Halifax to host 2019 Memorial Cup

Smith predicts it will be a great tournament

The Halifax Mooseheads will host to the 2019 Memorial Cup tournament.

The 101st Memorial Cup is to be played May 16 to 26, 2019, featuring the Mooseheads as well as the champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey league.

The winning bid was announced Thursday by the QMJHL.

Halifax last played host to the junior championship in 2000, when the Rimouski Oceanic won.

“Nineteen years ago has been a long time, but the people still talk about the Memorial Cup,” Mooseheads president and majority owner Bobby Smith said in a release. “`I guarantee it’ll be a Memorial Cup that fans enjoy.

“The story will be a full arena and a great experience for the players.”

“The organizing committee did an outstanding job in their bid presentation and proved that they are able to meet the expectations to host this prestigious event,” said QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau. “`We are extremely excited to have the Memoria Cup tournament back in the QMJHL. “The City of Halifax has proven in the past that they have all the resources to host world-class events and we are looking forward to seeing some of the best CHL teams and players go head-to-head next year.”

The site selection committee included Hockey Canada CEO Scott Smith, Stanford Communications president Glenn Stanford, P.E.I. provincial court judge Nancy K. Orr and Purity Dairy president Tom Cullen.