Telus Cup coming to Cape Breton

Alex MacKinnon couldn’t believe what he was reading when he learned the Telus Cup tournament would be coming to Cape Breton.

The Sydney Mitsubishi Rush defenceman had always dreamed of playing in the Canada's national midget hockey championship, but never expected to have the chance to host it.

As reported first by the Cape Breton Post on Tuesday, Hockey Canada announced the Rush would be the host team for the 2021 Telus Cup.

The news was made official during a press conference Wednesday morning in front of close to 80 people at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

The national tournament, which will bring major junior scouts to the area, will take place at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre, April 19-25, 2021, and will feature the top midget-aged players from across the country.

“When I saw the story on the internet I didn’t know if it was real or not,” laughed MacKinnon. “I immediately showed my parents and when I finally got clarification about it, I was so happy.”

Along with the host Rush, the seven-day tournament will include representatives from regions including Atlantic Canada, Central, Pacific, Quebec and West.

The local Nova Scotia Eastlink Major Midget Hockey League team submitted its application to host the tournament in May.

Sydney learned in early June it would be hosting the event but was told to keep the news quiet until an official announcement was made by Hockey Canada.

MacKinnon believes the Telus Cup tournament will be a “game-changer” for the Cape Breton hockey community.

“I think this will really bring us together as a community,” said MacKinnon. “As players, we have to come prepared, but I’m hoping we can go into the 2020-21 season in the best shape of our lives.”

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“They have some outstanding facilities, the arena, the hotel and the trade and convention are all in one area.”

— Randy Pulsifer, Hockey Canada

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Randy Pulsifer, a member of the board of directors for Hockey Canada, said the Rush’s bid was unique because of the infrastructure in the Membertou community.

“They have some outstanding facilities, the arena, the hotel and the trade and convention are all in one area,” said Pulsifer.

“I’ve been to events across the country and around the world where I had to walk from my hotel to the rink and it’s 10 minutes … but the infrastructure that’s in place here is second-to-none.”

Sydney won the bid over other Nova Scotia applicants that included the Halifax McDonalds and Valley Wildcats. 

Brad MacKinley, director of hockey operations for Hockey Nova Scotia, considers the opportunity a once-in-a-lifetime chance for local players.

“Every hockey player wants to have this opportunity,” said MacKinley. “They’re hoping to make it to the NHL someday, so right now this is their goal (the Telus Cup) because it showcases their talents.”

Cape Breton has hosted numerous hockey events over the years including the Esso Cup women’s national championship in 2000, the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in 2008 and the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014.

The Island also co-hosted the World Junior Hockey Championship with Halifax in 2003.

The Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre itself has hosted two major hockey events, the Don Johnston Memorial Cup and the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship, both in 2018.

With hosting successful events in the past, Rush president Walter Rutherford believes that’s one of the reasons Hockey Canada awarded the tournament to Cape Breton.

“We felt that we put together a very competitive bid in comparison to the other communities, which are all strong hockey communities as well,” said Rutherford.

“It was pretty exciting to get the call that they wanted us to host it – it’s been a dream come true for several of us on the team’s board of directors.”

The tournament will mark the fourth time the Telus Cup has been held in Nova Scotia. The province hosted the tournament in Halifax (1981), Dartmouth (1992) and New Glasgow (1997).

As part of the 2021 tournament, the visiting players will stay at the Hampton Inn hotel, which is across the road from the arena. As for meals, they will be served at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

“When the players arrive at the front door of the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre and put their gear in their dressing room, they don’t have to worry about a thing,” said Rutherford.

When asked about the cost of hosting the tournament, Rutherford said the organizing committee is currently working on those figures.

Rutherford couldn’t confirm exactly how many volunteers would be needed for the tournament. The committee will soon put out a request for volunteers, but a date could not be confirmed.

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TELUS CUP FACTS

• The tournament will feature six teams including the host as well as representatives from Atlantic Canada, Central, Pacific, Quebec and West.
• The national midget championship has had three names since its beginning in the early 1970s including the Wrigley Cup (1973-1978), Air Canada Cup (1979-2003) and the Telus Cup (2004-present)
• The tournament will feature the top midget-aged players (15-17)
• The tournament has currently only been won once by a team from Atlantic Canada and that was done by the Cape Breton West Islanders in 2017
• The 2021 Telus Cup will be held at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre, April 19-25, 2021.

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Cape Breton teams have had success at the national midget level in the past.

In 1982, the Cape Breton Colonels captured a bronze medal in Victoria, B.C., while the Cape Breton West Islanders became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the Telus Cup in 2017 in Prince George, B.C.

The Rush, who were previously known as the Cape Breton Unionized Tradesmen, could have 13 returning players in their lineup for the 2020-21 season.

Pulsifer confirmed Hockey Canada doesn’t look at the product on the ice when it’s naming host teams for events.

“You go in and you take each bid and look at the infrastructure, economic spinoffs and the overall package they put together,” said Pulsifer.

“We hope that each area is going to have a product that will be competitive at the event, but it’s a year-and-a-half out, so we don’t know what the team will look like.”

Rutherford is confident the Rush will be a competitive team and hopes it will be strong a contender in the national event.

“We have a good core of kids that are 16 years old this year on the team who will be eligible to come back at 17 years old and have two or three years experience in major midget,” said Rutherford.

“We have a group of bantam players trying out for the team this year and who knows who will arrive on our doorstep.”

According to Hockey Canada, the economic impact on the host communities in recent editions of the Telus Cup has been close to $2 million.

The schedule and ticket information for the 2021 Telus Cup will be announced at a later date.

Cape Breton Post