This man put his money on the Mooseheads when the team first hit the ice
Laddie Farquhar, an original investor in the franchise, hopes for a 2nd Memorial Cup win
Sunday's Memorial Cup final holds a special interest for a fan who put his money on the Halifax Mooseheads from the time they were the new kids on the ice.
Laddie Farquhar is one of the original investors who pitched in to bring major junior hockey to the Maritimes.
He's hoping to see the team bring home another Memorial Cup. Halifax plays the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, the two finalists in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, for the title.
"It certainly would be awfully nice if we were able to succeed on Sunday," he said. But he added he's happy to be in the stands just enjoying the hockey action.
He said he has always been interested in hockey and agreed to help support the fledgling team, which started in 1994.
"I guess I'm a jock at heart," he said. "I was on the advisory board for the [American Hockey League's] Citadels and the Oilers and [Mooseheads founder] Harold MacKay was also on the advisory board.
"He talked to Derek Oland at Moosehead Brewery and suggested that we be the first team in the Quebec league from the Maritimes."
Oland told MacKay that if he could find some local investment he could proceed.
The team won its first Memorial Cup in Saskatoon in 2013.
This week, Farquhar is wearing a championship ring from the event. "I don't wear very often. But this is a special week."
He compared the current lineup of team players to the one in 2013.
"Well, I would say in 2013, we had a lot of pretty big stars and a couple of guys [now] in the NHL — Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. So that was pretty special.
"This team ... they do have some stars, no doubt. There's a lot of depth on this team. The camaraderie is excellent, fun to watch. And I think they are going to be fun to watch on Sunday."
Farquhar said he recently transferred his shares in the team to sons Ted and James.
"It's great," he said. "They're both sports fans and I know that they take a particular interest in the Mooseheads and I would be very very happy if they were able to succeed in getting their own rings."
With files from Elizabeth Chiu