Kitchener Rangers kick off their Memorial Cup run Friday

Edmonton Oil Kings captain Griffin Reinhart lifts the Memorial Cup after beating the Guelph Storm in the championship game of the Memorial Cup CHL hockey tournament in London, Ont., on Sunday, May 25, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley​)

After receiving a roaring hometown send-off, the Kitchener Rangers have landed in Kelowna, B.C., with a singular focus – to bring home the Memorial Cup.

The Rangers will square off against the host Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on Friday. The puck drops at 9 p.m. EST and TSN will broadcast the match live.

The tournament uses a single round-robin format, so the Rangers will play three games in just five days. Following Friday’s opener, the Blueshirts will take on Western Hockey League champions Everett Silvertips on Monday, May 25. Then, before closing out the round-robin on Tuesday, May 26, they’ll play the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champions Chicoutimi Saguenéens. Both games are set to start at 9 p.m. EST.

The top team in the round-robin phase will automatically advance to the finals on Sunday, May 31. The second- and third-place teams will then battle it out in a sudden-death semifinal match on Friday, May 29. Both championship games will air at 7 p.m. EST.

The tournament marks Kitchener’s return to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2008, ending an 18-year drought for the Rangers.

“Looking ahead, if the Rangers advance to the Memorial Cup Final on Sunday, May 31, plans are already underway to create a larger, community-focused watch party to bring fans together and celebrate this exciting moment,” said a spokesperson for the City of Kitchener, in a statement. “We look forward to rallying the community to support the team as they make their push for victory.”

On Tuesday, the City of Kitchener hosted a free pep rally to send the Rangers off in style. Hundreds of fans gathered outside city hall to cheer on the players ahead of the Memorial Cup.

For longtime fan Dillon Williams, the moment was years in the making.

“I’ve been a fan since I was three years old,” he said, adding that his family has held season tickets for decades. “It’s been since 2008 we’ve had a championship team.”

Williams was also in Barrie for Game 4 of the OHL final, where the Rangers swept their series against the Colts to secure their berth.

No matter who wins the Memorial Cup, the trophy is guaranteed to be in southwestern Ontario by 2027. Guelph will be hosting the tournament, which also coincides with the city’s 200th birthday.