Photo: Left, Border Kings manager Owen Noble was joined by Mayor Jeff Mulligan Thursday at the Civic Centre, to announce Lloydminster will be hosting the Allan Cup in 2012. - Robb Fenton Photo
By Robb Fenton
It was a success in 2005 and the same expectations exist for 2012.
This past week, the Lloydminster Border Kings announced that they were awarded the 2012 Allan Cup, bringing together six of the best senior hockey teams in Canada.
“It’s very exciting. Just for the tournament and the team, it’s great. When you kind of get down in the dumps about hockey or something and this comes along, it’s just nothing but good for the team,” Border Kings manager Owen Noble said at the Civic Centre this past Thursday.
Saskatchewan was set to host the tournament and while there were some other options, the Border Kings bid, which was submitted to Saskatchewan Hockey, came up as the winner.
“They sent us a letter and they wanted us,” Noble said of what he heard back from the provincial hockey group.
Noble spoke highly of the help the team received when they hosted the tournament five years ago and knows they will receive the same support the next time around.
“From 2005 when we hosted, I’m going to go out on a limb and say 80 per cent of them will come back and will know what they’re doing,” Noble said of the help he expects to receive. “Once we get the committee going this fall, we’ll have some meetings and we’re looking on the logo, people will jump on board.”
After 2005, the Kings are aware of what it takes to host a successful tournament and while they didn’t come away with the title as hosts, the feedback from that tournament brought nothing but positive reviews.
“I think it will make it that much easier because we know what we have to do. If we can do what we did in 2005 and I don’t see why we can’t (we’ll be fine). If we can just spruce it out here and there, make it that much better and it would be nice to be able to win it here, too,” Noble said.
For the players, it is a reason to battle through the next few seasons to have a chance to play for a national title on home ice, something that will be very appealing for returning players, as well as potential new players.
“It’s very exciting. Right from the word go when we found out about it, it’s kind of been like more life for the Kings to continue going on. Rather than going to play in an Allan Cup on the other side of the country, we can play one right in our backyard, so it’s pretty exciting,” Border Kings veteran Kurtis Wandler said.
While it is still two years away, the interest of senior hockey players to play at an Allan Cup should be a huge drawing card for the Kings as they look at possibly rebuilding the team, or adding to a solid core
“It’s definitely going to fuel some fires. There are some guys that are just starting out with the Border Kings and there’s a lot of guys who have played 10-plus years, so it’s kind of gut-check time to see what guys are going to want to do,” Wandler said.
“It’s exciting and it’s going to be one of those things where we get to build our team. It already has attracted some players and it should create a lot of interest, player personnel wise.”
This past tournament was held in Fort St. John, B.C., the 2011 edition will be in Kenora, Ontario and then the Border City will be front and centre, as the oldest trophy in Canada will be hoisted on Civic Centre ice.