Rangers advance – Kitchener Rangers defeated Chicoutimi Sagueneens 3-2 at the Memorial Cup in Kelowna, B.C., pushing the Ontario champions into Sunday’s final after improving to 3-0 at Prospera Place.
KELOWNA, B.C. — The Kitchener Rangers looked as if they were going to feel the pressure early. frozen at 0-0 after 20 minutes against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Then the game opened in the third. and Christian Kirsch’s 26 saves kept the Rangers in front as Jack Pridham and Sam O’Reilly put their names on the score sheet.
Kitchener won 3-2 on Tuesday at the Memorial Cup tournament. with Pridham and O’Reilly each recording a goal and an assist. Christian Kirsch stopped 26 shots. Luca Romano also scored for the Rangers. and Dylan Edwards added two assists for the unbeaten Ontario Hockey League champions as they advanced straight to Sunday’s final.
The Sagueneens had their own response. Emile Ricard and Mavrick Lachance found the net, but Chicoutimi slipped to 1-2 as the Rangers carried a 2-1 lead into the third. For all the late momentum, the Rangers held firm after taking that advantage when play settled down and goals started coming.
Chicoutimi had the statistical edge throughout the night, outshooting Kitchener 28-18, including a 13-3 shot burst in the third period. Both teams also went 0-for-2 on the power play, with no man-advantage swing to change who controlled the closing minutes.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 3-0 at Prospera Place, adding to earlier victories over the Kelowna Rockets and Everett Silvertips. The OHL has now won the last two Memorial Cups, after the Saginaw Spirit in 2024 and the London Knights in 2025.
Chicoutimi’s path remains tied to what happens next. The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Sagueneens will watch Wednesday’s all-Western Hockey League showdown between the Everett Silvertips (1-1) and the Kelowna Rockets (0-2). An Everett victory would ensure the Sagueneens advance to the playoff round.
Wednesday also sets the stakes for the Rockets and Silvertips in their own right. The Rockets. winless after two games. face the unbeaten-feeling challenge of another meeting with Everett Silvertips in the final round-robin game. The Silvertips beat the Rockets on April 17 in the second round of the WHL playoffs. winning the best-of-seven series in five games. though the final two contests were decided in overtime.
Memorial Cup Kitchener Rangers Chicoutimi Sagueneens Christian Kirsch Jack Pridham Sam O'Reilly Luca Romano Dylan Edwards Emile Ricard Mavrick Lachance Prospera Place OHL