Hockey
Red Deer To Host 2016 Memoria Cup Championship
The Western Hockey League officially announced that the Red Deer Rebels have been selected to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup.
The MasterCard Memorial Cup will be held at the ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer May 19-29, 2016.
This will mark the 98th edition of the Canadian Hockey League National Championship and as in the past all games will be televised nationally. Initially there were three, then there were two WHL Clubs that submitted applications to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup.
The team and organization that withdrew the bid to host this Championship was the Victoria Royals based in Victoria BC on Vancouver Island.
The decision to award the hosting of the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup to Red Deer was a majority vote of the WHL Board of Governors with the vote taken in Calgary October 8th.
This marks the first time Red Deer has hosted the MasterCard Memorial Cup while the Rebels become the first Alberta-based Club to host the event since 1974.
The Rebels were also crowned MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions in 2001. “The WHL is very confident the Red Deer Rebels, the City of Red Deer and Province of Alberta will serve as outstanding hosts of the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison.
“The strength of the Rebels organization combined with the enthusiasm of the City and the Province will ensure the 2016 event will be one of the best ever.” “The MasterCard Memorial Cup hasn’t been hosted in Alberta since 1974 and both the Red Deer Rebels and the City of Red Deer are honoured that the governors awarded this to the team.
Rebels Owner, Governor, President, General Manager and Head Coach Brent Sutter stated “for our league to have put faith in us hosting the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup, for all of us, our work is just beginning to stage this prestigious event.”
“MasterCard is very proud to support the CHL and this prestigious National Championship for the 18th straight year.”
The 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Remparts from May 21 to 31, 2015 in Quebec City, Quebec.
The Memorial Cup features a four-team round robin format with the host club competing with the Champions from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.
The Western Hockey League has won a total of 19 MasterCard Memorial Cup Championships since its inaugural season.
These date back to the following:
1966, including: Red Deer Rebels (2001)
Kootenay Ice (2002)
Kelowna Rockets (2004)
Spokane Chiefs (2008)
Edmonton Oil Kings (2014).