In the spring of 2004, the hosted the Memorial Cup championship for the first and only time in franchise history.
Bruce Hamilton and company believe it乌鸦传媒檚 high time major junior hockey乌鸦传媒檚 season-ending showcase made a return to the Okanagan.
On Thursday, the Rockets announced the Western Hockey League club will be submitting a bid to host the Canadian Hockey League乌鸦传媒檚 championship tournament in the spring of 2020.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a great opportunity for our organization and our city,乌鸦传媒� said Hamilton, the Rockets president and general manager. 乌鸦传媒淲e feel our fans deserve the opportunity to host this event again and we know our city will do an even bigger and better job this time out.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e looking forward to rolling the bid out.乌鸦传媒�
The bid criteria for the includes a club乌鸦传媒檚 ability to ice a competitive team, while providing adequate facilities and guaranteeing a sufficient return of funds to the Canadian Hockey League.
Hamilton said Prospera Place would likely require some upgrades, including renovations to the dressing rooms which he said are already in the business plan.
As for assembling a Memorial Cup-worthy squad, the GM is confident the Rockets will hit the ice running in 2020.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not worried about that, the hockey side of it at all,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檒l be fine, we乌鸦传媒檝e been competitive every year we乌鸦传媒檝e been in business.乌鸦传媒�
The Rockets won their first and only Memorial Cup as the host team 14 years ago in May, defeating the Gatineau Olympiques in front of the largest and many would remember as the most electric hockey crowd ever (6,557) at Prospera Place.
Outside the arena, the 2004 tournament featured a festival-like atmosphere, with tents, displays and cultural activities to create a fan-friendly environment.
Hamilton said the Rockets will be looking for ways to push the Memorial Cup experience to another level.
乌鸦传媒淲e started something here, it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 just a hockey tournament, it became a festival and that乌鸦传媒檚 how you get more people involved,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲ith 6,000 seats there乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of people that don乌鸦传媒檛 get into the building, so there are things you have to do around it to make the event bigger. It乌鸦传媒檒l be interesting what Tourism Kelowna comes up with, there going to be with us in this, so we乌鸦传媒檒l be looking forward to new ideas of other things that can happen and other facilities we can use in the downtown area.乌鸦传媒�
The Rockets, along with the other bid cities, will make their official presentation to the WHL乌鸦传媒檚 board of governors in the fall, with a final decision to be made Oct. 3.
Hamilton expects the Kamloops Blazers will also throw their hat in the ring, while the Victoria Royals are said to be possible candidate to submit a bid.
Local businessman Tom Dyas is serving as chairman of the Rockets乌鸦传媒� bid committee and has little doubt the Rockets will warrant serious consideration as the 2020 hosts.
乌鸦传媒淚f there is a community to raise the bar on tournaments of this nature, it would be this community,乌鸦传媒� Dyas said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 involvement with its love for the sport of hockey, with its community involvement, with its brain capacity, I believe it乌鸦传媒檚 something that will happen almost naturally.乌鸦传媒�
Defenceman Josh Gorges was the Rockets乌鸦传媒� captain for the organization乌鸦传媒檚 lone Memorial Cup win back on that memorable Sunday afternoon in May 2004.
Still his finest hockey moment, the Kelowna native can乌鸦传媒檛 conceive of a better community and organization to serve as hosts for the national tournament.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 almost kind of surprised it hasn乌鸦传媒檛 come back already,乌鸦传媒� said Gorges. 乌鸦传媒淚 think just with the success we had the first time, you saw the community and the organization got behind the event. I mean this is one of the top organizations in junior hockey. And then you throw in the type of city that Kelowna is and how nice it is, and people coming from all over the place, I乌鸦传媒檓 sure to watch the games and just be a part of it.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 excited they have the opportunity to bring the Memorial, to be honest I don乌鸦传媒檛 think there乌鸦传媒檚 a better spot for it.乌鸦传媒�
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