When Kelowna was gripped with Cup fever

When the Memorial Cup trophy arrives in Kelowna May 21 with a ceremonial canoe landing, community parade, and formal welcome at Stuart Park, Chris Ray will be looking forward to the tournament and looking back on his own experience. 

The Climate Action and Environment Manager with the City of Kelowna says he cannot believe it was 22 years ago when he and his teammates hoisted the cup as Canadian Hockey League champions. 

“I remember how the crowds showed up… how lively they were, how busy it was downtown around the arena during the tournament,” said Ray, noting how the Kelowna Rockets were just getting started on a few years of consistent winning. “And then it was sold-out crowds for the whole four years I played here, which speaks to the impact the Memorial Cup had on generating interest in junior hockey in Kelowna.” 

And now he and the hometown faithful are hoping history repeats when the Rocket host the 10-day tournament for the first time since they won it all in 2004 on home ice. 

With action in the arena and a week of festivities across the city, the tournament is expected to generate more than $22.5 million in economic impact, energizing downtown, supporting local businesses, and bringing the community together to celebrate one of Canada’s most storied hockey traditions. 

The year before Ray’s rookie year with the Rockets, the team went to the Memorial Cup in Quebec City in 2003 as WHL champions. They didn’t win the notoriously hard-to-win trophy that year, but they soaked up the experience and were back in the tournament as the host team in 2004. 

Ray and his Rocket teammates also went on to the Memorial Cup as defending champions and WHL champions in 2005, but lost to the powerhouse London Knights led by Corey Perry. Also, not many hockey players can say they faced off against Sidney Crosby, but Ray can as Sid the Kid’s Rimouski Oceanic were also in the tournament. 

Future NHLers on the 2004 team included Shea Weber, Blake Comeau, Kyle Cumiskey and team captain Josh Gorges.  

But Ray, a future Rockets captain himself, says what appeared on paper to be an underwhelming team offensively turned out to be its secret weapon. 

“We weren’t that strong of a team offensively… when you think of good hockey teams, there’s always that high-powered offence that score a ton of goals.” But he said a strong team commitment to defence became the team’s identity. 

At the tournament in Kelowna, the Rockets went 4-0, scoring just nine goals, but only allowing three, with tournament MVP Kelly Guard in net. 

Although he and the team were sequestered at Lake Okanagan Resort across the lake to concentrate on their hockey plans, Ray says the excitement around town was palpable. 

“I do remember, even just through media at the time, hearing the excitement inside and outside the arena in the parking lot area… the organizing team did a great job of setting up the whole week-long event and it is largely regarded as one of the best Memorial Cups ever, because they treated like an event rather than just a hockey tournament.” 

“I’m actually really excited to take part as a fan this time and take it all in… although I think I’ll be more nervous as a fan than as a player. At the time I was just a 17-year-old kid playing hockey and didn’t think much of what was happening outside the arena” he chuckled. “But I have gained a strong appreciation for the amount of work that goes in to making an event like this happen and give kudos to City staff and community members who are making it come to life this year.” 

This time around, event organizers have upped their game –  find out what's planned!