Kelowna Rockets hit the ice Friday for start of Memorial Cup tournament

The coveted Memorial Cup arrives Thursday for opening celebrations in Kelowna as the Canadian Hockey League tournament kicks off.

It will be paraded through downtown in the afternoon, May 21, followed by a kickoff celebration at Stuart Park as the best teams in the CHL prepare to compete for the national junior championship at Prospera Place.

As the host team, the Kelowna Rockets are first to compete as they take on Ontario Hockey League champions, the Kitchener Rangers, Friday, May 22 at 6 p.m. More than a week of hockey will follow, along with a festival packed with events each day.

Fans without passes already may be out of luck finding tickets for a live game, unless they buy a full tournament package, which starts at around $800. Otherwise, they can catch the game broadcasts on TSN, the TSN app or at Real Canadian Superstore Hockey Hub outside Prospera Place.

The hub will host pre- and post-game entertainment along with game broadcasts throughout the tournament.

Just down the road, the Laurel Packinghouse will host a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit throughout the week and Stuart Park hosts the Canco Family Zone with pre-game activities and food trucks.

While the Rockets didn’t make it to the Western Hockey League final, the host team has an automatic entry to the tournament and will compete along side three other championship teams for the Memorial Cup.

WHL champions the Everett Silvertips play their first game against the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champs, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 23.

The Silvertips are playing in their first Memorial Cup tournament after dominating the league in the regular season.

Kelowna started strong in the first round of the playoffs when they swept their rivals the Kamloops Blazers, but they couldn’t overcome the Silvertips.

Everett beat both Okanagan teams this post-season, knocking out the Rockets in round two and then the league’s newest team, the Penticton Vees, in the western conference final.

Everett then beat eastern conference winners, the Prince Albert Raiders. They finished the Raiders off with a decisive 7-2 win in game five.

As the tournament continues through the week, the last of six round-robin games is on May 27, followed the next day by a possible tie-breaker. Prospera Place will then host a semi-final game on Friday and the championship game on Sunday, May 31.

Go here to see a full schedule of events for the Memorial Cup festival and here for tickets.