In a press release on Thursday (Sept. 4), the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced the Kitchener Rangers and Guelph Storm as the two finalists with an opportunity to host the 2027 Memorial Cup.
The Memorial Cup is played on a three-year rotational schedule with a team from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) taking turns hosting the event.
Four teams expressed interest in hosting the tournament in 2027: the Rangers, Storm, Kingston Frontenacs, and Niagara IceDogs.
How the Memorial Cup Host Is Selected
The selection process begins with a written proposal, where each team interested must provide the CHL with details about their facilities, plans for accommodation, transportation, fan engagement, and financial breakdowns.
In addition to the venue and financial considerations, one of the most significant aspects of the selection process is having a competitive team that can hold its own in the tournament, as the host team receives automatic entry.
Then, the final decision is made based on a combination of the team’s strength and value to the CHL, once the finalists have submitted their formal bids.
Kitchener Rangers’ Case to Host
After finishing last season with a 57-15-4-2 record, the Rangers are poised for another strong season, with their only significant loss being Jackson Parsons, who won the CHL’s Goalie of the Year award last season.
As for their facilities, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (the Aud) is a massive building that consists of three rinks. In the Aud, the Rangers play in the Dom Cardillo Arena, which can hold upwards of 7,500 people.
Outside the arena, the Rangers have a substantial amount of parking available at the venue. However, they do not correspond one-for-one with parking spaces to seats. Typically, free parking is available on the suburban side streets near the arena, which some fans use for the game.
While the Rangers don’t have much in walking distance of the rink, the venue sits just a few hundred metres from an on-ramp to the Expressway that runs through the Kitchener-Waterloo Region and can be used to get anyone to their accommodations pretty much anywhere in the region in under 20 minutes.
The City of Kitchener has also invested $2 million in a new restaurant that can accommodate around 120 people, and the Rangers have also announced plans to upgrade other amenities at the rink.
Guelph Storm’s Case to Host
The Storm are starting this selection process on their back foot. Last season, they finished with a 21-38-5-4 record, the worst in the OHL’s Western Conference and the second-worst in the league. While they project to be better this season, they have a long way to go to be considered a team that can contend with the three other league champions they will have to compete against if selected to host this tournament.
The Storm play out of the Sleeman Centre, which is located in the heart of Guelph. It can seat just over 5,000 people. The only issue with the venue is that there is limited parking on site, and the majority of fans will have to use paid parking on the streets of downtown Guelph or park in nearby parking garages.
A significant part of the Storm’s pitch will be it being Guelph’s 200th anniversary since it was founded in 1827. This historical significance, combined with a thriving downtown core outside of the arena, has to be a significant reason they were selected as a finalist.
If a successful bid comes through, the City of Guelph has committed $600,000 and $100,000 in-kind commitment to help fund the tournament.
CHL’s Committee Has a Tough Decision to Make
Both the Rangers and Storm have been pillars in the growth of Canadian junior hockey with Guelph’s roots dating back to 1937 and Kitchener’s dating back to 1951.
Both have strong cases to host the event. The Rangers may have the edge in terms of the facility having more seats and more parking on-site. However, the city is much more spread out, and there are not a ton of local businesses within a short walk of the rink.
While the Sleeman Centre doesn’t have the seating or the parking of the Aud in Kitchener, there is much more around the arena within walking distance for fans, before and after games. That, along with the bicentennial significance for Guelph, could make up for what they lack compared to the Aud in Kitchener.
The biggest advantage the Rangers may have in this process is the quality of their roster. They were a much better team last season, and they are likely to be better than the Storm this season again. However, the Storm will be improved this season, and have claimed they expect to be at their peak for the 2026-27 season, while the Rangers could have a number of players leaving after this season.
Related: NHL Draft Picks to Watch at Kitchener Rangers Training Camp
The CHL’s selection committee has a tough choice ahead of them; both cities have strong cases, with strengths differing from one another. Fans travelling for this tournament will enjoy either city, and local fans can’t be disappointed either way, as the Aud in Kitchener and the Sleeman Centre in Guelph are just over 30 minutes apart. The final decision is expected to come in late November or early December.
