Up until this year, Seattle, Spokane and Portland have been the only U.S. cities to host the biggest prize in major junior hockey, the Memorial Cup. Beginning May 24, the 2024 tournament will be held 100 miles northwest of Detroit in Saginaw, MI, home of the OHL Saginaw Spirit. As fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds well know - they were Memorial Cup finalists last season - round-robin play includes the champions of the three major junior leagues under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. Joining the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL winners is a host team, this year the Spirit. The T-Birds, in a rebuilding season, won't be making another run at the Cup. But the Everett Silvertips, currently third in the WHL Western Conference, have a decent shot. Joely Stockl, Ontario Hockey League site editor for The Hockey News, joined us for a Memorial Cup preview and other amateur hockey happenings in our Kraken Reaction conversation. KR Memorial Cup Talk
