The Kelowna Rockets looked like a team that hadn’t played in five weeks in the opening game of the Memorial Cup.
The Kitchener Rangers scored once in the first, again in the second and three times in the third to secure a 5-0 win over the host Rockets to kick off the tournament on Friday night.
An emphatic start from the @OHLHockey champion @OHLRangers in their #MemorialCup opener! 😤 pic.twitter.com/aD4VVjgTCX
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 23, 2026
Kitchener also dominated the shot clock – 39 to 24 over the course of the game – and it was 31 to 13 after 40 minutes.
But the shots didn’t exactly tell the story, as the pace of play was relatively even through the first two periods of play.
The Rangers jumped out of the gate with a flurry of shots and an opening goal courtesy of Dylan Edwards before the five-minute mark of the opening frame.
The host team began to carry the play, however, but the rust showed up in the offensive zone as they were unable to turn opportunities into shots on net or legitimate chances.
The middle frame started in a similar manner, with the Rangers coming out hot and pressing for a 2-0 goal, but Harrison Boettiger stood tall in the Rockets net.
Dawson Gerwing tried to fire the home crowd up with a fight, but Kelowna was unable to turn that momentum into a goal and Kitchener took advantage of that misstep.
Jared Woolley buried a sweet feed from former West Kelowna Warriors forward Jack Pridham late in the period to double the Rangers lead heading into the second intermission.
There was still hope for the Rockets in the final 20 minutes and the crowd got right back into the game thanks to a fantastic scrap between Nate Corbet and Carson Campbell.
And while the Rockets pressed for a goal to cut the lead in half, it was Pridham who delivered the dagger for the same fans who cheered for him in West Kelowna two seasons ago.
The 20-year-old scored with just under nine minutes to play, which was followed up in short order by goals from Sam O’Reilly and Haeden Ellis to put the game fully out of reach.
As the disappointed Rockets crowd filed out of Prospera Place, the clock wound down on the 5-0 Rangers victory and an opening game to forget for the host team.
The former Warrior Pridham was named player of the game with a goal and an assist in the blowout win.
With a goal and an assist, #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham is tonight's Player of the Game! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/rcyTaOI2nz
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 23, 2026
Kelowna won’t have much time to dwell on the loss, as they’ll be desperate for a win against the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Sunday night.
Prior to that, the Saguenéens and WHL champion Everett Silvertips will open their tournaments in game two on Saturday.
