Anxious parents fill Prospera Place for Memorial Cup final

When the Rangers take the ice in the Memorial Cup final on Sunday, they’re carrying a lifetime’s worth of family memories with them — no pressure, though.

“You forget about all the miles, all the roads, all the everything. And when we repeat again next year, it will be even more exciting,” laughs Joel Schaubel, whose son, Jason, is the back-up goalie for the Kitchener Rangers.

Parents are the glue that keeps hockey families together, ensuring early morning practice times are met and sacrificing weekends to travel to tournaments. It’s all done in pursuit of a moment like this.

“It means a lot to me because it means a lot to my son,” shares Mary Grace Bilecki, whose son Alexander is eligible for the NHL draft later this month and has been generating a lot of buzz thanks to a strong OHL playoff. “He’s worked so hard. To see him on the ice it’s truly amazing. I never imagined being here when he was little, and all his hard work really paid off.”

Geoff Schneider played four seasons and more than 200 games in the OHL with Kingston, so he understands how hard it is to win a league title and compete for the Memorial Cup. Geoff’s son, Kaeden, is a “Black Ace” with the Rangers, a player who is on the roster but not often in the line-up. Kaeden’s job is to push other players in practice while keeping himself ready for the moment he’s called upon.

“We’re so proud of the team and of Kaeden for all the work that they’ve done to get here,” Geoff says. “The big family that they are, the culture that’s been built within the organization. That will take them through the rest of their life. It’s phenomenal.”

The culture that’s been built in Kitchener is something that Bill Reid has also noticed. Reid’s son, Cameron, was a first-round draft pick by the Nashville Predators last year and has been playing this week in front of his future NHL bosses, who are in attendance at the tournament.

“It happens every year in Kitchener because it’s a phenomenal organization, but this year in particular it’s been an absolutely unreal experience,” Bill Reid explains. “There have been a lot of players who play in this league over their careers who have never had the opportunity to play in the Memorial Cup.”

Much like the bond formed between teammates throughout a season or a career, the families have also grown close as they’ve shared the ups and downs of their sons’ journeys through junior hockey.

“(Playing in the Memorial Cup is) certainly something that I think every player dreams about all their life,” says Kathryn Schneider, Kaeden’s mom, before adding, “I’m looking forward to the next few days and spending all that time with these incredible people.”

It’s not hard to spot the parent group. They’ve been sitting together at the games during the tournament, enjoying meals and sightseeing opportunities as a group, and even sharing Airbnb rentals in Kelowna. They also might attract a little extra attention thanks to the baritone voice of Gordon Bilecki, who’s never shy about starting a “Let’s Go Rangers” chant, no matter the arena he’s in.

“The pure joy of being able to share the experience of your child living their dream, playing the game that they love, is just pure joy,” says Gordon, whose own joy for the game is contagious.

Ask any player here in Kelowna, and they’ll tell you playing in the Memorial Cup is, indeed, a dream come true. But don’t forget the parents in the crowd and the emotion of watching their child realize that dream.

“I watched them do their warm-up, I watched them come out, and the game started and all of a sudden, it hit me. My kid is playing in the Memorial Cup,” says Tanya Reid, mother of Rangers captain Cameron, her voice beginning to crack. “And I had a little moment, and I had a little tear by myself.”

When the final game of this tournament begins Sunday night, you might want to peer into the corners of Prospera Place arena. That’s where you’re likely to find Tanya, having one more little moment to herself.