96th MasterCard Memorial Cup a success in London

The 96th edition of the MasterCard Memorial Cup has left its mark on London, Ontario as the annual championship completed on May 25, 2014.

For ten days from May 15-25, the host London Knights set the stage at Budweiser Gardens for the best of CHL Hockey as the final four teams the Knights, OHL champion Guelph Storm, WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings, and QMJHL champion Val-d’Or Foreurs battled for the prestigious Memorial Cup in the 96th edition of the national championship.

Following a seven-game series to capture the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Edmonton Oil Kings continued their resilience in London and outstood a record-setting, 102 minute and 42 second game in the tournament semi-final, beating the Val-d’Or Foreurs in triple overtime 4-3 to advance to the championship. There, the Oil Kings met the Guelph Storm – who advanced straight to the final with a perfect 3-0 record after preliminary round play. Ultimately in front of 8,863 fans, the Oil Kings pursued a 6-3 win over the Storm to hoist the Memorial Cup, bringing the trophy to Edmonton for the first time in modern franchise history, and back to the WHL for the first time since 2008.

Nineteen-year-old Oil King Edgars Kulda was deservingly named the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy winner as tournament MVP with four goals and three assists in five games. Oil King Curtis Lazar won this year’s George Parsons Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player), teammate Henrik Samuelsson earned the Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Top Scorer), and Val-d’Or Foreur Antoine Bibeau won the Outstanding Goaltender – Hap Emms Memorial Trophy.

Despite the host Knights being eliminated after preliminary round play, over 70,000 fans enjoyed the eight games at Budweiser Gardens with an average attendance of 8,824 per game and tournament organizers and visitors praised the team and host committee as exceptional hosts.

“On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League and commissioners Ron Robison and Gilles Courteau, it’s an honour to have the opportunity to congratulate and thank the unbelievable hosting of this event by the city of London and the London Knights hockey club,” said CHL President David Branch. “To the event chairman Trevor Whiffen, event manager Gary Curgin, to the hundreds of volunteers, you outdid yourself from 2005. To the Edmonton Oil Kings, you are now bringing the MasterCard Memorial Cup back to the city of champions for the first time since 1966.”

Underlying the on-ice action, the MasterCard Memorial Cup had an exceptional ‘Memorial’ presence, reminding players, coaches, and fans alike of the trophy’s value: honouring former players who gave the supreme sacrifice during war and dedicated to all Canadian soldiers. This year’s Host Organizing Committee doubled its goal in raising over $100,000 for Parkwood Veterans Care Facility in London with record-breaking 50/50 draws and the Captain’s Pancake Breakfast.

“The London Host Organizing Committee is grateful to volunteers in London who made sure that this event was a resounding success,” said Host Committee Chair Trevor Whiffen. “Their efforts exceeded our expectations. We are proud of the event we staged, and congratulate all four teams on a job well done. We are also proud of the fact that we have raised over $100,000 for the Parkwood Veterans Care Facility here in London.”

The Memorial Cup arrived in impressive fashion from a military helicopter, and was escorted through downtown London with military G-wagons, complete with bagpipers and presentation at the Victoria Park cenotaph. The military respect surrounding the event continued the entire ten days. Veterans Michael Newcombe, Richard Turner, John Fingal, and Ryan Fitzgerald, Chief Warrant Officer Mercier, Flying Officer Gord Cattermole, Lieutenant Commander Iain Findlater, Sub-Lieutenants Eric Blay and Scott Patchett, and Leading Seaman Mitch Crowder were among those involved in ceremonial puck drops. Notably, 101-year-old Sid ‘The Kid’ Daley – the oldest living OPP Officer and resident of Parkwood Hospital – received an extensive standing ovation for dropping the puck prior to the final preliminary round game.

The CHL and London Knights also welcomed numerous special guests to the MasterCard Memorial Cup, kicking off with Opening Gala keynote speaker Brendan Shanahan (former Knight, current Toronto Maple Leafs president). Current NHL players David Bolland, John Tavares, Olli Maata, and Corey Perry were among Knights alumni that returned for the tournament festivities, and NHL greats Mats Sundin, Mark Messier, the infamous hockey dad Walter Gretzky and arguably the ‘greatest of all time’ Bobby Orr also made the trip to London for the championship.

Over 400 volunteers exceeded organizers’ expectations to ensure the event was a resounding success. In particular, volunteers assisted in running Downtown London FanFest, an exciting block party that featured an impressive display from the Hockey Hall of Fame, including the Stanley Cup on site in Covent Market Square. FanFest was complete with the Budweiser Clydesdales from May 15-18 to open the tournament, arriving for only their second time ever in Canada.

Volunteers also staffed the Budweiser Beer Garden that featured live entertainment every evening, including Hotel California, Tim E. and the Yes Men and Thunderstruck tribute bands. Juno-Award winner Brett Kissel packed over 1000 fans for a ‘Jeans and Jerseys’ celebratory night between the semi-final and final game.

Ovations Food Services provided over 8000 meals for players, media, scouts, family, sponsors and staff, in addition to restaurant and concession sales during the event. Over 75 truckloads came through Budweiser Gardens over the ten-day stretch, and 400 dedicated employees – all of whom are local residents – worked 12,000 plus hours to complete the tournament’s food and beverage demands. Global Spectrum Chief Operator Art Johnston and his ice crew maintained excellent conditions for the highly regarded event.

“On behalf of the Global Spectrum and Ovations team at Budweiser Gardens it was a great pleasure to work alongside so many dedicated volunteers and community leaders for the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” said Brian Ohl, General Manager of Budweiser Gardens and Regional VP of Global Spectrum.  “London is very fortunate to have so many leaders in police, tourism, media and throughout our private and public sector that you need to run a world class event.   Lastly I would like to thank our host London Knights Hockey Club, who proved London to once again be an exceptional host city.”

Broadcast partner Sportsnet provided exclusive national coverage and confirmed this year’s tournament received the third-highest ratings of its MasterCard Memorial Cup history with over 2 million viewers over the course of the eight game competition peaking at over 500,000 during the championship final. The Sportsnet team of Sam Cosentino, RJ Broadhead, and Rob Faulds also hosted the yearly CHL Awards at the Grand Theatre on May 24, where Val-d’Or star Anthony Mantha won CHL Player of the Year honours, while nine other awards of various distinction were issued.

The 96th MasterCard Memorial Cup was the second in London in the last nine years, and an event for the record books. The city’s leaders in police, tourism, and throughout its private and public sectors came together to contribute to a successful experience on and off the ice.

The 97th edition of the MasterCard Memorial Cup takes place May 21-31 in Quebec City and will be hosted by the QMJHL’s Remparts.

Recap the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup with news, stats, video, and photos.

For more information please visit mastercardmemorialcup.ca.