The Kelowna Rockets won the CHL Memorial Cup in 2015 and are making a bid to bring the tournament to Kelowna in 2020.
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March 11, 2020 - 10:20 AM
There has been a spate of Kelowna event cancellations due to COVID-19 but plans for what is arguably the most sizeable of them all are still moving ahead.
The Memorial Cup is scheduled to turn Kelowna into a hockey hub, May 21 to 31 featuring not only the tournament at Prospera Place, but also an outdoor festival, a family zone, and a display from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"The Canadian Hockey League takes the health and safety of our players, fans, volunteers, staff, and general public very seriously," Paul Krotz the director of communications for the Canadian Hockey League.
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"At this time, there is no change to our plan of hosting the Memorial Cup in Kelowna this May. The event is still 10 weeks away and the CHL, in partnership with the Host Organizing Committee, will continue to monitor the evolving situation, including what the local, provincial, and federal health agencies are saying, and provide communications as appropriate."
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 honoured 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 when Kelowna won the bid. “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.
An email to a local organizing committee member requesting comment went unanswered.
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