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Halifax Mooseheads to host 2019 Memorial Cup tournament

For the first time in 19 years the Memorial Cup tournament will be in Halifax. The Halifax Mooseheads will be the host team for the 2019 tournament to be held at Scotiabank Centre.

'Our team and our fans look forward to showcasing one of Canada's greatest sporting events'

CBC News ·
Halifax Mooseheads centre Nathan MacKinnon, now of the Colorado Avalanche, celebrates during the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon in 2013. Halifax will host the 2019 Memorial Cup. (Liam Richards/Canadian Press)

It's been a while but the Memorial Cup tournament is coming back to Halifax.

The Halifax Mooseheads will be the host team for the 2019 tournament to be held at Scotiabank Centre.

"Our team and our fans look forward to showcasing one of Canada's greatest sporting events in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia," said Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith in a news release. "We are ready!"

Halifax got the nod to host the event over the city of Moncton.

Halifax should ice strong team

The Mooseheads were the host team back in 2000 when a Rimouski Oceanic team led by rising star Brad Richards won the championship.

The Memorial Cup is the Canadian Hockey League championship, awarded at a tournament involving four teams: the host city and the champions of the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Filip Zadina (left), Benoit-Olivier Groulx (centre) and Alex Gravel (right) of the Halifax Mooseheads are all highly touted prospects that play on Mooseheads this year. (Richard Woodbury/CBC)

Halifax has a strong young team that has advanced to the second round of this year's QMJHL playoffs and many of those rising young stars will get the chance to showcase their talents as they play for the title next year.

"We really have a good junior hockey team. I think we're going to be defending the Memorial Cup when it comes back here next year," said Mayor Mike Savage.

Supporters in Halifax react to the news that the city will be hosting the 2019 Memorial Cup. (Radio-Canada)

Bob Grant, one of the owners of the Midtown Tavern in downtown Halifax, said the Memorial Cup will be great news for his business.

"We're busy during a regular season Moosehead game, or the playoffs now, but the Memorial Cup is even more amped up than that," he said.

Grant said the event will be an opportunity for the city to show off its new buildings, such as the convention centre.

"I think people will enjoy the new Halifax," he said.

Bob Grant, one of the owners of the Midtown Tavern in downtown Halifax, says the 2019 Memorial Cup will be great news for downtown businesses. (Radio-Canada)

Rob Harris, the vice-president of volunteers for the event, said between 600 and 800 volunteers will be needed.

"We'll have no problem filling our quota of volunteers. We have many of them that are experienced here in Halifax," said Harris.

Mooseheads have won the Memorial Cup once

The Mooseheads won the Memorial Cup back in 2013 when they had star players like Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Zach Fucale leading the way.

One of the players from that team is already hinting about a reunion next spring.

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