Telus Cup

Last updated

Telus Cup
Current season, competition or edition:
Hockey current event.svg 2024 Telus Cup
Telus Cup logo.png
FormerlyAir Canada Cup (1979–2003)
Sport Ice hockey
Inaugural season 1979
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		Blizzard du Sém. St-François
(2023)
Most titlesNotre Dame Hounds (5)
TV partner(s)
Sponsor(s)
Official website Telus Cup website

The Telus Cup is Canada's national under-18 ice hockey club championship. It is an annual event, held by Hockey Canada each April. From 1979 to 2003, the national championship was sponsored by Air Canada.

Contents

The current champions are the Blizzard du Sém. St-François who won the 2023 Telus Cup.

History

Wrigley Cup (1973–1978)

The forerunner to the Canadian national under-18 championship was the Wrigley National Midget Hockey Tournament, which ran from 1974 though 1978. Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president Jack Devine announced the sanction of the new national midget hockey tournament for the top 12 teams in the country, with the Wrigley Company being the initial sponsor. [1] Gord Renwick organized the first event in 1974, and served as the tournament chairman. [2] [3] The 1974 Wrigley Cup was scheduled at the Oshawa Civic Auditorium, with the winning team would earn a trip to the Soviet Union, and future events would be rotated around Canada. [1]

In 1973, prior to Wrigley, the Prince Edward Island provincial government co-sponsored it as part of their "Come Home Year" celebrations. The Wrigley was an invitational event, with each of Canadian Hockey's branches declaring their respective champions through playdowns held during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The champions were invited to take part in the Wrigley each January, a host team comprised the final competitor.

Each year, the winning team represented Canada in the Soviet Union for a series of games against elite teams, including the Soviet Midget Red Army in Moscow, Leningrad, and Riga. The Verdun Midget Maple Leafs won the first Wrigley championship in 1974, defeating Kingston Gurnsey Realtors of Ontario 5–3. The final game was televised live coast-to-coast by the CTV Television Network. Media in USSR reported that the last game between the Leafs and the Red Army team in Moscow was viewed by more than 100 million people on Soviet television, although there were only two television channels in Russia at that time. Verdun lost to the National Russian Team, 6–5.

Air Canada Cup (1979–2003)

Canada's official national midget championship, the Air Canada Cup, was established in 1979. The inaugural tournament was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba and used a format similar to the Wrigley. Each of Canada's twelve branches determined their champions through their own playoff system. The branch champions advanced to the national tournament to play for the Air Canada Cup.

In 1984, the Air Canada Cup was revised to the current six-team format. Five regional champions, decided by inter-branch competition (except for Québec), and a predetermined host team play a round-robin with the top four teams qualifying for the playoff round. A total of 19 games are played over six days of competition.

Telus Cup (2004–present)

After Air Canada's sponsorship ended in 2003, Telus Communications Inc, a subsidiary of Telus Corporation signed on as the new title sponsor and the national championship was rechristened as the Telus Cup in October 2004. [4]

Teams from Saskatchewan and Quebec have been dominant at this event and have captured the most medals. The most successful teams include the Notre Dame Hounds, Regina Pat Canadians, Prince Albert Mintos, Lac St-Louis Lions, Richelieu Riverains (now Collège Charles-Lemoyne), and Red Deer Rebels/Chiefs.

Each year's gold medal game is televised nationally on TSN (English) and RDS (French).

Winners and hosts

Wrigley Cup
YearGold MedalSilver MedalBronze MedalLocation
1974Verdun LeafsKingston RealtorsHull Kiwanis Oshawa, ON
1975Barrie Co-opsVerdun LeafsOshawa Parkway Oshawa, ON
1976Calgary SpursToronto NationalsSwift Current Legionnaires Calgary, AB
1977Don Mills FlyersLions du Lac St-LouisBurnaby Winter Club Moncton, NB
1978Couillard de Ste-FoyEast Ottawa VoyageursToronto-Wexford Verdun, QC
Air Canada/Telus Cup
YearGold MedalSilver MedalBronze MedalLocation
1979 Couillard de Ste-Foy St. Michael's College Buzzers Notre Dame Hounds Winnipeg, MB
1980 Notre Dame HoundsGouverneurs de Ste-FoyNorth Shore Winter Club Cornwall, ON
1981 Lions du Lac St-LouisKitchener GreenshirtsAntigonish Novas Halifax, NS
1982 Burnaby Winter ClubGouverneurs de Ste-FoyCape Breton Colonels
South Ottawa Warriors (tie)		 Victoria, BC
1983 Regina Pat CanadiansGouverneurs de Ste-FoyAndrews Maroons Ste-Foy, QC
1984 North Bay Pine HillNotre Dame HoundsLions du Lac St-Louis North Bay, ON
1985 Lions du Lac St-LouisRegina Pat CanadiansCalgary Buffaloes Regina, SK
1986 Notre Dame HoundsToronto RedwingsGouverneurs de Ste-Foy Moncton, NB
1987 Riverains du RichelieuNotre Dame HoundsCalgary Buffaloes Gloucester, ON
1988 Regina Pat CanadiansCalgary NorthstarsThunder Bay Bearcats Thunder Bay, ON
1989 Calgary BuffaloesRegina Pat CanadiansWexford Raiders St. John's, NL
1990 Riverains du RichelieuGouverneurs de Ste-FoyNotre Dame Hounds Sorel, QC
1991 Calgary NorthstarsSherwood Park Chain GangLions du Lac St-Louis Calgary, AB
1992 Lions du Lac St-LouisThunder Bay KingsDartmouth Kings Dartmouth, NS
1993 Yorkton MallersGouverneurs de Ste-FoySault Ste Marie Legion Kitchener, ON
1994 Regina Pat CanadiansRed Deer ChiefsL'Intrepide de Gatineau Brandon, MB
1995 Thunder Bay KingsRed Deer ChiefsGouverneurs de Ste-Foy Sherbrooke, QC
1996 Gouverneurs de Ste-FoyThunder Bay KingsNorth Kamloops Lions Kamloops, BC
1997 Thunder Bay KingsNew Liskeard CubsCalgary Royals New Glasgow, NS
1998 Riverains du C.C. LemoyneSudbury Nickel CapitalsCalgary Buffaloes Sudbury, ON
1999 Regina Pat CanadiansCalgary FlamesGouverneurs de Ste-Foy Prince Albert, SK
2000 Cantonniers de MagogC.F. de Montréal-BourassaSaskatoon Contacts Montréal, QC
2001 Gouverneurs de Ste-FoyCalgary RoyalsToronto Young Nationals Prince George, BC
2002 Tisdale TrojansDartmouth SubwaysRiverains du C.C. Lemoyne Bathurst, NB
2003 Calgary NorthstarsGaulois du Collège Antoine-Girouard St. John's Maple Leafs Sault Ste Marie, ON
2004 Brandon Wheat KingsRiverains du C.C. LemoyneRed Deer Chiefs Kenora, ON
2005 Saskatoon ContactsL'Intrépide de GatineauCommandeurs de Lévis Gatineau, QC
2006 Prince Albert Mintos Calgary BuffaloesPatriotes de Châteauguay Charlottetown, PEI
2007 Prince Albert Mintos Red Deer ChiefsBlizzard du Sém. St-François Red Deer, AB
2008 Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves Winnipeg Thrashers Blizzard du Sém. St-François Arnprior, Ontario
2009 Notre Dame HoundsCalgary BuffaloesR.S. de Laval-Bourassa Selkirk, MB
2010 Notre Dame HoundsMississauga RepsSt. John's Fog Devils Lévis, QC
2011 Winnipeg ThrashersLondon Jr. KnightsLac St-Louis Lions St. John's, NL
2012 Red Deer ChiefsPhénix du Collège Esther-BlondinSaskatoon Contacts Leduc, AB
2013 Red Deer ChiefsOttawa Junior 67'sR.R. de Laval-Montréal Sault Ste Marie, ON
2014 Prince Albert Mintos Grenadiers de ChâteauguayOkanagan Rockets Moose Jaw, SK
2015 Toronto Young NationalsGrenadiers de ChâteauguayRegina Pat Canadians Rivière-du-Loup, QC
2016 North York RangersSaint John Vito'sLac St-Louis Lions Quispamsis, NB
2017 Cape Breton West IslandersBlizzard du Sém. St-FrançoisMississauga Rebels Prince George, BC
2018 Notre Dame HoundsCantonniers de MagogLethbridge Hurricanes Sudbury, ON
2019 Toronto Young NationalsCantonniers de MagogTisdale Trojans Thunder Bay, ON
2020 cancelled [lower-alpha 1] Saint-Hyacinthe, QC [lower-alpha 2]
2021 cancelled [lower-alpha 1] [7] Saint-Hyacinthe, QC [lower-alpha 2]
2022 Moncton FlyersCantonniers de Magog Okotoks, AB [lower-alpha 3]
2023 Blizzard du Sém. St-François [12] Gaulois de Saint-HyacintheSaskatoon Blazers Saint-Hyacinthe, QC [lower-alpha 2]
Notes
  1. 1 2 Hockey Canada cancelled the 2020 and 2021 Telus Cups in response to the COVID-19 pandemic [5] [6]
  2. 1 2 3 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC was to be the host of the cancelled 2020 Telus Cup and will now host in 2023 [8]
  3. ↑ Membertou, NS, was originally selected to host the 2021 Telus Cup, but was moved to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] In 2022 Hockey Canada moved the location of the tournament to Okotoks, AB, [9] [10] however the Sydney Rush of Nova Scotia remained the host team. [11]

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References

  1. 1 2 MacLaine, Ian (November 8, 1973). "National Final For 12 Midget Teams". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 67. Lock-green.svg
  2. ↑ "Council honours Gord Renwick". CambridgeTimes. May 23, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Gord Renwick". Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Canada's National Midget Championship Officially Named the Telus Cup". Hockey Canada. October 14, 2004. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Hockey Canada statement in response to coronavirus (COVID-19)". Hockey Canada. March 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Hockey Canada statement on spring 2021 national championships". Hockey Canada. February 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Canada's Sudden Cancellation Of Three Major 2021 Hockey Tournaments". Hockey Canada. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Sydney Mitsubishi Rush's Telus Cup hosting rights moved to 2022 instead of 2021". Cape Breton Post. May 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Cape Breton no longer hosting 2022 Telus Cup; organizers hope to host tournament in the future". CTV Atlantic. March 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Okotoks set to host first ever national U18 club championships". Hockey Canada. May 12, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Road to the 2022 TELUS Cup: Sydney Rush". Hockey Canada. May 3, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Schedule | 2023 Men's U18 National Club Championship". www.hockeycanada.ca.
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