Since the 2026 Minto Cup opened last Sunday, the Calgary Raiders have rolled through the three-game round robin with a perfect 3-0 record. Photo supplied

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Hosts with the most?

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Where the Calgary Jr. A Raiders are concerned, they certainly hope so at the 2026 Minto Cup.

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And the local side is trending in the right direction to win the annual Canadian box lacrosse championship, needing only a couple of wins to make them national kings sometime in the next few days at Max Bell Centre.

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“We’re not done yet — and this is right where we’re supposed to be,” said Raiders GM Andrew McBride of his home squad, which is unbeaten not only at the Minto Cup but on the entire 2026 season.

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“I’m so proud of everyone.”

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And how.

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The Raiders have already accomplished something no Calgary team has done in this tournament …

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The Rocky Mountain Junior A Lacrosse League victors entered the championship weekend unbeaten.

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Since the eight-day, four-team tournament opened last Sunday, the Raiders have rolled through the three-game round robin with a perfect 3-0 record, knocking off the prairie rep Calgary Jr. A

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Mountaineers, the B.C.-champion Victoria Jr. A Shamrocks and the Ontario-king St. Catharines Athletics to earn the top spot and a direct berth in the best-of-three championship series.

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In that finale, which begins Friday, they set up to play the Shamrocks …

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Game 1: Friday, Aug. 21 — Max Bell Centre, 8 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Aug. 22 — Max Bell Centre, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, Aug. 23 — Max Bell Centre, 6 p.m., if necessary. (Ramp Interactive)

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“The remaining teams are very evenly matched,” McBride said. “Any team can rise up to the challenge and win this tournament. That’s what makes it special and why you play the game.”

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For Calgary, the road to the Minto Cup has been a remarkably consistent one. The Raiders finished the RMLL regular season 15-0-1 before sweeping through the playoffs 6-0. In the league final, they dispatched the Mountaineers in three straight games, outscoring their city rivals 26-7.

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That combination of dominance and home-floor advantage has made the Raiders the team to beat.

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But McBride knows the hardest part is still ahead.

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“This tournament is a mental and physical grind,” McBride said. “It takes extreme discipline, overcoming adversity and pushing yourself beyond what you thought you are capable of doing.”

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The Raiders’ supporting cast is also loaded with players attracting attention as potential future National Lacrosse League talent. Defender Zach Moen, for one, was selected as a 2026 RMLL first-team all-star and defensive player of the year. He notched five goals and eight points in 13 regular-season games.

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Up front, Raiders forward Cash Frijters was also a 2026 RMLL first-team all-star, while Dylan Belliveau has already produced memorable playoff performances and entered the Minto Cup with a reputation as a dangerous offensive piece. They have 10 and 13 points respectively in three tourney games, while teammate Luke McNamara has potted a team-high eight goals.

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The opposition, meanwhile, arrived in Calgary with plenty of credentials to make it a formidable finalist in a bid for the cup.