ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette believes the organization has grown from the disappointment of losing the 2020 Memorial Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expects the 2026 tournament, which ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç will host, to be an even better experience.

"ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç in May, you can’t beat it," Mallette said in an interview with the WHL website.

The Rockets were awarded the 2026 Memorial Cup on Wednesday (Nov. 27) beating out bids from Brandon, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, and Spokane. Mallette, currently in Oshawa coaching Team CHL at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, shared the news with his players via Zoom as they prepared for their game against Portland on Friday.

"There’s a lot of guys in that room who are going to be a part of it," he said. "We talked about that at the beginning of the season as we were putting that bid in."

Mallette described the announcement as bittersweet.

"We’re going to have to build," he admitted. "In order to do that, some of our players, most likely, are going to have to be traded away. I think the guys realize that."

He also noted that the 2020 Memorial Cup loss may have helped secure the 2026 bid. "Our bid committee was confident in the roster that we have and are able to build around and add to," he explained. ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç’s commitment of $3.8 million to upgrade Prospera Place also played a significant role, he added.

Reflecting on 2020, Mallette acknowledged the challenges the organization faced.

"We gave up quite a few assets to try and build that team," he said. "The following season, not being able to recoup that -- it made for some difficult times in ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç over these last few years."

However, Mallette believes the team is now on the rebound with a good mix of young and older players. When asked about competing for a Memorial Cup before 2026, Mallette admitted it would be a challenge.

"We’re not where we want to be right now in ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç," he said. "We’ve got a lot of time left. When we start playing some consistent hockey, we’re going to show some teams, yes we got off to a slow start, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish."