The Kelowna Rockets want to make another bid to host the Memorial Cup in 2020.
Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said exploratory discussions are underway to bring the Canadian junior hockey championships tournament back to the Okanagan.
“We’re taking a long, hard look at it,” Hamilton said.
Kelowna hosted the 2003-04 Memorial Cup. Besides Kelowna winning the tournament as the host team, the festival atmosphere created around the week-long tournament set a new standard that has been emulated every year since.
“I think we could bring some fresh ideas and concepts to kind of recharge that whole event,” said Hamilton, speaking at the monthly luncheon of the Urban Development Institute held today at the Coast Capri Hotel.
He said hosting the Memorial Cup is a significant economic generator.
“It fills up the hotels and brings a lot of people to your community. We started in 2004 what the Memorial Cup has since become,” said Hamilton, who noted that winning the Canadian Hockey League championship that season at home was one of the major highlights of his 22 year involvement with the Rockets.
“The thing about winning a championships is it is something nobody can take away from you,” he said.
The Kamloops Blazers have already announced their intention to bid for the 2020 Memorial Cup, which would be the 102nd edition of the national championship.
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