VIDEO: Memorial Cup in Kelowna good for hockey and great for business
There were a lot of high-fives in Kelowna Wednesday.
Kelowna's selection to host the 2026 Memorial Cup has Kelowna Rockets President and GM Bruce Hamilton grinning ear to ear.
The first thing Hamilton did is thank the co-chairs of the bid committee, Steve Thomson and Dave Rush.
He describes the event as a ten-day festival.
"It's massive," Hamilton said.
"It's ten days of at least 6,000 people here every day for games and then the event will be so much bigger around the community."
He said having the city partnering in the bid proved invaluable.
"The building had to be guaranteed that it was going to meet the standards of the CHL, and the city stepped up and guaranteed that it would."
Expected upgrades include a new scoreboard and sound system.
Kelowna hosted the Memorial Cup in 2004 and was poised to host in 2020 before the pandemic forced its cancellation.
But Hamilton said that misfortune wasn't used to sway the selection committee.
"Never did we roll out that we thought we deserved it because of that," he said. "I simply didn't think that was fair."
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas calls it an exciting moment.
“This is more than just a hockey tournament," said Dyas.
"It’s an opportunity to showcase the very best of Kelowna to all of Canada. The Memorial Cup will bring economic benefits, create unforgettable experiences for members of our community, and highlight Kelowna as a hub for sports and entertainment on a national level.”
The new CEO of the Kelowna Chamber was thrilled to hear the announcement just a few days after he took the position.
"Everybody in the office here is excited," said George Greenwood.
"Pretty much all business is touched," Greenwood continued.
"Whether it's people taking cabs, renting hotel rooms, going to restaurants or just taking in some of the sights and sounds in the area. The economic impact is significant."
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