Which Memorial Cup prospects can make the jump to the NHL next season?

The 2026 Memorial Cup is set to begin this weekend in Kelowna, B.C. While there are many excited to see which of the Kelowna Rockets, Kitchener Rangers, Chicoutimi Saguenéens or Everett Silvertips are going to hoist the trophy at the tournament’s end, there are a number of big-name prospects hoping to shine in front of a huge audience.

The Memorial Cup has proven to be a launching pad for many young players, showing NHL scouts that they have what it takes to be a standout player for years to come. For some of the older guys in the tournament, it’s an opportunity to prove they are ready to make the jump to the big leagues sooner, rather than later. With names like Tij Iginla, Sam O’Reilly and Carter Bear all prepared to drag their teams the distance, fans are going to be treated to another thrilling Memorial Cup.

On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Steven Ellis joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss which prospects are ready to be in the NHL next year.

Steven Ellis: I think, for sure, Iginla could be a top-six player in the NHL. Let’s not forget in training camp, like, he looked like someone who could potentially make the jump immediately. I think, for O’Reilly, we’re probably talking about him being in that conversation for a third or fourth-line forward role next year. He proved at the World Juniors he could do that. He could be very effective because he’s skilled. He loves having the puck on his stick, and he plays with a lot of energy. I think when you also look at Carter Bear, I think he’s gonna be someone who…Detroit needs someone who can go out there and put up some points on the board and bring some energy. Well, that’s his game. He’s gonna be able to do that, no problem there.

I think maybe in a lower sense, Julius Miettinen, the WHL MVP, I think he’s also another guy that can go out there and maybe play in the NHL pretty quickly next year. So, a pretty solid group of players. It’s really, really exciting, in particular, to see what Tij Iginla could do next year.

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…