Rangers face tall task with chance to advance to Memorial Cup final
Posted May 26, 2026 03:57:28 AM.
Last Updated May 26, 2026 07:05:25 AM.
The Kitchener Rangers have assured themselves of at least a berth in the Memorial Cup semi-final. After a 6-2 dismantling of the Western Hockey League champion Everett Silvertips on Monday night, the Rangers improved to 2-0 at the tournament and will play in Friday’s semi for sure. Of course, another win over Chicoutimi on Tuesday night and Kitchener advances directly to Sunday’s championship.
In their more than 60 years as a franchise, the Rangers are making their seventh Memorial Cup appearance. The Chicoutimi Saguenéens have been around for more than 50 years, and this marks their fourth Memorial Cup appearance. One of the biggest differences, though, is that the Rangers have won the Memorial Cup twice, while the Saguenéens are still looking for their first championship. Oh, and it’s been almost 30 years since they’ve been here, last appearing at the Memorial Cup in 1997, when the Saguenéens were a runner-up, losing in the Quebec league final to host Hull as both teams advanced to the tournament.
François Gingras is the play-by-play voice for the Sags and says the timeline between championship appearances is deceiving.
“The last time the Sags were really good was in 2020 and there was COVID, so the season was ended,” Gingras reminds us. “The Sags were able to have a lot of success in their games (this season), so they need to continue that way (at the Memorial Cup).”
Chicoutimi won 49 games this past season – the second-most in franchise history – while piling up an impressive 321 goals and only allowing 150 against. The Sags lost their first game at the Memorial Cup to the Everett Silvertips but rebounded 24 hours later with a win over the host Kelowna Rockets. Now, Gingras says, the goal is to bring the big prize back to Chicoutimi.
“All the city is vibing over the Sags right now and if the Sags are able to win the Memorial Cup, I can’t wait to come back to Chicoutimi and see all the fans excited because we won the Gilles-Courteau Trophy (the QMJHL championship) and it was amazing the next day in Chicoutimi,” Gingras shares. “So, if the Memorial Cup can come home, too, I can’t even describe what’s going to happen.”
The Rangers would love to spoil those party plans and bring a third Memorial Cup home to Kitchener instead. With wins already at the tournament over Kelowna and Everett, the Rangers can complete a perfect round robin with a win Tuesday, while advancing directly to Sunday’s championship game.
Our coverage from Kelowna continues Tuesday night on 570 NewsRadio as the Rangers play the Saguenéens, starting with the pregame show at 8:30 EDT.
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