Guelph Storm to host 2027 Memorial Cup
One of the biggest tournaments in hockey is returning to the Royal City.
On Thursday, the Canadian Hockey League announced that the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League will be the hosts of the 2027 Memorial Cup.
The 106th edition of the Memorial Cup will mark the first time the OHL has hosted the event since 2024, when the host Saginaw Spirit became the first team from Michigan to win the Memorial Cup. 2027 will also be the second time Guelph has been the lone host for the event. The first time was in 2002, when the Storm finished last after losing in the tiebreaker to the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
CHL president Dan MacKenzie says the league is excited to bring the tournament to Guelph.
“The Storm put forward an outstanding bid that showcased not only their organizational strength, but also the passion, vision, and community spirit that make the Royal City such a special junior hockey market,” MacKenzie said in a release. “With the Memorial Cup returning to Guelph in the same year the city marks its bicentennial, fans can expect an unforgettable event that celebrates Guelph’s history and the tournament’s rich tradition, while providing a world-class experience for players, fans, and partners alike.”
With the team being the hosts, the Storm will get a chance to play in the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2019, and the seventh time in franchise history. That year, Nick Suzuki and company had a memorable run to the OHL Championship. Guelph ended up losing to the eventual champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the semifinal.
In the “host era” of the Memorial Cup (since 1983), the home team has won the championship 12 times, with an OHL team accomplishing the feat five times.
Guelph has had two Memorial Cup winners in the city’s history, with the Biltmore Mad Hatters winning it all in 1952 and the Guelph Platers in 1962, when Guelph co-hosted with Kitchener and Hamilton.
The current Storm has a solid class of players that will make them competitive next season. They have young stars in Zachary Jovanovski and Collin Ellsworth, who are draft-eligible players in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Jovanovski is going to represent the CHL in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge next week.