City of Red Deer to host 2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup Tournament

[OttawaOilers]

The Western Hockey League announced today that the Red Deer Rebels have been selected to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The MasterCard Memorial Cup will be held at the ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer May 19-29, 2016 and will mark the 98th edition of the Canadian Hockey League national championship. All games will be televised nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

Two WHL Clubs, the Red Deer Rebels and Vancouver Giants, submitted applications to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The decision to award the hosting of the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup to Red Deer was made by a majority vote of the WHL Board of Governors on Wednesday, October 8 in Calgary.

This marks the first time Red Deer has hosted the MasterCard Memorial Cup while the Rebels become the first Alberta-based Club to host the event since 1974. The Rebels were also crowned MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions in 2001.

"The WHL is very confident the Red Deer Rebels, the City of Red Deer and Province of Alberta will serve as outstanding hosts of the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. "The strength of the Rebels organization combined with the enthusiasm of the City and the Province will ensure the 2016 event will be one of the best ever.”

“The MasterCard Memorial Cup hasn’t been hosted in Alberta since 1974 and with that the Red Deer Rebels, the City of Red Deer and province of Alberta are tremendously honoured that the governors of our great league have put faith in us hosting the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” said Rebels Owner, Governor, President, General Manager and Head Coach Brent Sutter. “For all of us, our work is just beginning to stage this prestigious event.”


“MasterCard would like to congratulate the City of Red Deer and the Rebels on their successful bid to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup,” said Mike Tasevski, VP of Sponsorship Marketing, MasterCard Canada. "MasterCard is very proud to support the Canadian Hockey League and this prestigious national championship for the 18th straight year.”

The 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Remparts from May 21 to 31, 2015 in Quebec City, Quebec. The Memorial Cup features a four-team round robin format with the host club competing with the Champions from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

The Western Hockey League has won a total of 19 MasterCard Memorial Cup Championships since its inaugural season in 1966, including: Red Deer Rebels (2001), Kootenay Ice (2002), Kelowna Rockets (2004), Vancouver Giants (2007), Spokane Chiefs (2008) and Edmonton Oil Kings (2014).

http://www.whl.ca/article/red-deer-selected-to-host-2016-mastercard-memorial-cup

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Being from Red Deer, and an Albertan, this is a step towards showing who we really are. We aren't just a Province with all the Oil, we aren't just a Red-Neck Society who has Cold Winters. We're a hard working society who are on the up-swing of things, and are one of the greatest places to live in the World.

So proud to call myself an Albertan, and a Red Deerian more specifically.

A big for you, Red Deer.

Click to read more...

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Have mixed feelings about this. The thing is, that Brandon should've gotten it, but considering that they got it in 2010 that they won't, even though London had it in 2005 and 2014.

Like it though for the fact the team has Bleakley and Fleury. But if they're gonna contend, they have to make some trades in 2015 for the top prospects to guarantee a spot. Like Brett Pollock who'll also add experience to the team, Brycen Martin, Brayden Point, Nelson Nogier and Tanner Faith.

I just want teams that at least earn it to get the Memorial Cup, like Vancouver at least.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They don't randomly give it, the team has to bid on it. So Brandon didn't put in a bid so it was impossible to award it to them.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

I don't think either Vancouver or Red Deer will be good enough to contend by next season although the Giants are closer, IMO. Regardless, I'm not surprised at all the Rebels won the bid. The one thing Vancouver had in their favor was revenue as they would certainly generate more of it. And typically money is one of the main factors in these types of decisions.

 

[R S]

Rebels are going to need to start building NOW. They can't let it wait until next year. They need to go out and find a few good 1996's and use their 2015 picks as currency.

Along with that, they should really start looking ahead to their 1995 situation. Having three good 20's is essential for a host team and they can't wait on molding that part of their team. Start the year with 3 solid ones, maybe 4, and deal one of them. Saskatoon didn't handle the situation right in 2013, if you ask me.

I think Doetzel is a good 20 for next year. I also don't mind Kopeck. After that, guys like Johnson and Feser could possibly be upgraded.

Ultimately the 20's will have to sort themselves out at this time next year, ideally, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to how you might handle that situation.

 

[Rocko604]

Vancouver is nowhere near being contenders like they were when they were awarded it back in 07.

Then again, they were awarded that tournament after a first-round playoff exit in 05...

 

[Joe Hallenback]

They have a lot of assets to build a strong team. I would say they are a mid pack team right now. I think there biggest issue is finding a top end goalie for next year.

Jarry/Comrie will both be gone. I don't know if PA will trade McBride or if Moose Jaw will move Sawchenko. Brandon is not trading Papirny.

I don't know who that leaves for them to go after. Brandon had the same issue the year they hosted. No quality goalies available.

I think they are fairly solid up front. Bleackly,Musil,Kopeck, and Polei will be a good core. DeWit and Pawlenchuk should get better. Its a solid group that will need some oomph to it. They will be able to get that with a top end Euro either from last years draft or this years draft. Some players to target Brayden Point in Moose Jaw,Dominic Turgeon and Keegan Iverson in Portland.

Defense is another spot that they will need to address but I think there will be a lot out there to get. Fleury will be a great backbone. Doetzal will be a top 20. Mahura will be 17 and that much better. That will be pretty much it. I think they drop the Slovak D man they have and either draft a top end player for D or trade for a euro D. They will need to add 3 guys. Another 20 will be added here I think. Layne Viveros from Portland, Joe Hicketts from Victoria, Nelson Nogier from the Blades.

 

[I am the Liquor]

They will be better than Saskatoon.

But that's setting the bar pretty low.

Nice to see it back in Alberta finally. Sutter will make sure the team is competitive.

 

[R S]

They will be better than Saskatoon.

But that's setting the bar pretty low.

Nice to see it back in Alberta finally. Sutter will make sure the team is competitive.

It will be interesting, but there's no doubt that Red Deer has some work to do.

Saskatoon ended up having some very good pieces on their roster by the time the tournament rolled around. While the team wasn't constructed the way a true championship team should be (through drafting instead of trades) it was still a very good team on paper.

Drafted players:

- Siemens - 1st round in 2011
- Ferland - 5th round in 2010
- Thrower - 2nd round in 2012
- Sutter - 2nd round in 2012
- McColgan - 5th round in 2010
- Nicholls - 7th round in 2010
- Stransky - 6th round in 2011
- Dietz - 5th round in 2011

Then you have a guy like Makarov who signed as a free agent and has shown consistent improvement since then. Guys like Walker, Astles, Valcourt and Craig have also all gone on to play pro at some level or another.

Looking at Red Deer's roster, it doesn't scream "2015-16 WHL Contender", let alone Memorial Cup champion.

Yes, they have a pair of nice first rounders in Bleackley and Fleury (who both should be back, considering the situation). But after that, there's not a ton of stuff there.

- Musil and Pawlenchuk will both likely be drafted by NHL team's, but will both only be 18 next year.

- Their 20 year old situation is only "ok" at this point, with a couple of upgrades likely needed by the this time next year. Doetzel is a good piece, though. A career-long Rebel and a leader. I'm sure he sticks around.

- They've got two young/unproven goalies.

- They do have some other nice 1997-1998 talent on their current roster, but the focus for them will likely need to be 1996's. And they only have four 1996's on their current roster, two of which are Fleury/Bleackley and one of which is a goalie who's a rookie this year.


You can say Saskatoon set the bar low, but frankly, the Rebels have a ton of work to do to beef this team up and I really hope they don't wait to start doing it.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Are you trying to convince me Saskatoon had a good team?

Not only were they not very good, the lacked the elite talent needed to compete with the best teams in the land, but they absolutely gutted themselves collecting all the decent vets they could get. We are seeing the fruits of that now. Have they even won a game yet? To top it all off theyve hired Dan Tencer of all people to scout for them (in some kind of supervisory role lol).

Good grief. Not liking their chances in the future either.

The memorial cup system is flawed, but it is what it is and its about time the tourney made an appearance in Alberta. After all its been 40yrs already.

The most battle ready team next year will likely be the Wheat Kings but they just hosted the tourney not that long ago.

 

[R S]

Are you trying to convince me Saskatoon had a good team?

Not only were they not very good, the lacked the elite talent needed to compete with the best teams in the land, but they absolutely gutted themselves collecting all the decent vets they could get. We are seeing the fruits of that now. Have they even won a game yet? To top it all off theyve hired Dan Tencer of all people to scout for them (in some kind of supervisory role lol).

Good grief. Not liking their chances in the future either.

The memorial cup system is flawed, but it is what it is and its about time the tourney made an appearance in Alberta. After all its been 40yrs already.

The most battle ready team next year will likely be the Wheat Kings but they just hosted the tourney not that long ago.

I am absolutely not trying to convince you that they were a good team.

I'm just saying on paper, at this point of the process, they were still far ahead of where the Red Deer Rebels are right now....in my opinion.

When the Blades were awarded the event in the fall of 2011 they were coming off of a season where they led the WHL in regular season points by 12. While the crapped the bed in the playoffs, again, that season, they were still in fairly good shape in regards to what their roster looked like the following season and looking ahead down the line. While drafted players aren't the be-all and end-all, it's still a form of measuring stick. Saskatoon at least had a big handful of guys deemed talented enough to be drafted by NHL teams. Red Deer doesn't, aside from the two mentioned above.

I don't mind Red Deer, and think they are a playoff team this season, but they definitely don't appear to have the makings of a true championship contending team. Don't get that confused with me saying the Blades did, because they obviously didn't. I already stated that the way they built their team was flawed. You can't build a dynasty through trading.


And I do agree with you that the system is flawed, but at this point there's not much you can do about it. Hosting the event is a massive process and needs to be given at least a year heads up to be done properly.

While you could do a "neutral site" plan, ticket sales would struggle. And that's the main driving force behind the event being considered "successful" to organizers.

 

[arsmaster*]

Coleman Vollrath would be a good goalie target for the Rebels, depending on what the Royals plans are.

I don't see Hicketts not finishing his WHL career in Victoria either.

I agree with Mr Hallenback, that Nogier and Point would be the best targets for them.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Red Deer has a long way to go toward getting their team ready. But so does/did Vancouver for that matter.

Victoria may have made some sense as well, but did they withdraw their bid?

It should be in Alberta imo. Pick a team to host it and go with it. Edmonton wont be very good next year in all likelihood, same goes for Calgary. Lethbridge is a joke, so its pretty much just Red Deer and Medicine Hat.

 

[R S]

Red Deer has a long way to go toward getting their team ready. But so does/did Vancouver for that matter.

Victoria may have made some sense as well, but did they withdraw their bid?

It should be in Alberta imo. Pick a team to host it and go with it. Edmonton wont be very good next year in all likelihood, same goes for Calgary. Lethbridge is a joke, so its pretty much just Red Deer and Medicine Hat.

I definitely agree that Van would have had a lot of work to do, too. Especially considering for them guys like Geertsen and Houck could be gone. They might actually be in worse shaping, looking ahead to 2016, than the Rebels are.

Not sure why Victoria withdrew. They would likely have the strongest roster of the 3 as things stand right now.

I have no problem with it going to Alberta, definitely due. I think Medicine Hat would have been solid, with a new rink there and everything in time for the event. Ultimately it's a fine balance. You need to find the best combination of revenue creation along with team potential. Hard to do when not all teams put in bids.

Aside from Brandon, a place like Seattle would have been really good, too, as far as WHL teams go.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

I definitely agree that Van would have had a lot of work to do, too. Especially considering for them guys like Geertsen and Houck could be gone. They might actually be in worse shaping, looking ahead to 2016, than the Rebels are.

Based on their play this season Geertsen and Houck may be gone sooner rather than later as it is. Although that is another topic entirely. I agree that Vancouver is far from a legitimate contender although they do have one key piece the Rebels don't. A potential super star player in Benson. That and all the money another Memorial Cup would generate in Vancouver I wondered if it would be too tempting for the league to pass up. It's a moot point now.

As I said earlier I think the Giants are closer than the Rebels to being a contending team but both organizations have a lot of work to do in order to get to that point. I'm not convinced it'll happen in such a short span of time.