Kamloops to host 2023 Memorial Cup

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The 2023 Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, the Canadian Hockey League announced Friday.

The Blazers are hosting the CHL championship for the first time since 1995, the last time they also managed to hoist up the prestigious junior hockey trophy.

"We are very excited to bring back the Memorial Cup to Kamloops after an almost 30-year hiatus," CHL President Dan MacKenzie said in a statement. "The Blazers and the City of Kamloops put together a first-class bid and will be outstanding hosts."

Kamloops is currently battling the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL's Western Conference final, in an effort to book a trip to the Memorial Cup this year from June 20-29 in Saint John, N.B.

The 2022 Memorial Cup is the first one that will be played in two seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2022.