The Kitchener Rangers have fought four times in three round-robin games. Adam Kierszenblat explores that, the recent curse for 3-0 teams, European MVP candidates and more at the Memorial Cup.
KELOWNA, B.C.- The round-robin of the 2026 Memorial Cup is officially in the books.
The Kelowna Rockets, which went 0-3, saw their tournament come to a close.
Here is a look at some facts and stats from the round-robin portion of the Memorial Cup.
Kitchener Looking To Avoid The Recent 3-0 Curse
The Rangers have been dominant in this tournament, outscoring the opposition 14-4. Their 3-0 record is well deserved and reflective of their pre-tournament "favorite" label.
While the majority of 3-0 teams since 2000 have won the Memorial Cup, recent history is not on Kitchener's side.
In each of the last two Memorial Cups, 3-0 teams have fallen in the final.
The London Knights were perfect in 2024 before being beaten by the Saginaw Spirit in the championship game. Last year, the Knights defeated the 3-0 Medicine Hat Tigers to hoist the Memorial Cup.
If the Rangers want to lift this historic trophy for a third time, they will need to find a way to buck the recent trend.
Fight Night Is Every Night For Kitchener
Fighting has not been a trend in the Memorial Cup for the last few years.
Last year, there were zero fights, while since 2023, only three have occurred.
As for this tournament, Kitchener has shown it is more than willing to drop the gloves, having been involved in four scraps through three games.
As for the breakdown, Jared Woolley fought against Kelowna and Chicoutimi. Meanwhile, Andrew MacNiel dropped the gloves against Everett, while Carson Campbell also got into a tussle against the Rockets.
With plenty of emotion expected during the final, it will be interesting to see if the Rangers drop the mitts again.
European Players Leading The Way
Two European players are currently in the running for Memorial Cup MVP.
For Kitchener, Swiss goaltender Christian Kirsch has been almost unbeatable, while Silvertips Finnish forward Matias Vanhanen ranks tied for second in the tournament with five points. Danish center Anton Linde has also had a decent Memorial Cup for the Sagueneens, with one goal and one assist over his first three games.
A European player winning the Memorial Cup MVP honors is uncommon. It has only happened three times, as Alexander Radulov, Edgars Kulda and Leon Draisaitl are the only ones to have lifted the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy.
While there are a number of players in the running, Kirsch, Vanhanen and Linde will be in the conversation if their team wins the Memorial Cup.
Penalty Kill To The Rescue
One surprising trend that emerged from the round-robin was the teams' inability to score on the power play.
The only team with a power play percentage over 15 percent is Chicoutimi, which leads the tournament at 20 percent. As for the other three teams, the Rangers rank second at 12.5 percent followed by Everett at 9.1 percent, while Kelowna failed to record a power-play goal in the tournament.
While all four teams had decent penalty kills, the inability to cash in on the power play is surprising. All three league champions finished the playoffs at over 27 percent with the man advantage, while the Rockets were at 14.7 percent.
In such a short tournament, special teams can be a difference-maker, with the penalty-killers having a significant impact so far in the Memorial Cup.
Kelowna's Disappointing Tournament
There have been plenty of debates over the years surrounding whether the host team should get an automatic bye into the tournament.
Sometimes, the decision works out well, like in 2024, when Saginaw lifted the trophy at home, while other times the host struggles.
In 2026, it was the latter, as Kelowna finished the tournament having been outscored 12-2.
The Rockets' two goals scored are tied for the lowest goal total by a team at the Memorial Cup. They share that record with the 1998 Guelph Storm, which were also outscored 12-2. The biggest difference between these two teams is that the Storm were only shut out once, while the Rockets failed to find the back of the net in two of their three games.
With the round-robin complete, the semifinal is now set.
The Silvertips will battle the Sagueneens on Friday at 9 p.m. ET, with the winner heading to the final to take on the Rangers on Sunday, May 31 at 7 p.m. ET.
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