll mention is the latest entry into the competition as the Lethbridge Hurricanes tossed their hat into the ring on Thursday as a potential host. This is the second time in the last five years that the Hurricanes have applied to be the host after missing out on the 2020 tournament. The city has never hosted a Memorial Cup tournament before, while Lethbridge-based WHL teams have appeared just twice at previous Memorial Cup tournaments since 1983. Alberta has hosted the event on five occasions with Red Deer being the most recent in 2016.

If the Hurricanes win the bid to host the tournament, Lethbridge City Council has approved $1.25 million in funds to help the Hurricanes with the hosting duties contingent upon that winning bid. Lethbridge has played host to a U SPORTS National Men's Hockey Championship prior to the Pronghorns hockey teams being axed from the University of Lethbridge, so it's not like the city hasn't played host to a major tournament in its past. Could they host another major hockey event?

"It's very exciting for us to once again bid for the Memorial Cup," Terry Huisman, Hurricanes General Manager of Business Operations, told Matthew DeMille. "We felt like we were very close with our bid for the 2020 tournament, but moving forward we think we have a better opportunity this time. There are many things that we have to get through in the four-step process, but we really feel good about where we are at, and we are going to work hard and do our due diligence to make sure we have the best bid."

The Hurricanes will face some stiff competition as a team from British Columbia was the first to get in on the bids when the Kelowna Rockets announced in mid-June that they wanted to host the tournament. The Rockets are looking to host the tournament for the second time despite them winning two bids before this as they hosted in 2004 and were supposed to host in 2020 before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be noted that the Rockets won the 2004 Memorial Cup as the hosts, so it seems like there may be a good lineage in the Okanagan Valley when it comes to successfully hosting the event.

The Kelowna bid offers the strength of being backed by the GSL Group which manages Prospera Place where the Rockets play. GSL has proposed upgrades to Prospera Place to be able to host the tournament, so we'll see if those upgrades are pushed through in time for May 2026. GSL president and CEO Graham Lee told Global News in the linked article that "the work would take seven months to complete", totalling in the ballpark of $18-$22 million. Clearly, that's more than the $1.25 million promised by Lethbridge, so there could be a pile of new toys for the CHL to work with in Kelowna.

"We are very excited to submit the Kelowna Rockets organization as a host for the 2026 Memorial Cup, along with the tremendous support and commitment from the City of Kelowna as our partner in this bid," Bruce Hamilton, Rockets President and General Manager, told Cami Kepke. "We also acknowledge the support of GSL. We are very excited to make every effort to host this event again, it would not be possible without the tremendous desire of the City of Kelowna in helping make this possible. This will be the first of a number of steps we will go through in this process."

Manitoba's lone WHL team saw Kelowna's entry and decided to get into the game as the Brandon Wheat Kings jumped into the bidding process with both feet one week later. Brandon last hosted the event in 2010, and may be the type of venue that the WHL is seeking with indoor conference areas, a hotel, a practice facility, and the main rink all connected under one roof. Brandon lost in the Memorial Cup Final that season to the Windsor Spitfires, and they've been involved in six Memorial Cup tournaments in team history, including 1949, 1979, 1995, 1996, 2010, and 2016. Brandon and the surrounding communities certainly will look to be a strong entry for the hosting duties in 2026.

The Keystone Centre, a partner in the bid, is undergoing a transformation this summer as the old red seats seen in the rink are being replaced with wider black ones. There will be air conditioning and dehumidification installed for the first time, bathrooms are being renovated, areas for better accessibility are being made, and upgraded security cameras were installed in 2022. While a lot of that doesn't sound like it would improve the product on the ice, it does make for a better fan experience which will come in handy during the warmer May temperatures when CHL fans arrive for the tournament.

"We are thrilled to announce our intent to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup," Jared Jacobson, Owner and Governor of the Brandon Wheat Kings, said at the press conference. "Hosting this event would be a tremendous honor for our organization, our city and our province. Brandon, and Manitoba, have a storied history in hockey, and we are excited about the opportunity to showcase our community and province to the entire hockey world."

I know which team would receive my vote, but I am a little biased in this competition. I will admit that I am a little surprised that none of the Saskatchewan-based WHL teams got in on the bidding, but three of the four WHL provinces are in the hunt. None of the US-based WHL teams jumped at the chance either, so it appears it will be a three-team race to see who hosts the 2026 Memorial Cup in one of Kelowna, Brandon, or Lethbridge.

The next steps in the process of the bids is already underway, and the four-person committee will narrow the field to two teams. After that, the winning bid is announced by the CHL in late November. With each of the teams and cities having distinct cultures, communities, and bids, this one doesn't look like an easy decision by any means.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!