Kitchener Rangers making a bid to host the Memorial Cup

The Kitchener Rangers are hoping to host the Memorial Cup in 2027. As CTV’s Karis Mapp reports, they’re not the only local team bidding for the tournament.

Two local Ontario Hockey League teams will be competing to host a major tournament.

A spokesperson for the Kitchener Rangers confirmed to CTV News the team’s intention to make a bid for the 2027 Memorial Cup.

“Late last week we formally submitted our intent to bid to the CHL,” Rangers’ COO Joe Birch said Tuesday.

The time, he added, felt right for the team to put in their bid.

“To the credit of Mike McKenzie and our hockey operations staff, they’ve been building a hockey team that is going to be strong this year but probably should be able to peak for that [20]26-27 hockey season.”

The Memorial Cup is one of the most sought-after trophies in junior hockey. It was first awarded in 1919 to honour those who had died fighting in the First World War.

Each year the top teams from the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, as well as the host team, compete for the cup.

“Our fans are the most passionate fans in the CHL, and they deserve this,” Birch said.

The Rangers have hosted the tournament three times, most recently in 2008.

The tournament is typically held over two weeks in May and attracts thousands of hockey fans from across the country.

Birch said the City of Kitchener is aware of their bid and fully supports the effort to bring the tournament back to Waterloo Region.

“One of the requirements in the intent to bid is ensuring that your building is available for the potential time frames,” he explained. “They’re an amazing partner of ours and we certainly wouldn’t be able to do this without their support.”

The Guelph Storm have also announced their plan to pursue hosting duties for the Memorial Cup, which would coincide with the city’s 200th anniversary celebration. City council also threw their support behind the Storm, pledging a one-time grant of $600,000 if the team is successful.

One thing is certain; Guelph and Kitchener won’t be working together.

“CHL big guidelines don’t allow for collaborative bids,” Birch explained. “Different than, say, a World Juniors hockey championship, where it might be in shared cities such as Montreal or Toronto.”

The Guelph Storm have never won the Memorial Cup, but the Kitchener Rangers claimed victory in 1982 and again in 2003.

The CHL will whittle down the list to two finalists and announce the host city in late November or early December.