Kelowna Rockets Win 2015 WHL Championship
The Western Hockey League Playoffs have been very exciting this year. There were a number of exceptional teams vying for WHL supremacy with teams like the Brandon Wheat Kings, Calagry Hitmen, Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks again having strong seasons. However it was the Kelowna Rockets claiming the Ed Chynoweth Cup on Wednesday night to become the 49th WHL Champions after earning a 3-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Rockets swept the Wheaties in four straight games. The win marks the fourth time in franchise history that Kelowna has won the WHL Championship Series with the most recent being 2009 (2003, 2005, 2009, 2015).
The Brandon Wheat Kings should hold their heads up high as they had a tremendous season. The loss ended a remarkable campaign for the Wheat Kings, who led all teams in the WHL with 114 points — two more than the Rockets — in the 2014-2015 regular season. The Wheat Kings have a lot of talented players returning next season, so they might be next year’s Kelowna Rockets. Post series report on Brandon can be found here at the Brandon Sun.
Rockets centerman Leon Draisaitl was named WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player. Draisaitl, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, was named the 2015 WHL Playoffs MVP after he finished tied for the post-season scoring lead with 28 points (10g-18a) in 19 WHL Playoff games. Combining the regular season where Drat put up 19 goals and 53 points in just 32 regular season games, he finished with 81 points in 51 games as a Kelowna Rocket. As an Edmonton Oilers fan, this is pretty exciting. Full disclosure, as I have season tickets to the Rockets games here in Kelowna and watched Leon Draisaitl on many nights. This kid is the real deal and has potential to be one the the greatest German born players in the NHL. He makes passes like nobody’s business. Dare I say some of them are very Gretzky-like? Unreal ability to see the ice this kid has. He is great on taking draws in faceoffs and is a big player. Although it was a nice team effort throughout the playoffs, much credit deserves to go to young Draisaitl. A great move by GM Bruce Hamilton to acquire him from the Prince Albert Raiders in January after Draisaitl spent the first half of the season in Edmonton with the Oilers. I love the energy of this kid. He’s going to be a great player and should have a great Memorial Cup.
Photo Credit: Marissa Baecker
Kelowna will head to Quebec City next week for the start of the Memorial Cup May 22nd to 31st. The Rockets will face the host Quebec on opening night, Friday May 22. Thy take on the Quebec league champion Monday the 25th and the Ontario champ Tuesday May 26th. Our prediction? With all due respect to the Quebec Ramparts, Rimouski Oceanic, Oshawa Generals and Erie Otters we feel that the WHL Champs will take home the Memorial Cup this year.
Here is a list of past Memorial Cup Winners
50 Years of Memorial Cup Champions
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Additional participants |
| 1965 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 4–1 | Edmonton Oil Kings | |
| 1966 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 4–2 | Oshawa Generals | |
| 1967 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–1 | Port Arthur Marrs | |
| 1968 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 4–1 | Estevan Bruins | |
| 1969 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | 4–0 | Regina Pats | |
| 1970 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | 4–0 | Weyburn Red Wings | |
| 1971 | Quebec Remparts | 2–0 | Edmonton Oil Kings | |
| 1972 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 2–1 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) |
| 1973 | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) | 9–1 | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL) |
| 1974 | Regina Pats (WCHL) | 7–4 | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) |
| 1975 | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) | 7–3 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) |
| 1976 | Hamilton Fincups (OHA) | 5–2 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 1977 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | 6–5 | Ottawa 67’s (OHA) | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) |
| 1978 | New Westminster Bruins (WHL) | 7–4 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) |
| 1979 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | 2–1 (OT) | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) | Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) |
| 1980 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 3–2 (OT) | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Regina Pats (WHL) |
| 1981 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 5–2 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Victoria Cougars (WHL) |
| 1982 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | 7–4 | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) |
| 1983 | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) | 8–3 | Oshawa Generals (OHL) | Lethbridge Broncos (WHL), Verdun Juniors (QMJHL) |
| 1984 | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) | 7–2 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Laval Voisins (QMJHL), Kamloops Jr. Oilers (WHL) |
| 1985 | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) | 6–1 | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL), Verdun Junior Canadiens (QMJHL) |
| 1986 | Guelph Platers (OHL) | 6–2 | Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) | Kamloops Blazers (WHL), Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) |
| 1987 | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | 6–2 | Oshawa Generals (OHL) | Longueuil Chevaliers (QMJHL) |
| 1988 | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | 7–6 | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL), Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
| 1989 | Swift Current Broncos (WHL) | 4–3 (OT) | Saskatoon Blades (WHL) | Laval Titan (QMJHL), Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 1990 | Oshawa Generals (OHL) | 4–3 (OT) | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Laval Titan (QMJHL), Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 1991 | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | 5–1 | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) |
| 1992 | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) | 5–4 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), Verdun Collège Français (QMJHL) |
| 1993 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)[e] | 4–2 | Peterborough Petes (OHL) | Laval Titan (QMJHL), Swift Current Broncos (WHL) |
| 1994 | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) | 5–3 | Laval Titan (QMJHL) | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), North Bay Centennials (OHL) |
| 1995 | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) | 8–2 | Detroit Junior Red Wings (OHL) | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
| 1996 | Granby Prédateurs (QMJHL) | 4–0 | Peterborough Petes (OHL) | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 1997 | Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) | 5–1 | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), Oshawa Generals (OHL) |
| 1998 | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) | 4–3 (OT) | Guelph Storm (OHL) | Spokane Chiefs (WHL), Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL) |
| 1999 | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) | 7–6 (OT) | Calgary Hitmen (WHL) | Acadie–Bathurst Titan (QMJHL), Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 2000 | Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) | 6–2 | Barrie Colts (OHL) | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), Kootenay Ice (WHL) |
| 2001 | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) | 6–5 (OT) | Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL) | Ottawa 67’s (OHL), Regina Pats (WHL) |
| 2002 | Kootenay Ice (WHL) | 6–3 | Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) | Erie Otters (OHL), Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 2003 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | 6–3 | Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) | Kelowna Rockets (WHL), Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 2004 | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) | 2–1 | Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) | Guelph Storm (OHL), Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 2005 | London Knights (OHL) | 4–0 | Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) | Kelowna Rockets (WHL), Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 2006 | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | 6–2 | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) | Peterborough Petes (OHL), Vancouver Giants (WHL) |
| 2007 | Vancouver Giants (WHL) | 3–1 | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | Lewiston Maineiacs (QMJHL), Plymouth Whalers (OHL) |
| 2008 | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | 4–1 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Belleville Bulls (OHL), Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) |
| 2009 | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) | 4–1 | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL), Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) |
| 2010 | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) | 9–1 | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), Calgary Hitmen (WHL) |
| 2011 | Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) | 3–1 | Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (OHL) | Owen Sound Attack (OHL), Kootenay Ice (WHL) |
| 2012 | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) | 2–1 (OT) | London Knights (OHL) | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) |
| 2013 | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) | 6–4 | Portland Winterhawks (WHL) | London Knights (OHL), Saskatoon Blades (WHL) |
| 2014 | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) | 6–3 | Guelph Storm (OHL) | Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL), London Knights (OHL) |
| 2015 | TBD | TBD | Quebec Remparts, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL),Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
Lets Go Rockets