Chiarot, Alcos Open Memorial Cup Schedule in May 23 Meeting
The memorial cup schedule starts Friday, May 23, 2025, and it opens with Gabriel Chiarot against Parker Alcos at 6:00 p.m. PT. The matchup puts two Vancouver Canucks prospects on the first game of a four-team championship tournament in junior hockey.
Chiarot Returns To Kelowna
Chiarot said he is "pretty pumped up" for the tournament and noted that it will be his second time in Kelowna after the Canucks training camp there. He is back as a Kitchener Rangers forward after helping deliver the OHL title earlier in 2025.
"We definitely capped off a good season, and it's tough to celebrate when you have the Memorial Cup going on, because once you win one, you want to win more," Chiarot said. Kitchener swept the Barrie Colts to clinch the championship, and he finished the OHL playoffs with 11 points in 18 games.
Kitchener And Kelowna Meet Again
The Rangers went 16-2 in the playoffs, and Chiarot had two goals and two assists in the OHL Finals. That run sends him into the Memorial Cup with a role built on the games Kitchener had to survive late, including the third-period situations he said taught him how to handle big moments.
"There'd be some games we would be down in the third period by like a goal or two, and we'd be shorthanded to start the period, and we found a way to win. Just playing in those situations I think is key," he said. "That was one of the things I'm really going to take with me in my career, knowing how to play in those big moment games and how to get it done."
Memorial Cup Field Set
The field also includes the WHL champion Everett Silvertips, the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and host Kelowna. The Rockets earned an automatic berth as hosts even after Everett eliminated them in the WHL playoffs earlier in 2025, which gives Friday’s opening game an unusual edge: the team that was knocked out by Everett is now sharing the stage with the league champion and the team built around Chiarot.
Opening ceremonies are set for Thursday, May 22, 2025, before tournament action begins the next night. For both prospects, the first puck drop is the immediate test, and the opening game decides who starts the Memorial Cup with a win in Kelowna.
