The Kelowna Rockets are the hosts of the 2026 Memorial Cup.
Anticipation continues to grow as the 2026 Memorial Cup is just a few weeks away. This year's tournament will be hosted by the Kelowna Rockets, who are hoping to bring a championship back to the WHL for the first time since 2014. Leading the way for the Rockets is Head Coach Derrick Martin, who is ready to do whatever it takes to add a second Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.
The 2025-26 campaign was Martin's first full season as Kelowna's head coach. The 41-year-old has been with the organization for three years but took over as the lead bench boss only on January 10, 2025. In an interview with The Hockey News, Martin spoke about some of the takeaways and lessons he has learned this season.
"Having taken over halfway through the previous year, I had an opportunity to gain experience with the league and the people in it and understand just how players think at this level," said Matrin. "How good the league and the players that are in it are, as well as the coaches you go up against every night and the preparation of work that goes into it. So feel like I had a pretty good baseline from my previous time in hockey, and also from the year before. I think going through this year and some of the things that we experienced. We turned over just about half our roster. As much as it was a learning experience, it was an opportunity to grow from a relationship standpoint, and bringing new guys in, you want to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. We've got a brand new staff here, so it was making sure that we got all on the same page and quickly grouping together. You almost take the experience that you all have as coaches from short-term competitions and put that into the mix. Being able to build relationships and get players on the same page quickly."
Prepping for a Memorial Cup run has its challenges. Not only does the team need to be strong, but there are additional distractions, as host teams are under more scrutiny throughout the season. As Martin explained, his team has done a good job of remaining focused all year as they prepare for what will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"The first half of the year, you spend time talking about the opportunity that's in front of you. Why are some of the decisions that are being made or being made on a daily basis. Making sure that your players and your staff all understand everything. You obviously hear from your opponents if you're having a tough night. They're giving it to you pretty good about being a Memorial Cup host. At the same time, I think our group has really embraced the opportunity. That pressure is a privilege. Spent the second half of the year not really talking a whole bunch about the Memorial Cup. We had 68 games in the regular season to take care of. We wanted to play playoff games. We were able to do that, and we've really just turned our attention back since we were knocked out of the second round and are focusing now on game one against the Ontario Hockey League."
Despite a strong regular season, the Rockets were eliminated from the WHL Playoffs in the second round by the Everett Silvertips. A host not winning their league has become a trend in the CHL, as the last team to accomplish the feat was the 2008 Kitchener Rangers. When asked about having around a month off before the tournament starts, Martin spoke about some of the challenges that can arise and how the organization is keeping its players ready despite not playing any games.
"If you look back at the history. The last 18 years, the host of the Memorial Cup hasn't won their way into the event. So there's enough experience. It became a little bit about leveraging relationships and contacts I had, or Don Hay had, or Bruce (Hamilton) had, and just reaching out to them to see what approach they took. So we've had some people that were willing to share with us, and it's helped us formulate our plan. But the trick is always the rest versus rust. You don't want to be rusty. The advantage that the three other teams in the tournament are going to have is they're playing games leading right up to the event. The advantage that we have is you feel like you can give your guys a little bit of rest and recuperation and try to get your roster as healthy as you possibly can. At the same time, we've got to find that competitive edge. We've got to create that internally amongst ourselves, and how we practice and how we work out. And so we've got to create challenges and put things in place for our players overcome. The way that I phrased it to them is, we're trying to solve a puzzle, and we've got to build it a piece at a time and put the final piece, hopefully, into play on May 21 in preparation for game one."
Derrick Martin of the Kelowna Rockets (Photo Credit: Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets)As for the City of Kelowna, it is ready to put on a show. The tournament is set to feature plenty of activities around the city, including concerts, family activities, and an exhibit from the Hockey Hall of Fame. For Martin, he is excited for the chance to represent what he and his family consider their new home on the CHL's biggest stage.
"I've long maintained that you want to be in a place where it matters. I think in Kelowna, when we win games, everyone's happy, and when we lose games, people are unhappy and I think that what you want. You want to be in an environment where people care and where it matters what you do. I think one of the great parts about Kelowna is it's a loyal following. It's a following that knows hockey. They know what it takes to win, and they have expectations of that. At the same time, I think what's really fun about being in a market like this is. There's not an NHL team playing above us. We are the hockey team in the city, and because of that, people know what the score was the night before, they know the players, they know the staff. I think that we're held accountable, but I also think they're respectful enough about it. I've never had anyone bothering me when I'm out with my family. The community itself has been very welcoming of my family and myself, and helped look after us when we picked up our family and moved here. So it's not just the place that we live. It's our home now, and we couldn't be more proud to call ourselves Kelownites."
Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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