EDMONTON

It remains to be determined, of course, if Edmonton will be in the 2014 Memorial Cup.

But the 2019 Memorial Cup?

Book it.

It will be in Edmonton.

OK, they don’t make these things official until two years before the event. It’s not like they’re going to hold a press conference before Game 6 here Sunday afternoon.

But when the WHL commissioner volunteers the thought himself, when you know the extent of Edmonton’s new events hosting strategy, if you are aware of the ballistic success story of the world junior and the monster financial windfall which would be involved with putting it in a new 18,641 Rogers Place …

Book it.

“If there was the feeling with the Edmonton Oil Kings organization to consider 2019, we would certainly consider that down the road,” volunteered WHL commissioner Ron Robison to your correspondent.

“Until now, Edmonton and Calgary haven’t been able to commit because of their NHL teams and the Stanley Cup playoffs.”

(Insert your own joke here with the Edmonton Oilers having gone eight consecutive seasons out of the playoffs and Calgary Flames five.)

“If we have a second NHL-calibre facility available, it would put Edmonton in a position where they can apply for the Memorial Cup based on having a facility of standard, providing that Rexall Place continues to exist.”

In the event the Oilers make it to the final four in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2019, the Memorial Cup could be moved to Rexall Place to make way for a game or two of the NHL playoffs to avoid conflict.

“They have to guarantee a facility and that’s why we couldn’t entertain applications from Calgary or Edmonton to this point,” said Robison.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been in Alberta,” he said.

You have to go back to the old Calgary Corral in 1964, when Clark Gillies, Greg Joly, Dennis Sobchuk and the Regina Pats beat the Quebec Remparts in that one.

The 1961, 1963 and 1965 Memorial Cups were held in the old Edmonton Gardens.

They were best-of-seven series back then, alternating between East and West on even and odd years.

The Oil Kings lost to Father David Bauer’s Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, featuring Gerry Cheevers, in six in the 1961 hosting.

Edmonton, with a lineup featuring Pat Quinn, Glen Sather, Bob Falkenberg and Roger Bourbonais, defeated the Niagara Falls Flyers in six in 1963 in the series remembered for both Gary Dornhoefer and Gary Harmon suffering broken legs for the Flyers. Terry Crisp and Bill Goldsworthy were featured players.

Edmonton then lost to the Flyers, featuring Doug Favell, Goldsworthy, Bernie Parent, Jean Pronovost and Derek Sanderson, in five in 1965 in the Edmonton Gardens.

The only Memorial Cup the Oil Kings won in the East was over the Oshawa Generals in Maple Leaf Gardens in a series which went six. Al Hamilton, Jim Harrison, Ace Bailey, Ross Lonsberry and Falkenberg, and another half-dozen who would become WHA Oilers, were on that team.

The point is there would be all of that to celebrate with an Edmonton Memorial Cup hosting a half century later.

The WHL plays host to the Memorial Cup every third year. The Memorial Cup was held last year in Saskatoon. Red Deer is expected to bid for 2016, along with several other centres such as Kelowna and possibly one of the U.S.-based teams.

The 2007 Memorial Cup was held in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, but there was no thought of moving it to the then GM Place.

“We stayed where the Giants were playing. But the Oil Kings will be playing in the new downtown arena,” said Robison.

Vancouver set the Memorial Cup record with 121,561 fans attending the nine-game tournament. The previous record was 84,686 in 2003 in Quebec City.

Remember that the World Junior in Alberta, co-hosted by Edmonton and Calgary, set a record of 571,539 fans, breaking the previous record by 118,257.

How do you say no to that?

The 2019 Memorial Cup in Edmonton? Book it.

terry.jones@sunmedia.ca

@sunterryjones