(Pictured in graphic: Jared Woolley, top, Andrew MacNiel, bottom)
Two Northumberland County hockey players are Memorial Cup champions after helping the Kitchener Rangers capture the top prize in Canadian major junior hockey.
Cobourg native Andrew MacNiel and Port Hope’s Jared Woolley were members of the Rangers squad that defeated the Everett Silvertips 6-2 on Sunday in Kelowna, B.C., to win the Memorial Cup. Kitchener entered the tournament as champions of the Ontario Hockey League, while Everett represented the Western Hockey League.
Woolley played a key role in the championship victory, scoring in the second period to give Kitchener a 3-1 lead. The goal stood as the game winner as the Rangers went on to secure the national title.
The championship marks Woolley’s second consecutive Memorial Cup victory. The 20-year-old defenceman won last year’s title with the London Knights before being traded to Kitchener at this season’s OHL trade deadline along with teammate Sam O’Reilly.
Woolley was originally selected by London in the sixth round, 105th overall, in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. He was later chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round, 164th overall, of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
MacNiel, who is 18, was drafted by the Rangers in the 2023 OHL draft. Last year, he was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the sixth round, 189th overall, of the NHL draft.
Away from the rink, MacNiel has also made an impact in the community. In February, he announced Andrew’s Ambition, a charitable initiative dedicated to raising funds for childhood cancer research and support programs.
The initiative benefits the Grace Bowen Tribute Fund and SickKids Foundation in memory of the late Grace Bowen of Grafton. Bowen’s legacy continues to be honoured locally, including through the naming of an arena at the Cobourg Community Centre in her memory.
