Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna celebrates a goal in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Hitmen on Sept. 22, 2023 at Co-op Place. The Tigers have announced an intent to bid on the 2026 Memorial Cup.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Medicine Hat Tigers fans received long awaited and desired news Wednesday.
The local WHL club announced Wednesday they had submitted an intent to bid on the 2026 Memorial Cup.
“Hosting a tournament of this magnitude has the potential to have an enormous economic impact for both the City of Medicine Hat and the southeastern Alberta region,” said Tigers’ president Darrell Maser in a release.
The Tigers are the fifth WHL team to publicly announce an intent to bid on the 2026 tournament, joining the Kelowna Rockets, Brandon Wheat Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Spokane Chiefs. Teams were required to submit by June 14 but were not required to publicly announce it.
Co-op Place was opened in 2015 and seats 7,100 people. The deadline for full bids being due to the CHL is Sept. 20, with the winning team to be announced in late November.
“With a renowned history that includes WHL Championships and Memorial Cup titles, all backed by a passionate fanbase, the Tigers represent one of the most storied franchises in Canadian Major Junior Hockey,” league commissioner Dan Near said in a release. “The commitment from the Maser family and the City of Medicine Hat is to be commended.”
Tigers’ head coach and general manger Willie Desjardins has coached in two Memorial Cups, leading the Tigers to a fourth place finish in the 2004 tournament in Kelowna and a second place finish in the 2007 tournament held in Vancouver.
Desjardins says Wednesday’s news is exciting for both fans and the city.
“I believe Medicine Hat is a great place and I think it could be a really good event here,” Desjardins said.
While he’s usually been focused on the hockey while attending Memorial Cups in the past, Desjardins recognizes all the events that exist around the tournament to make it a spectacle and sees the potential in Medicine Hat to provide a desired atmosphere.
“Medicine Hat has hosted the U17s and has hosted other big hockey events where there’s had to be volunteers and hotels, so it’s not that this hasn’t been done in the city,” Desjardins said.
“What’s exciting about the Memorial Cup, is that it’s more than just a hockey event. It really is a community event, there’s entertainment that goes along with the games, there’s a boost to the local economy, lots of people coming in. There’s lots of things that could make this a really exciting time.”
Medicine Hat deputy mayor, Coun. Ramona Robbins, was quoted in the Tigers’ release, and says the city is looking forward to offering support.
“The City of Medicine Hat is excited to learn of the Medicine Hat Tigers intent to pursue hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup, the pinnacle of achievement in the Canadian Hockey League,” Robbins said. “A Memorial Cup tournament will have a significant, positive impact on our city and region and we look forward to working with the Medicine Hat Tigers in their pursuit of being the host club.”
The Tigers have won the Memorial Cup twice, with back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988.
“Being able to host the 2026 Memorial Cup on home ice would be a great experience for all Tigers’ fans,” Maser said.
Life-long Tigers fan Dale Engel started a Facebook group, ‘Medicine Hat Tigers 2026 Memorial Cup Fan Page,’ in hopes of showcasing the fanbase’s interest in hosting the tournament.
Engel, who volunteers during Tigers games, says he started the group of 500-plus fans to do what he could to get the tournament in the city for those who couldn’t travel to other tournaments and those who have long volunteered or cheered on the club. He cited a desire for a Memorial Cup to happen in Medicine Hat with former voice of the Tigers Bob Ridley in attendance as another reason he started his push.
Engel says he’s looking forward to the buzz in the city around the team and the bid moving forward.
“With stuff being built and things progressing, people getting together, being on one page and not divisive,” Engel said. “This is going to be the start of that, it’s not going to be the sole thing, but it’s going to start a lot of positivity.”
Tigers defenceman and Medicine Hat product Josh Van Mulligen was excited by the news and says it would be big for both the team and the city.
“It’s a really nice city here, with the new rink and we’ll have an amazing team, so it seems like the perfect spot for it,” Van Mulligen said.
“While our focus is on this year and winning this year, if we have a chance to do it on home ice, it would be really cool.”
Desjardins says the acquisitions they made at the 2024 WHL draft, trading for 18-year-old defencemen Jonas Woo and Bryce Pickford, were made to improve the team this season with an eye as well to 2026, with a potential to host in mind. He says the team stacks up well for the window to host.
A bright spot of that roster is 16-year-old forward Gavin McKenna, who is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Desjardins says this is the best chance they’ll have of a bid with the roster and McKenna in the lineup, and he’s committed to do whatever is asked of him in the bid process to make good on the opportunity.
“With Gavin coming in his draft year, there’s certain things now that make it unique and give us the best chance we might ever have of getting it,” Desjardins said.
“The city built the arena and one of the comments was that we could host an event like this. Well, now we have the chance to host an event like this. That was one of the reasons it was built and now, we have to do everything we can to make that happen.”
