Arrival of the Cup presented by LiUNA! Local 1098 to kick-start 2024 Memorial Cup festivities Thursday in Saginaw

On Thursday, just one day before the puck officially drops, the Arrival of the Cup presented by LiUNA! Local 1098 will continue a long-standing Memorial Cup tradition by kick-starting the tournament’s 11-day run in Saginaw with the arrival of the prestigious Memorial Cup trophy to Jolt Event Credit Union Park. Scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, this opening event will mark the formal launch of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow and all of its festivities.

All fans are encouraged to come witness this historic moment as the Memorial Cup trophy will be escorted by military personnel and various marching bands through downtown Saginaw. Specifically, a parade with the trophy will travel down M-13 from Commerce Tower to Johnson Street, before heading towards Jolt Credit Union Event Park, which is located right across the street from the Dow Event Center, the home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit and the host arena for the 2024 Memorial Cup. Ultimately, both American and Canadian Veterans together will escort the Memorial Cup into the ceremony – truly embodying the “United We Soar” theme of this year’s tournament.

Fans unable to attend the event in person can tune in at 3 p.m. ET to watch live coverage of the Arrival of the Cup presented by LiUNA! Local 1098 on CHL TV and locally in Saginaw on WNEM TV5.

Thursday’s celebrations at Jolt Event Credit Union Park will also feature a brief formal program filled with music by the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra with Michael Todd Hall, remarks from honoured guests, and more. Members of the host Saginaw Spirit and the three championship-winning clubs from the Western Hockey League (Moose Jaw Warriors), Ontario Hockey League (London Knights), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (Drummondville Voltigeurs) will make their first appearance in Saginaw at the Arrival of the Cup.

Additionally, during Thursday’s ceremony, the commemorative jersey for the 2024 Memorial Cup will also be unveiled and worn by the players of the Saginaw Spirit. In every Memorial Cup since 2008, the host club has worn commemorative sweaters in the opening game of the tournament as a way to recognize servicemen and women. These game-worn jerseys are always auctioned off following that first game of the Memorial Cup, with all proceeds supporting the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund, a program that supports both veterans and their families. 

Over the years, since this theme jersey program first started at the 2008 Memorial Cup in Kitchener, Ont., the CHL has raised over $261,000 for the Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund.

The 2023-24 season marks the 104th time the Memorial Cup is presented. Since being awarded for the first time 105 years ago, the Memorial Cup has developed a rich tradition that has shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America — becoming one of the most coveted trophies in the sport. Originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and donated by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in March 1919, this trophy was created in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in the First World War. It was later rededicated in 2010 to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel.

For the first time in 26 years, the CHL’s championship event is being held in the United States. This year, Saginaw becomes the first American OHL city to ever host the Memorial Cup, while also marking the first occasion that the tournament has ever been held in the State of Michigan.

In addition to the host Saginaw Spirit from the OHL, the 104th edition of the Memorial Cup, which is scheduled from May 23 – June 2, will feature the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL), the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

The first game of the 2024 Memorial Cup is set for next Friday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT at the Dow Event Center between the host Spirit and the WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors.