2026 Memorial Cup Awarded to Kelowna
- Thread starter JMCx4
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FourQuarters
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- Mar 31, 2022
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Not sure why Kelowna was picked over MH and Brandon who will have better teams next year than the Rockets. Politics? Need a believable explanation.
FourQuarters
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They won the 2020 m-cup and built up a team, then 2020 tournament was canceled. They bid for 2023 m-cup with a strong team, including Cristall. Colton Dach and Szturc, but they were refused because CHL think their faulty isn't good enough for M-cup(which is enough for M-cup 3yrs ago)
So they're waiting and preparing this for a long time
They aren't goin anywhere this season. So it would make sense. And Kamloops should of gotten the 2020 one. Much stronger foundation, was 25 years after they last hosted. Kelowna didn't deserve it.
Hamilton all but confirming they’ll sell the farm this year to build for next season. “We will change a little bit now on the direction we are going in. We will be more focused on building the team for next year.”
Almost certainly. Don't think either comes back for their overager year.
Graham, Cicek and Stancl will probably be on the move too.
Will need to rack up a lot of picks to be able to turn the team into a contender for next season.
Seems to entirely be a make-up for 2020. Very curious from a roster perspective, I think Kelowna is in a much worse position to host next year than a lot of the other candidates. But I'd guess that's hardly a hot take here.
Really don’t know how Kelowna is going to field a strong team next year when Cristall and Iginla are likely both gone to the pros. Headscratching decision.. Has to be a do over for the team that lost the Mem Cup due to Covid. Hamilton will need to sell the farm and the buildings to field a really competitive team.
FourQuarters
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I don't think Iginla will go to prosn next season. Utah don't need to rush him, let him jump to NHL, especially when his junior team is going to host M-cup. Same as Price.
Even if they stay, what do the Rockets have for next year besides them? The Gojsik brothers, Varga, MAYBE Stancl... still a pretty weak roster.
FourQuarters
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A: Trade cristall for a younger star like Parascak and Catton, then keep Price, Iginla, Stancl. Rockets isn't too bad after Cristall returned, so they just need to find someone could replace Cristall next season.
B: Keep an OA spot for Cristall next season, and hope he will come back. Meanwhile build a team around Price and Iginla. Hiroki and Stancl are great players too.
Cristall nearly made the NHL as a 19-year-old. The chances of him coming back as an overager are zero.
Hamilton needs to trade him and Price as they will both play pro next season. Can trade them either for picks or players. Could flip picks at the draft for players, especially a goalie. Evan Gardner, anyone?
FourQuarters
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I don't think Price will go to AHL next season, he has a great season, but Kraken even didn't let him play a preseason game, Dman needs more time to develop, a lot of good dmen play their 20yo season with junior teams recently. For Cristall, yeah he is likely going to AHL, if we trade him for a goalie, that will be a great 18yo goalie i think, considering Price and Stancl will back for M-cup next season. That saying, if without Cristall next season, they need to find someone to fill the hole on the forward line&powerplay
I would be shocked if Price was back next season. It's exceedingly rare for a signed 20-year-old to be sent back to the WHL, especially a defenseman. Viliam Kmec in PG did this season, but he was also a free agent signing, not a third round pick.
I'm back in the 2015-16 season and haven't found one NHL drafted and signed defenseman who played their overage season in the WHL. Regardless of Kelowna hosting the Memorial Cup, I would not expect Price back in Kelowna next season.
Rockets are pretty screwed, they've lost their way when it comes to developing, they are loyal to players who are past their best due date. If they think they can just go and trade for half a team and be successful, they are in for a surprise.
Strummer53
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- Sep 11, 2021
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Price isn't coming back. Kelowna has to move him.
This is the draft they need to shop from effectively. Who do you see as options?
Would Leth move Marques, SC move Caswell or RD move Olli.
How about moving Price to MH and get Woo or Pickford back plus picks?
There are some rumours about Caswell going to the NCAA next season, so I don't know if that's in the cards.
Possibly Wetsch since Calgary is seemingly all in for this season? Hodnett out of Edmonton? Lakovic would be a nice pick up for them, but MJ would have no interest in Price or Cristall. Would have to be a few first rounders heading to MJ.
Probably need to do a 3 team trade to get the return from Cristall. Hockey trades (established player for player) are really tough these days, but since Kelowna is looking for a solid player in return, maybe they can do it if they package a pick or 2 with Cristall for a top end guy coming back. My handle says what I care about, but you need a goalie for next season as well. Pilon likely doesn't win a Mem Cup.
JMCx4
#HopeForHUTCH
Bowing to the far more seasoned & knowledgeable WHL fans contributing to this thread, please explain: Is it really a forgone conclusion that teams seek the Memorial Cup hosting award simply to retain/acquire & promote one or more exceptional players who are perceived to be the ticket to a Cup championship? In the NCAA Division I structure such opportunities are coveted strictly for program prestige & revenue generation (current & future). So I'm puzzled why the Kelowna MC bid award can't be considered to be about the money generated, with some recognition for their 30 years of WHL membership & being skipped as hosts for The COVID Year. 
I wouldn't say it's mostly about promoting a player or two.Bowing to the far more seasoned & knowledgeable WHL fans contributing to this thread, please explain: Is it really a forgone conclusion that teams seek the Memorial Cup hosting award simply to retain/acquire & promote one or more exceptional players who are perceived to be the ticket to a Cup championship? In the NCAA Division I structure such opportunities are coveted strictly for program prestige & revenue generation (current & future). So I'm puzzled why the Kelowna MC bid award can't be considered to be about the money generated, with some recognition for their 30 years of WHL membership & being skipped as hosts for The COVID Year.
It's all done by an independent committee who take a lot of factors into account. Arena location, arena size, airport, the city itself, hotels near the arena. Those types of things are big factors in who gets to host.
Kelowna's rink wasn't up to par in 2023, so they didn't get to host. Which honestly is a little confusing, because why was it good enough in 2020 but not in 2023? They got a commitment from the city to pony up a few million for upgrades, so that became a big factor as well. Not entirely sure what it is they're upgrading though.
I don't how much the on-ice product of a team plays in the factor of it, but it must not be too much since Kelowna's 2025-26 team is looking rather bleak right now. They'll make trades, yes, but as of this very moment they are looking like a bad team next season.
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