As host of this year’s Memorial Cup, the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit are keeping the tradition alive of a special jersey honoring war veterans.
The Spirit unveiled their commemorative jersey honoring fallen military personnel during their Memorial Cup arrival parade Jolt Credit Event Union Park in Saginaw, Michigan, on Thursday, May 23. They’ll wear the jerseys in the tournament opener against the WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday, May 24.
The jersey is mostly red, with blue shoulder yokes and a broad blue stripe around the waist. Under the waist stripe are the flags of both Canada and the United States. The front of the shirt has silhouettes of two soldiers on a grey background saluting on either side of the Saginaw Veterans Monument from World War II at the Saginaw County Veterans Memorial Plaza in Hoyt Park. The artwork is contained inside a blue roundel shaped like the city seal of Saginaw with red laurels running up the sides and a poppy at the top.
The sleeves have blue stripes with white borders, and the number on the sleeves are set in a one-color white block font. The left shoulder has a patch with a silhouette of the Memorial Cup trophy and the number 24 inside, while the right shoulder has the Saginaw Spirit primary logo.
The back of the jersey was not shown during the presentation at Friday’s parade.
Game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off over the course of the tournament at CHL.ca/auctions with proceeds going to the Royal Canadian Legion’s Dominion Command Poppy Fund.
Teams competing for the Memorial Cup this season include:
- London Knights (OHL champions)
- Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champions)
- Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champions)
- Saginaw Spirit (hosts; lost to London in OHL Western Conference final)
This will be the 104th time the Memorial Cup has been awarded. It was originally donated by the Ontario Hockey Association in 1919 in remembrance of soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. In 2010, it was rededicated to honor all fallen Canadian Forces personnel.
Host teams began wearing special jerseys honoring veterans in 2008, when the tournament was held in Kitchener, Ontario. Since then, jersey auctions have raised $261,000 for the Poppy Fund.
Since adopting a round-robin format in 1972, WHL teams have won 19 Memorial Cups, while OHL teams have won 17 times and QMJHL teams 14 times, including the Quebec Remparts in 2023.
This year marks the first time the Memorial Cup has been held in Michigan and the first time an American OHL city has hosted the tournament. Other American cities that have hosted the Memorial Cup include Portland, Oregon (1983, 1986); Seattle, Washington (1992); and Spokane, Washington (1998).
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