Calgary, AB – The Western Hockey League announced today that the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Province of Manitoba have been selected to host the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be held at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba from May 14th to 23rd, 2010 and will mark the 92nd edition of the Canadian Hockey League national championship. All games will be televised on Rogers Sportsnet.
Three WHL Clubs – Brandon Wheat Kings, Everett Silvertips and Kelowna Rockets submitted applications to host the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The decision to award the hosting of the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup to Brandon was made by a majority vote of the WHL Board of Governors on Wednesday, October 15th in Calgary.
The 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Rimouski Oceanic from May 15th to 24th, 2009 in Rimouski, Quebec. The Memorial Cup features a four team round robin format with the host club competing with the Champions from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The WHL’s Spokane Chiefs captured the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup by defeating the host Kitchener Rangers last May.
“We are delighted to bring one of the most prestigious Canadian hockey championships – The MasterCard Memorial Cup – to the city of Brandon and the Province of Manitoba for the first time,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, “The Brandon Wheat Kings are one of the longest standing franchises in WHL history and this community has earned the right to host our national showcase.”
“This is a great honor for the Province of Manitoba, the City of Brandon and the Wheat King organization,” commented Wheat Kings Governor, General Manager and Head Coach Kelly McCrimmon, “We look forward to being the center of the hockey world in May 2010.”
The Brandon Wheat Kings joined the WHL for the start of the 1967-68 regular season and have represented the WHL in three MasterCard Memorial Cup Championships - Montreal (1979), Kamloops (1995) and Peterborough (1996).
The City of Brandon hosted the 2002 Scotts Tournament of Hearts Women’s Curling national championship and the 1997 Canada Summer Games. Also, in 1994 the Keystone Centre played host to Canada’s national championship for midget aged hockey players, the Air Canada Cup. With the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup heading for the city of Brandon, it marks the first time the Canadian Hockey League national championship has been hosted in the province of Manitoba.
The Western Hockey League has won a total of 18 Memorial Cup Championships since its inaugural season in 1966, including five of the past eight Championships, Red Deer Rebels – 2001, Kootenay Ice – 2002, Kelowna Rockets – 2004, Vancouver Giants – 2007 and Spokane Chiefs – 2008.
“On behalf of MasterCard I would like to congratulate the City of Brandon and the Brandon Wheat Kings Hockey Club for a successful bid to host the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” said Lillian Tomovich, Vice President, Brand Marketing for MasterCard Canada. “MasterCard has been a supporter of the Canadian Hockey League since 1999, and we are extremely proud to continue this tradition as title sponsor of the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup” added Tomovich.
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