SPOKANE, Wash. — On Tuesday the Spokane Chiefs announced their intent to bid on the 2026 Memorial Cup, the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League.
The tournament will be played over 10 days in May 2026 and would include extensive media coverage including both in the United States and Canada.
“We believe the combination of our team, staff, facilities, and city of Spokane will provide for an unforgettable Memorial Cup,” Spokane Chiefs Governor Bobby Brett stated.
According to the Chiefs, “The Memorial Cup would have an estimated economic impact as significant as any sporting event that the community has ever hosted through an influx of visitors and exposure.”
The Canadian Hockey League consists of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and the tournament rotates leagues each season.
Mayor Lisa Brown said, “Hosting the Memorial Cup in Spokane would not only spotlight our city’s passion for hockey, but also invigorate local businesses and bring the community together in a celebration of sport and camaraderie. It would be a tremendous honor and a significant boost to Spokane’s economy and spirit.”
If Spokane is awarded the Memorial Cup, the Chiefs would receive an automatic bid into the tournament.
"Building our team, we felt that the peak of it was going to be in 2026, so we just felt that we are hitting that cycle, we are trending in the right way and we felt super confident and comfortable to go ahead and put this bid in," Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said.
