HUNDER BAY – This year’s TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Midget AAA Hockey Championship, hosted by the Thunder Bay Kings, in conjunction with Hockey Canada, Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the Thunder Bay Minor Hockey Association, April 22-28 at the Fort William Gardens, will honour Thunder Bay teams that went on to win a national championship medal over the past 30 years during the course of the seven-day event.
Also honoured will be the first AAA Midget Team to compete at the National level. The Kings will also celebrate a number of their players who went on to compete in the National Hockey League and at the national level.
“We are excited to announce that all four of our teams that went on to medal at the national championship achieved will be recognized during this year’s TELUS Cup,” stated Kings president Michael Power and chair of the TELUS Cup organizing committee. Also, to be recognized will be the Thunder Bay Andrews and Thunder Bay Bearcats teams that went on to capture bronze medals at the 1983 and 1988 national events respectively. “Two bronze, two silvers and three golds, constitutes an incredible accomplishment for the 17 and 18-year-old players and teams from Thunder Bay over the years,” added Power.
Each evening when the 2019 TELUS Cup-host Kings AAA major midget team will be taking on the respective regional title holders from across Canada, among those rooting them on will be players and staff members from some of the previous national championship medal-winning sides, along with many other King’s alumni.
“We are also incredibly pleased to be able to showcase a number of our graduates who not only are playing in the National Hockey League today, but remain active alumni of the Kings, including many that are playing this season,” observed Power. “So far, 20 former Kings players have made it to the NHL – a remarkable accomplishment for a Thunder Bay organization. It is anticipated that a number of the current NHL players will be in attendance but that will depend on their teams successes in the playoffs”
“Not only do we want to honour their accomplishments, but to point out that the Kings organization is the path in which most Thunder Bay and area players gain the experience and the recognition to further a career to the next level, as well as in professional hockey,” summarized Power.
“We want this year’s TELUS Cup to be a celebration of Thunder Bay’s contribution to the world of hockey, both in the amateur field and professionally, and invite the people of this community and throughout
Northwestern Ontario to join with us in this celebration. It goes without saying that we also want the stands full of Kings supporters to help one of the best teams we have nurtured in the past 20 years build upon their winning of the North American Prospects Hockey League championship last month.”
The teams to be honoured and the evening scheduled for their recognition include:
Monday, April 22: Thunder Bay Bearcats 1988 Air Canada Cup bronze medalists
Tuesday, April 23: Thunder Bay Kings 1992 Air Canada Cup silver medalists
Wednesday, April 24: Thunder Bay Kings 1995 Air Canada Cup champions
Thursday, April 25: Thunder Bay Kings 1996 Air Canada Cup silver medalists
Friday, April 26: Thunder Bay Kings 1997 Air Canada Cup champions
Saturday, April 27: Thunder Bay Andrews 1983 Air Canada Cup bronze medalists
Sunday, April 28: Thunder Bay Hurricanes 1973 Major Midget Wrigley Team
Among the alumni who will be recognized, and the evening scheduled are:
Monday, April 22: Ryan & Greg Johnson Day
Tuesday, April 23: Eric & Jared Staal Day
Wednesday, April 24: Alex Auld, Mackenzie Blackwood & Matt Murray Day
Thursday, April 25: Taylor & Tom Pyatt Day
Friday, April 26: Patrick Sharp, & Haley Irwin Day
Saturday, April 27: Marc & Jordan Staal Day
Sunday, April 28: Robert Bortuzzo & Trevor Letowski Day
Week-long TELUS Cup ticket packages can be obtained through HockeyCanada.ca/tickets. Cost for adults for the complete 19-game ticket package is $89 and $67 for youth.
Volunteers are still required for a number of positions and those interested are invited to go to the Kings web site and select the volunteers tab.
