October 2019 Lunch & Learn

 For all the sports lovers out there – this event is one you do not want to miss!

The Memorial Cup, one of the most prestigious and coveted trophies in North American sport, has a rich tradition that has shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America. The trophy was originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and was donated by the Ontario Hockey Association in March, 1919, in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in The First World War.  In 2010 the Memorial Cup was rededicated to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel.

Initially the Cup was awarded to the national junior hockey champions of Canada. Later on it came to signify Junior “A” hockey supremacy when in 1934, junior hockey in Canada was divided into “A” and “B” classes. In 1971, when junior “A” hockey was divided into major junior and Tier 11 junior A, the Memorial Cup was awarded to the higher category and was given to the major junior hockey champions of Canada. In 1972, a round-robin tournament format replaced the old playdown system to determine the champions. Since then, the champions of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League, have met each spring in a round-robin series with the two top teams playing off in a sudden-death game to determine the Cup champions.

From May 16th to 26th, 2019, in celebration of the Halifax Mooseheads' 25th anniversary, sell-out crowds of more than 10,000 fans per game, 500+ volunteers, and the City of Halifax played host to the Canadian Hockey League's elite.  This was obviously a significant undertaking and required detailed planning to ensure a successful event. 

Presenter:  Grant MacDonald

About: Grant is a leader in sport and event hosting in Canada with over 28 years’ experience in leadership positions. He has established a reputation as a trusted and knowledgeable leader of organizations and major projects.

A member of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2019 he served as Chair from 2011-14. Grant now works as the Head of Consulting, leading the CSTA’s Consulting Services Program.  A strategist specializing in major events, sport tourism, destination marketing, facility operation and economic development, Grant has worked with clients across Canada on both national and international profile projects while maintaining a focus on the development of communities of all sizes.  Grant is currently serving as the General Manager of the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship and recently served in a senior role with Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, the host venue of the 2019 Memorial Cup. Grant led both Events Nova Scotia and Events Halifax and played a lead role in the development of the provincial tourism strategy for Nova Scotia in 2013. More recently he has led the effort to establish the Atlantic Canada Event Summit and its governing association, Event Atlantic.  Earlier in his career Grant worked with Hockey Canada and other organizations in Halifax staging the World Junior, World Women’s and World Men’s Hockey championships. He began his career in amateur sport while also working as a Scout for the Toronto Blue Jays for eight years, including the World Series year of 1993.