BREAKING: Memorial Cup not coming to the Sault in 2024 (update)

4 p.m. update

After a season in which they missed the playoffs, it wasn’t the news they were hoping for.

On Wednesday, the Soo Greyhounds learned that hosting rights for the 2024 Canadian Hockey League Memorial Cup were awarded to the Saginaw Spirit.

“We’re obviously very disappointed,” said Greyhounds president and governor Tim Lukenda. “We feel like we did everything we could to put out best foot forward and put in the best bid possible. I have no regrets that way.”

Asked if he was given an indication on what the difference was, Lukenda said that he was given an outline of the criteria “and they indicated that one of the factors was the perspective strength of team next season.”

“But aside from that, which obviously I disagree with, that was one of the factors that came into play,” Lukenda added.

Saginaw was the lone team out of the four bidding on hosting rights – which also included the Kingston Frontenacs and Niagara IceDogs – to make the Ontario Hockey League playoffs this season.

Lukenda said the team hasn’t ruled out bidding on Memorial Cup hosting rights in the future and expressed appreciation for the city’s efforts in getting the bid together.

“A lot of time and effort went into our bid that didn’t happen two years ago and then reviving it and doing what we did to be ready this time,” Lukenda said. “We need a little bit of time to take a deep breath coming out of this one and focus on what we can control, which is our success in the coming season.”

“We always want to showcase our city,” Lukenda added. “We think that, at the right time, we’ll be interested again.”

Original story

It turns out Sault Ste. Marie will not be hosting the Memorial Cup next year. 

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced Wednesday that the 2024 edition of the junior hockey tournament will be held in Saginaw, Mich., marking the first time the Memorial Cup has been hosted south of the border in 26 years. 

A press conference announcing the host city will take place in Saginaw Thursday. 

We're going south of the border 🇺🇸@SpiritHockey will host the 2024 #MemorialCup presented by @KiaCanada❗️

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 29, 2023

A news release from the CHL follows: 

For the first time in 26 years, the Memorial Cup presented by Kia will be hosted south of the border when next year the championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) will be held in Saginaw, Michigan.

Although American cities have hosted the Memorial Cup on four separate occasions in the event’s 104-year history, never before has an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) American city held this prestigious tournament.

Tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. PST, a press conference will be held at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw and be streamed live on CHL TV.

“We are thrilled to bring the Memorial Cup to the state of Michigan for the first time in the event’s history,” said CHL President Dan MacKenzie. “The Spirit and City of Saginaw submitted a remarkable bid and we have no doubt that they will do an outstanding job of hosting our CHL championship next year.”

Having arrived in Saginaw in 2002, the Spirit would be set to participate in their first-ever Memorial Cup next season. Over the last two decades, the three-time OHL West Division champions have seen over 55 of their players drafted by NHL teams, including Cole Perfetti, Filip Hronek, Owen Tippett, Brandon Saad and Vincent Trocheck, whose number 89 is the lone uniform retired by the Spirit franchise.

“On behalf of Dick Garber and the Saginaw Spirit franchise, we are grateful to the Memorial Cup Selection Committee. It is an honor for the community of Saginaw and the 400,000 people that call the Great Lakes Bay Region home to be the host of the 2024 Memorial Cup,” added Craig Goslin, President and Managing Partner of the Saginaw Spirit. “Saginaw is both honored and prepared. We respect and understand the significance that the Memorial Cup has in Canadian culture and we plan to illustrate this respect and honor throughout the event.

“It is our intent, that when it is completed, the CHL, all visiting players, staff, sponsors, fans and stakeholders, will leave by saying: ‘that was an exceptionally managed Memorial Cup and we had a fabulous experience.’”