A file photo of a Kamloops Blazer and Kelowna Rocket battling it out.
Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers
October 03, 2018 - 3:01 PM
KELOWNA - It's official — the host city for the 2020 Memorial Cup will be right here in the Southern Interior.
The Canadian Hockey League announced in a press conference in Calgary today, Oct. 3, the Kelowna Rockets won the bid for the tournament. Kelowna, Kamloops and Lethbridge had all bid on hosting, but it was Kelowna that took the title.
Tom Dyas, chair of the Kelowna Rockets bid committee, accepted the honour today, saying the experience will be unique and unlike anything to come before it.
"We cannot wait to share our home, our city and our community with you," Dyas said. "We look forward to welcoming you to Kelowna in 2020."
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.
The decision to award the hosting of the 2020 Memorial Cup to Kelowna was made by a majority vote of the WHL board of governors in Calgary today.
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.
“We are extremely honored and feel very privileged to have the Memorial Cup coming to Kelowna in 2020,” Bruce Hamilton, president and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets said in a news release. “I want to thank the Western Hockey League Board of Governors for their support of our bid, and also congratulate our Kelowna Bid Committee.”
The last time the Memorial Cup was hosted in B.C. was in 2007, when the Vancouver Giants won the tournament on home ice.
The City of Kelowna says in a news release that it's hoping it'll be déjà vu all over again when Kelowna hosts the tournament.
“What a great win for Kelowna. We congratulate the Kelowna Rockets on their winning proposal to the league and we look forward to supporting them to develop an exciting community event,” said Mayor Colin Basran in a news release. “This is a great opportunity to once again showcase Kelowna’s excellence as a host for high-profile events.”
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News from © iNFOnews, 2018