Saint John Shines for Memorial Cup Committee
Published on February 9, 2011 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN -The independent five-member committee selecting the host city for the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup visited Saint John Wednesday.
The Saint John 2012 Memorial Cup bid committee and the entire Sea Dogs organization had this date circled on the calendar for weeks. Saint John is one of four cities bidding to host the national major junior hockey championship. Wednesday's committee visit was an opportunity to showcase the nation's No. 1 junior hockey team, as well as Saint John's first-class facilities and the great character of the city itself.
"Our job now is to simply sit down and to be as balanced and fair as possible as we go through each bid and evaluate, and do the best job we can in selecting one of them," said selection committee President Gérald Janneteau, the former President and General Manager of the French-language sports network RDS.
He was joined by Robert Basque, a lawyer with the firm Forbes Roth Basque; Michel Côté, President of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame selection committee and former QMJHL team owner; Vincent Damphousse, a former player with the Laval Voisins/Titan and former National Hockey League star; and Bernard Valcourt, a lawyer and former Progressive Conservative Party leader.
The committee members began their day as guests of honour at a breakfast at the Delta Brunswick hotel, with Mayor Ivan Court and other prominent community members offering a warm welcome. They toured the Delta Brunswick and Hilton hotels, the Inside Connection pedway system, and NB Museum. Uptown retailers showed their support by decorating with Sea Dogs apparel and posters.
A bus tour followed of key uptown locations and other Saint John gems, such as Rockwood Park/Lily Lake Pavilion, Harbour Passage and the HMCS Brunswicker. Other highlights included top-notch hotels such as the Hampton Inn and Suites, Best Western, Chateau Saint John and Holiday Inn Express.
Centre Scolaire-Communautaire Samuel-de-Champlain hosted an incredibly energetic mid-morning rally. This offered the committee a chance to interact with Saint John's francophone community. Sea Dogs alternate captain Kevin Gagne delivered an inspiring speech and led a rousing chant of "On Veut la Coupe!"
Minister of Tourism Trevor Holder gave a speech on behalf of the province at the HMCS Brunswicker, where the committee had lunch. Base Operations Officer Alain Carrier, Chief of Staff at CFB Gagetown, touched on the Port City's military history and the strong relationship the Sea Dogs have had with the armed forces over the years.
"I think we have a really good shot at securing this bid," Holder said. "This is a city that can provide a small town atmosphere with all the amenities of a big city, in terms of what we can offer from the Imperial Theatre, to art galleries, to the City Market, to all the historic beauty of our city. We have lots of natural beauty around us as well, with the Fundy Trail Parkway opening around the same time as we will be hosting this Cup. We can showcase this city to the world and to the rest of the country."
Of course, Harbour Station was a major part of the visit, with a detailed tour of the facilities and review of the high-quality team Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly expect to ice next season.
The afternoon wrapped up with a visit to the Imperial Theatre, yet another Saint John jewel. The committee travelled through the pedway once again, where hundreds of posters from local schoolchildren were hung in support of the Cup.
At the Imperial, several key influential members of the local business community expressed their support, and Sea Dogs CEO Scott McCain delivered a final presentation to convince the committee why Saint John is a deserving host city. McCain highlighted the support of government and local organizations and businesses, and the strong event committee in place, led by chair John Travis.
"What a day we've had. I'm thrilled to have the chance to meet the committee and show off our city and facilities," McCain said. "Saint Johners are proud of their city, their businesses and their teams. I think that's why our bid has met with such great support so far."
McCain also noted that the Sea Dogs were named the No. 1 team in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings for the ninth straight time, and that a Canada-best nine players are ranked by NHL Central Scouting for the 2011 NHL draft.
"Our team is awesome," McCain said. "With coaches Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly, we have the best in the country."
The tournament is set to return to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League territory for 2012 and Saint John is one of four cities bidding to host the event. The selection committee has visited Halifax and Sydney, N.S., and travels to Shawinigan, Que., before announcing its decision in the early spring.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2011
- Juniors Beat Mooseheads in Goalie Duel - Montreal Juniors
- Saint John Shines for Memorial Cup Committee - Saint John Sea Dogs
- CHL Announces BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings - QMJHL
- Just under $500,000 in study-grants awarded in 2010-11 - QMJHL
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