Kennedy Green, 9, skates around the rink at Prospera Place, Jan. 12 as part of the free skate to create hype for the Memorial Cup.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Skaters of all ages got the chance Sunday to glide around home ice with the Kelowna Rockets and pose with the Memorial Cup.

A free skate was held Jan. 12 in order to create hype around the Kelowna Rockets hosting the Memorial Cup tournament.

The tournament will be held at Prospera Place in Kelowna from May 22 to May 31 in 2020. It will be the 102nd Canadian Hockey League national championship.

Calgary Flames fans Kennedy, 9 and Wesley, 5, said they were excited to skate around the rink, but usually watch hockey games on TV.

Father Shawn Green thought it was a good idea to come to the free skate after watching the Rockets match against Victoria on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Kaedan Korczak, a defenceman for the Kelowna Rockets, said when he was younger he looked up to his local hockey team and enjoys the chance to spend time with the community.

“Anytime I had a chance to hang out with (the team), especially skate with them, it was always was fun so I hope to do that today and make some memories for some young kids,” he said.

With the tournament still months away,  and having watched the Memorial Cup for many years, Korczak said the reality they will be hosting the event hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

This marks the second time Kelowna has been selected to host the Memorial Cup. The Rockets previously hosted the Memorial Cup in 2004 when they defeated the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to claim the national championship.

The last time the Memorial Cup was hosted in B.C. was in 2007, when the Vancouver Giants won the tournament on home ice. Its stop at Prospera Place was part of a mini-tour which was held at various locations around downtown Kelowna, Saturday and Sunday.

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