Rangers officially submit bid to host 2027 Memorial Cup

After months of speculation, the Kitchener Rangers have announced the club has submitted a bid to host the Memorial Cup in 2027.

The Canadian Hockey League’s showcase tournament brings together the championship teams from the Ontario, Western and Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey Leagues, along with the host team, to compete for the Cup.

The tournament rotates each year between the three leagues, and the 2026-2027 year belongs to the OHL.

The Rangers last hosted in 2008.

The Blueshirts were among the teams rumoured to be making a bid. The Guelph Storm announced its intent in late June, and should it be successful, the tournament would coincide with Guelph’s 200th birthday.

The Niagara Ice Dogs are hoping to bring the tournament to St. Catharines for the first time.

Rangers Chief Operating Officer, Joe Birch, told 570 NewsRadio the club has had its eyes set on 2027 for a little while.

“It started about two or three years ago with the Cameron Reid and Luca Romano draft class and building around that age group and that draft class,” he said. “We have a hockey roster that we believe will be very strong this hockey season, but we do believe it is going to be at its strongest in ’26-’27.”

But, it’s not just the on-ice product the league looks at when making its decision. Facilities are a major component. Birch said the Aud is in great shape.

“Certainly, there are some renovations we are doing at the rink right now that fans are aware of. But the facility itself has always been world-class and state-of-the-art. What’s really amazing about this time around versus in 2008, is we have the expansion of the 1,100 new blue seats. So, this event to be able to showcase what the building looks like now versus where it was in 2008 will be very special.”

Back in May, the City of Kitchener announced it would be providing $2 million towards the construction of a new restaurant at the Memorial Auditorium. At the same time, the team said it would be spending $2.5-million to upgrade player facilities, including a new gym.

The team will now wait to see if it is shortlisted by the host committee. Should Kitchener make the list, the next step would be a more in-depth application with financial details, followed by interviews and a site visit.

The short list is expected to be announced in October, with the successful bid being announced near the end of November.