Kelowna's Memorial Cup run generated record $50.9 million, CHL says

The 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota generated an estimated $50.9 million in new spending in Greater Kelowna, the largest recorded economic impact for a Memorial Cup host community, the Canadian Hockey League said. The findings of the study, conducted by T1 Agency and commissioned by the CHL, were announced by the CHL and the Kelowna 2026 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee.¹

The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets hosted the CHL's championship event from May 21 to 31 at Prospera Place, drawing sellout crowds and 47,780 tickets sold over the 11 days. The Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers won their third Memorial Cup championship.¹

The study drew on more than 500 survey responses and examined spending attributable to the tournament in Greater Kelowna. According to its findings, many visiting fans stayed a week or longer, pairing time at the rink with wine tours, golf, boating and hiking.¹

The Memorial Cup showcases the best of the best from across the CHL, and Kelowna demonstrated the immense value this event can bring to a community. From sellout crowds and visitor spending to support for local charities, students and community facilities, the impact reached well beyond the rink. That is the legacy we want our championship to leave in the communities that welcome us.¹Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL

Norm O'Reilly, a partner at T1 Agency, said the results of the impact assessment were very positive and that the Memorial Cup is clearly a mega-event in Canada, one that brings in thousands of people and millions of dollars to its local market.¹

For 2026, Kelowna was an excellent destination for an event like this. Visitors travelled from far and wide, spent across a range of local businesses and tourism experiences, and were highly satisfied with their stay. That combination generated considerable benefits for businesses and the broader community.¹Norm O'Reilly, partner at T1 Agency

The tournament's community contributions total $137,000 in charitable support and scholarship funding. That includes $50,000 for Kelowna Minor Hockey to help families cover registration and equipment costs and $37,000 for the Child & Youth Advocacy Centre of Kelowna.¹

The Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program will provide $50,000 of that total to students at UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College over the next five years. Launched in 2022, the program already supports students in Saint John, Kamloops, Saginaw and Rimouski, and will expand to Guelph following the 2027 Memorial Cup.¹

Preparations for the tournament also accelerated improvements at Prospera Place. The City of Kelowna invested $3.8 million in venue upgrades, including a new centre-hung LED video board, a professional audio system, more than 75 new screens, arena-wide Wi-Fi, two new electric ice resurfacers and upgraded media facilities. The improvements will continue to serve the Rockets, other arena users and future events.¹

We're thrilled at the results of the economic impact study. We saw the excitement throughout the tournament, and it's incredibly rewarding to see that reflected in such a significant benefit for our local economy. This result is a credit to our community partners, local businesses, volunteers and everyone who helped welcome fans to Kelowna. As an organizing committee, we couldn't be prouder of what our community accomplished together.¹Steve Thomson, co-chair of the 2026 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee

The 2027 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota will be hosted by the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm in Guelph, Ontario, from May 20 to 30, 2027.¹