Achi news desk-
The puck is dropped on the 2024 Telus Cup on Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton.
What many teenage players in the national under-18 hockey championship may not know is how long it took for the incident to happen.
“I know, it’s hard to believe it’s finally here. It’s been a long time coming,” said Paul Carroll, general manager of the Membertou Sport & Wellness Center and member of the tournament’s hosting committee.
Almost five years ago – all the way back in July 2019 – it was first announced that Membertou would host the Telus Cup.
It was initially planned for 2021, but then came the COVID-19 pandemic.
Membertou’s hosting rights were then postponed until 2022, but that spring the tournament was held in Alberta instead due to Omicron wave concerns in the Maritimes – with the promise that Membertou would have its turn to host in a coming year.
That opportunity has finally come.
“It’s great, it’s a beautiful arena. I’m originally from Sydney, so it’s like coming home,” said Theresa Andrews, whose son Derek plays for the Kensington Wild on Prince Edward Island. They qualified for the Telus Cup as Atlantic champions. Her older son, Brent Andrews, was a member of the Halifax Mooseheads when they won the 2013 Memorial Cup.
In Monday’s opener, the PEI squad dropped a close 7-6 decision to Ontario’s Markham Waxers.
Still, fans from “the other Island” were having a good time.
“We’re pretty proud of them to be here, and I hope they show PEI well and proudly,” said Andrews.
Hosting the Telus Cup in Membertou may have turned into a years-long wait, but it could be argued that the timing really couldn’t have been better.
The island’s other hockey team – the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League – is on a playoff run in front of sellout crowds.
In March, Sydney hosted Team Canada’s gold medal win at the World Women’s Curling Championship.
Restaurants and hotels that have seen an increase in revenue from all the buzz around town are hoping to keep the momentum going.
“It went up 30 per cent for that time of year, which is a great boost,” said Ardon Mofford, owner of the Governor’s Pub and Eatery in Sydney, of the curling crowds. “The sales have been fantastic. When the Eagles are in town and they have a sold out house, we are busy before the game. We are busy after the game. And with the Telus Cup, we’re looking for the same kind of impact.”
Tournament organizers say ticket sales are ahead of expectations so far.
“(The momentum) just keeps feeding, and I think it will help this event be even bigger and better than we had hoped,” Carroll said.
The host Sydney Mitsubishi Rush were expected to play their first game in the Telus Cup on Monday night against the Calgary Buffaloes.
The championship game is scheduled for April 28.
