Memorial Cup in Kelowna generated $50.9 million in new spending, 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 on Oct. 16. The CHL said the findings came from an economic impact study conducted by T1 Agency and were announced with the Kelowna 2026 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee.¹

The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets hosted the CHL championship event from May 21 to 31 at Prospera Place, where 47,780 tickets were sold across the 11-day tournament. The Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers won their third Memorial Cup championship.¹

The study, commissioned by the CHL, examined spending attributable to the tournament in Greater Kelowna and drew on more than 500 survey responses. The CHL said many visiting fans stayed for a week or longer, combining time at the rink with local experiences such as 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.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 described the Memorial Cup as a mega-event in Canada. "Visitors travelled from far and wide, spent across a range of local businesses and tourism experiences, and were highly satisfied with their stay," O'Reilly said.¹

The tournament's community contributions total $137,000 in charitable support and scholarship funding, the CHL said. 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

The City of Kelowna invested $3.8 million in venue upgrades at Prospera Place as part of preparations for the tournament, the CHL said. The work included 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.¹

Steve Thomson, co-chair of the 2026 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee, said the committee was thrilled at the results of the study. "This result is a credit to our community partners, local businesses, volunteers and everyone who helped welcome fans to Kelowna," Thomson said.¹

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