The Moncton Wildcats have decided to forego a bid to host the 2025 Memorial Cup.
After being named hosts of the 2024 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft, Moncton Wildcats President Robert Irving made it clear. With league commissioner Mario Cecchini seated to his right, Irving paused during his address when mentioning the 2006 Memorial Cup success at the Moncton Coliseum.
"Now, Commissioner," he said, generating laughter from those in attendance at the press conference. He then asked those on hand, "Wouldn’t we love to have a Memorial Cup here in 2025? I can tell you, the Wildcats and the City of Moncton, we’re all in!"
Fast forward to October 2, 2023. The Wildcats organization released a statement indicating a change of heart.
"While our organization was deeply committed to bidding on the 2025 Memorial Cup, we have made the decision to forego submitting a bid at this time. Realizing that a major junior team in the province of Quebec has not hosted this national championship in the past 10 years, the chance of winning the competitive bid is very unlikely."
In 2015, the Quebec Remparts served as hosts and the prestigious tournament has not been held in that province since.
The Halifax Mooseheads hosted the 2019 Memorial Cup and the Saint John Sea Dogs served as hosts in 2022, winning the championship on home ice at the TD Station last June.
The Rimouski Oceanic, which hosted the event in 2009, and the Shawinigan Cataractes, which hosted in 2012, have both submitted their intent to bid on the 2025 Memorial Cup.
Long-time Moncton Wildcats fan David McKnight, who attended the 2009 Memorial Cup in Rimouski and the 2012 tournament in Shawinigan, took to ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, to share his thoughts.
Will the Moncton Wildcats be prepared to bid on the 2028 tournament? The team’s current roster will have graduated, with the exception of 16-year-old rookies Caleb Desnoyers and Shawn Carrier, who would be in their overage season, if not in the professional ranks.
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