From a mid-season trade out of Kamloops to scoring on the grandest stage in major junior hockey, Everett Silvertips defenseman Kayd Ruedig reflects on his whirlwind journey to the 2026 Memorial Cup.
For a major junior hockey player, a mid-season trade can be a jarring, out-of-the-blue reality check. One day, you are settled into a locker room, and the next, you are packing your bags for a completely new city.
For defenseman Kayd Ruedig, that whirlwind became the catalyst for the greatest stretch of his hockey career.
Ruedig started the 2025-26 season with the Portland Winterhawks before being dealt 10 games into the season to the Kamloops Blazers.
Ruedig played 27 games with the Blazers before a roster shift, triggered by the return of Harrison Brunicke, sent him west to join the Everett Silvertips. Instead of dwelling on the sudden change, Ruedig embraced it, stepping directly into a powerhouse lineup and helping anchor a defensive corps that marched all the way to a WHL Championship.
Now, standing in the corridors of Prospera Place at the 2026 Memorial Cup, Ruedig is taking it all in.
"Coming over here, I was pretty excited," Ruedig reflected. "Obviously, they’re a really good hockey team, and I was glad to get the opportunity to fight for a chance to win a championship—and that’s what we did. So I’m super grateful."
Stepping into the Silvertips' dressing room meant sharing the ice with some of the most highly touted prospects in the world, including exceptional status phenom Landon DuPont and star forward Carter Bear. For Ruedig, playing alongside that calibre of talent has been an absolute masterclass.
"It just makes the game a lot easier," Ruedig said of his high-profile teammates. "They’re such good players that you learn a lot from them, and they help you a lot on the ice. Playing with them lets me do what I need to do to be at my best."
Like nearly every kid growing up playing minor hockey in Western Canada, Ruedig spent his springs glued to the television, watching the country's best four teams battle for the ultimate prize in major junior hockey.
"I’ve always grown up watching it. I’ve never actually been to one before this," Ruedig smiled. "Probably my favorite memories are just watching the finals with my dad or my mom—whoever was at the house. It was always on TV and I was always watching."
Fast forward to May 2026, and Ruedig is no longer just a spectator. He checked off a massive bucket-list milestone early in the tournament, finding the back of the net to record his first career Memorial Cup goal. While he modestly downplayed the achievement, the gravity of the moment wasn't lost on him.
"Once you start hockey at a young age, everyone wants to score a goal at the Memorial Cup," Ruedig said. "Obviously that happened for me. It was a lucky goal, but it went in the net, so I’m super happy it happened."
Next up on the docket is a crucial clash against the QMJHL Champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens. For Ruedig and the Silvertips, the blueprint for success remains entirely unchanged: trust the structure, play the full 60 minutes, and dictate the pace of the game.
"We’ll watch video and just try to be ourselves and be at our best," Ruedig said. "If we play a full 60 minutes, I don’t think there are a lot of teams that can compete with us. Just be at our best, and hopefully we come out on top."
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