Wheat Kings to bid on 2026 memorial cup
On Friday, the Brandon Wheat Kings announced their intent to bid on the holy grail of junior hockey - the CHL Memorial Cup - with plans to host the event in May 2026 at the newly renovated Westoba Place at the beloved Keystone Centre.
Last hosted in Saginaw, the Memorial Cup is annually awarded to the champion of the CHL. Brandon now joins the Kelowna Rockets as the lone teams to bid on the 10-day tournament in 2026, but announcements from other WHL teams are expected over the coming days.
“Hosting this event would be a tremendous honour for our organization, our city and our province,” team owner Jared Jacobson said. “Brandon, and Manitoba, have a storied history in hockey, and we are excited about the opportunity to showcase our community and province to the entire hockey world.”
The Wheat Kings aim to bring this historic event back to Brandon for the first time since 2010, where they lost to a star-studded Windsor Spitfires team led by NHL talent Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Ryan Ellis, Cam Fowler and Phillip Grubauer.
In 2010, the Keystone Centre proved to be the perfect venue for the popular tournament. Since then, the venue has hosted numerous world class events and has made several improvements to the main arena including a brand-new seating renovation to be finished for the coming season.
On the ice, the Wheat Kings will have a strong core of top players and a tremendous amount of depth for the 2025-26 season.
“We are very excited with the cycle we are entering as an organization. The timing of the Memorial Cup bid makes sense for us with a strong group of core players that will be established WHL veterans, as well as a deep and talented prospect pool,” said head coach and GM Marty Murray.
Projected first round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft Charlie Elick will lead the charge on the back end while top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft Roger McQueen will provide scoring and physicality up front. Most importantly, goaltender Carson Bjarnason will be going into his overage season with the Wheat Kings in 2026 and will provide stability between the pipes, something the Wheat Kings haven’t had in past Memorial Cups.
With veterans like Bjarnason and Quinn Mantei mixed with trades and a bundle of young players such as McQueen, Elick, Jaxon Jacobson, Brady Turko, Joby Baumuller, and more first round picks to come, the 2026 Wheat Kings should be a powerhouse once again in the WHL.
There is no doubt the Wheat Kings will be strong on the ice, however there may be a larger battle for the Memorial Cup host spot than they think.
As of now, Kelowna is the only other team to announce their intent to bid on the 2026 Memorial Cup. In 2020, Kelowna was set to host the Memorial Cup before it was canceled due to the COVID Pandemic. Once again in 2023 Kelowna announced their intent to host the tournament but the honor was given to Kamloops. Now in 2026 the Rockets are doing everything they can to secure their spot as host, including the city setting aside $3.7 million for arena renovations.
What looks good for Brandon is the passionate fanbase. The CHL has proven to work better in smaller markets where it can't be overshadowed by another large sports franchise. Despite some questionable attendance since COVID-19 the Wheat Kings still mean a lot to not only Brandon but surrounding rural towns.
Since Friday’s press release the Wheat Kings have gained an immense amount of support from fans and some very important people, including Premier Wab Kinew, Mayor of Brandon Jeff Fawcett, and Minister of Sport Glen Simard.
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