Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 2:11 pm
The Wildcats are already champs
We Say: It took a lot of vision and hard work by the Moncton Wildcats to top their league and reach the Memorial Cup - Bravo!
Metro Moncton and New Brunswick hockey fans are celebrating the Moncton Wildcats' win of the President Cup, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's championship trophy Sunday evening. It gives the team a hard-earned (some would say "legitimate") entry into the Memorial Cup for Canadian junior hockey supremacy, which begins in Moncton on Friday.
As host, the Wildcats were guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup in any event, but surely earning their presence on the ice via play carries more meaning and eliminates any doubts that they are serious contenders. The Cats earned their spot, game by game, play by play, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with, earning respect for their skills and play.
Congratulations Wildcats! We have no doubt Monctonians will be rooting for them as they play to become the first Atlantic Canadian team to take home the national Memorial Cup.
It took impressive talent, effort, determination, spirit and teamwork by the Wildcats to reach this point. Every player, Coach Ted Nolan and his staff, and the entire Wildcats organization merit applause.
Nor should fans and citizens overlook the role of Wildcats owner Robert Irving, a man who 10 years ago rescued the team, renamed it, and began the long, at times difficult, process of building a successful franchise and winning team. Mr. Irving - a dedicated hockey fan - had a vision and pursued it, bringing to bear his own business skills and expertise to shape an organization that has been a class act all the way. As the previous history of hockey in Moncton had shown, success was not guaranteed.
Yet the Moncton Wildcats are a significant part of the southeastern New Brunswick sporting, entertainment, and economic scene. The investment is large and the team draws many visitors to the city for its games. It plays a role in helping to attract new investors and companies to the city when we can boast high-quality hockey throughout the winter. As well, the team has shown remarkable and commendable community spirit and gives back to the public and communities that support it.
All that remains now is for the Wildcats to show the rest of Canada that they indeed can go all the way. Visitors, "Beware of the Cat!