Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador announced Monday it will start accepting hosting bids for the 2015 Allan Cup, the national amateur senior championship held annually since 1909.
The deadline for accepting applications from teams and leagues is Jan. 15, 2013. The winning site will be announced Mar. 1, 2013. Applications are available through the HNL office in Grand Falls-Windsor.
It will be the second time the event has been held in this province. In 1985, the Corner Brook Royals hosted the tourney
While teams from this province regularly competed for the Allan Cup in the 1970s and 1980s — the Royals claimed the title in 1986 — Newfoundland clubs only began returning to the tournament in 2010, when the Clarenville Caribous entered. The ‘Bous returned in 2011 and won it all.
Earlier this year, the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts travelled to Lloydminster, B.C., losing to the South East, Man., Prairie Thunder in the semifinal round. The Caribous, reigning Herder champs, plan to attend this year’s tourney in Bentley, Alta.
In 2015, there's a good chance the province could be represented by two teams in the six-team, 11-game tournament that takes place over six days in April. One team would serve as host, while the other would be the Herder Memorial Trophy champion from the previous season, assuming no other senior clubs from Atlantic Canada opt to compete.
The province’s governing body for hockey was awarded the tournament at Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting in May. Since that time, it has established a steering committee that includes chairman Bill Noseworthy, along with Clarenville Caribous president Fraser Russell, former Conception Bay North CeeBees Stars forward Chris Crosbie, former Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts’ coach Brian Casey and former Corner Brook Royals executive Angus Head.
St. John's??! Last time i checked the city doesn't support local senior hockey in the province. Kinda sad actually but expected.