Many off-ice activities are planned for when the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup comes to Windsor this May.
The celebration will officially kick off May 18 at 3:15pm with the opening banquet, presented by Collins Barrow, at the St. Clair Centre For The Arts.
“It’s exciting to announce events like this as we get closer to actually hosting the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup”, said event chair John Savage, in a news release. “Everything is coming together in our quest to make this a most memorable experience and to showcase our great City of Windsor and surrounding area.”
The banquet will feature former Ottawa 67's goalie and current Toronto Maple Leafs broadcaster Jim Ralph, along with Masters of Ceremony John Fairley (St. Clair College) and Windsor Spitfires legend Adam Graves, who led the team to the 1988 Memorial Cup championship final.
Also in attendance will be players, coaches and officials representing the four participating teams, as well as representatives from the Canadian Hockey League, sponsors and community organizers.
Tables of 10 are available by calling 519-254-5000 ext. 250 or gregg@windsor2017.com.
Following the banquet, the community is invited to a free celebration: “Witness The Legacy:
The Memorial Cup Arrival”.
The historic trophy will arrive along the Detroit River from Sarnia on board the Canadian Coast Guard patrol vessel Private Robertson V.C before docking at Dieppe Gardens at 6 p.m. The Cup will be off-loaded at 6:30 p.m.
Accompanied by military personnel, the Memorial Cup will be paraded from Dieppe Park up
Ouellette Avenue to the Essex County War Memorial in City Hall Square for a special ceremony
and will then be available for viewing in the lobby of City Hall from 7:45pm to 9 p.m.
More information on opening celebrations and other community events will be announced at a
news conference scheduled for April 19.
