2004 Memorial Cup

The 2004 Memorial Cup occurred May 15–23 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia. It featured the host team, the Kelowna Rockets as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Guelph Storm, Gatineau Olympiques and the Medicine Hat Tigers respectively. The Kelowna Rockets would be the eventual winners, and would become only the third host team to win without winning their league as well. (The first time was in 1983, when the Portland Winter Hawks won, the second time was in 1999 when the Ottawa 67's did it.) Kelowna defeated the Olympiques who made their second straight Memorial Cup final, but as with 2003, the 'Piques lost out. Kelowna also participated in the 2003 tournament as WHL champions but did not advance to the final, and would participate as WHL champions in the 2005 Memorial Cup as well.

Fans lined up outside Prospera Place for hours to witness the 2-1 victory for the Kelowna Rockets in the championship game at the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Every game of the tournament was sold out and an enthusiastic host city cheered wildly as their home team claimed their first Memorial Cup victory. The Rockets are the first team since the Ottawa 67's in 1999 to win the Memorial Cup on home ice and the victory marks the first time the host team has gone undefeated in the tournament.

Justin Keller scored the game winning goal late in the third period as the host Kelowna Rockets won their...
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