DuPont shines, scores twice as Silvertips advance to Memorial Cup final

KELOWNA — Landon DuPont didn’t just play, he dominated — delivering on the biggest stage of his career to date.

From sitting out with an undisclosed injury on Wednesday to celebrating his 17th birthday on Thursday to scoring twice — including what stood up as the winner — in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday, this performance was special.

Exceptional, really. And, fittingly, for the first-ever defenceman to be granted exceptional status into the Western Hockey League. That was two years ago now, and DuPont has certainly lived up to the hype ever since.

“He’s a stud. To win in this tournament, you need studs. He’s playing up to that level,” said Chicoutimi head coach Yanick Jean, moments after his QMHJL champion Saguenéens saw their season end at the hands of DuPont in a 6-1 defeat to the WHL champion Everett Silvertips. “He does it all on the ice. He can control the game. His skills are amazing, but he’s fit, he’s strong, he can defend. This guy will be a star for sure at the other level.”

Steve Hamilton has had the privilege of coaching DuPont throughout his time in Everett and knew he would be impactful in returning to the lineup — even in a game of this magnitude, with the Silvertips advancing to face the OHL champion Kitchener Rangers in Sunday’s final.

“We had a pretty good feeling,” Hamilton said of DuPont’s playing status, which was still listed as questionable for Friday’s warm-up. “He was in a good space … and he said he was good to go, so trust him and turn him loose.”

DuPont didn’t disappoint, rising to the occasion and seizing the spotlight — sniping top corner to restore Everett’s first-period lead at 2-1 and blasting a one-timer on a second-period power play for the 5-1 insurance marker.

“A lot of excitement coming into the game,” said DuPont, the projected top prospect for the 2027 NHL draft. “I hate watching our team play. I hate being in the crowd. I just wanted to be out there, and to get one in the first almost felt like a relief.”

“I was just super happy to be back and playing, and to get those two goals felt good.”

Hamilton was impressed, not surprised by DuPont’s clutch contributions in earning player of the game honours.

“Both of these guys sitting up here are high-end guys that are highly motivated,” Hamilton said of DuPont and Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Carter Bear, who scored his third goal of the tournament on a breakaway to make it 3-1 and had the centring feed on DuPont’s first goal.

“He needed to be right physically, and he was dialled in,” Hamilton continued in highlighting DuPont. “Getting him back in there gives us a bump on our special teams, and obviously he’s an all-situations guy.”

This shining moment will be tough to top, individually, but DuPont is hoping the Silvertips have saved their best for last, collectively.

“The whole atmosphere being in Kelowna, it’s been really cool. But we got one more big game on Sunday, and it’s going to be good to hopefully get that one,” said DuPont.

The WHL hasn’t hoisted the Memorial Cup since 2014, when Hamilton was an associate coach under Derek Laxdal with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

“You got the opportunity you want and have been looking forward to, and these guys have earned — to get back here and play (Kitchener) again,” Hamilton said of potentially avenging Monday’s 6-2 round-robin loss. “We’ve always learned from our missteps and then found a way to reposition ourselves. It’s a strength of our team.”

QUOTABLE

“Well, that’s what you want after you healthy scratch a guy. You want to see him come back and respond. So a couple goals, he got the message.” — Hamilton, maintaining his running joke from Wednesday’s presser following a 4-0 win over host Kelowna when addressing DuPont’s absence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2026.

Larry Fisher, The Canadian Press