Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

Now the work really starts

The Memorial Cup cometh

Dec 11, 2024 | 7:00 AM

Two weeks ago today, the Kelowna Rockets were awarded the 2026 Memorial Cup. Even after 14 days, David Rush can’t seem to wipe the smile off his face.

As co-chair of the successful bid committee, alongside Steve Thomson, Rush is still riding high on the victory.

“I’ll tell you, it feels really, really good,” Rush said to RocketFAN, reflecting on the achievement of beating out four other cities to host the prestigious event. “We built an incredible team that dove right into this and got it done in record time. We put together a solid bid, and all five judges voted for us.”

Many had predicted that Medicine Hat would have the upper hand, thanks to star player Gavin McKenna, who was seen as the centerpiece of a team that could easily leave the competition behind. But Ruck, who works as a litigation lawyer, never took anything for granted.

“Our bid was incredibly detailed, especially on the facility upgrades,” Rush explained. “They had a couple of questions for us in writing before the Zoom presentation, but they didn’t need to visit the site in person.”

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Upgrades to Prospera Place, which will host the 10-day event, include a new score clock, sound system, lighting, media area, Zambonis, and more, totaling $3.7 million in improvements.

“We have a city that’s unmatched,” Rush added, pointing to the reasons Kelowna emerged victorious. “The selection committee said our video really conveyed the excitement and vibrancy of the town. This is a place that truly gets behind events like this.”

One of the key selling points for the bid was the location of Prospera Place. Unlike the other arenas in the running—Spokane’s being a close second—Prospera Place is in the heart of downtown Kelowna, where everything is easily accessible.

“Everything is walkable,” Rush noted. “The Fan Zone, the Family Zone, and we’re planning to close down Bernard Avenue for part of the event. All of this is within a great walkable distance, which was a major draw.”

After winning the bid to host the tournament in 2020—a bid ultimately canceled due to the pandemic—Rush and his team didn’t rest on their laurels. They carefully studied the competition to ensure their proposal was the most compelling.

“We did some informal opposition research,” he chuckled. “I wanted to be mindful of what the other cities were offering, and we made sure to address every potential advantage they might have.”

Rush believed the Zoom presentation was particularly effective. “We had a great panel behind us, including alumni Shea Weber and Josh Gorges. The selection committee was blown away by the presentation. Some other teams were less formal in their approach, but we gave it everything we had.”

The Memorial Cup’s economic impact is estimated between $16 million and $20 million, which will provide a much-needed boost to Kelowna’s tourism industry, still reeling from the impacts of wildfire smoke that kept many visitors away in recent years.

“There was a lot at stake,” Rush acknowledged. “The hopes and dreams of these kids [players] who want to play at this level, plus the fact that this might be Bruce Hamilton’s last shot at hosting the Memorial Cup. I really wanted to make him proud and get this for him and the Rockets organization.”

Rush and his team understood the importance of making a lasting impression on the judges. “There were some butterflies,” he admitted. “We took it very seriously. We rehearsed, got feedback, and did dry runs in front of people who critiqued us. We didn’t take anything for granted. It was a really solid team effort.”

And when you have Shea Weber and Josh Gorges backing you up, it certainly doesn’t hurt. “They were part of the 2004 team, and there’s a real legacy there,” Rush said. “We had a winning team in 2004, and we have a winning team on the bid.”

“In a time when there’s so much bad news, it feels great to be part of a team that will bring so much joy to this community,” Ruck concluded.