Rangers shut out Rockets 5-0 in Memorial Cup opener
Photo by Steve Dunsmoor / CHL
KELOWNA, B.C. — The Kitchener Rangers opened the 2026 Memorial Cup with a statement performance Friday night, defeating the host Kelowna Rockets 5-0 in the opening game of the four-team round robin tournament.
Kitchener controlled much of the game territorially from the opening puck drop, outshooting Kelowna 39-24 while gradually pulling away before breaking the game open in the third period.
Dylan Edwards opened the scoring at 4:38 of the first period off assists from Carson Campbell and Cameron Reid to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead.
The game remained within reach for Kelowna through much of the second period before Jared Woolley doubled the Kitchener advantage at 17:33, finishing a setup from Jack Pridham to make it 2-0 heading into the third.
The Rangers then buried the hosts with a rapid three-goal surge midway through the final frame.
“The guys made it pretty easy for me,” Kirsch said. “They didn’t give up much, and that helped me get the shutout.”
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham scored at 11:32 of the third period from Luca Romano and Carson Campbell before Sam O'Reilly struck just 1:22 later off assists from Dylan Edwards and Alexander Bilecki.
Haeden Ellis added another at 14:14 from Bilecki and Christian Humphreys to complete the scoring.
“The first win is important,” Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas said. “I thought our team was ready, and we played a good team game.”
San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch turned aside all 24 shots he faced to record the shutout for Kitchener, while Harrison Boettiger made 34 saves for Kelowna in defeat.
Pridham and Edwards both finished with a goal and an assist, while Campbell and Bilecki each recorded two assists in the win. Pridham was named Player of the Game after helping lead Kitchener’s third-period surge.
The game also carried a physical edge throughout, with the teams combining for 42 penalty minutes. Kitchener finished with 20 penalty minutes while Kelowna recorded 22.
The Rangers outshot the Rockets 14-6 in the opening period and 17-7 in the second before Kelowna generated a stronger push in the third, though the outcome was already firmly in Kitchener’s control by that stage.
Kirsch also became the first goaltender selected through the CHL Import Draft to record a shutout at the Memorial Cup.
In the short Memorial Cup round robin format, the result gives Kitchener an early advantage while placing immediate pressure on the host Rockets heading into the remainder of the tournament.