Trophy tells Canadian story of community, family, honour, respect
Hours before the puck dropped to start the 2018 Memorial Cup, Canada Post lifted the veil on its newest stamp at Regina’s city hall in celebration of the storied history of one of the most cherished trophies in sport.
“The ‘Memorial Cup, 100th Presentation’ stamp symbolizes junior hockey supremacy in North America, hockey’s connection to community and Canadians’ respect for tradition,” said Jessica McDonald, Canada Post’s board chair and interim president and CEO. “The Cup is part of the very fabric of our great nation.”
Donated in remembrance of Canadians who made the supreme sacrifice for their country during the First World War, the Memorial Cup was rededicated in 2010 to the memory of all members of the Canadian Armed Forces who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.
“What others have given us endures through our acts of remembrance, such as the Memorial Cup,” added Carla Qualtrough, minister of public service, who’s also responsible for Canada Post. “Over the decades, competing for this Cup has shaped the characters and lives of thousands of young men.”
The official first-day cover, which was cancelled in Regina, includes a photo of two Canadian Armed Forces members accompanying the Cup.
MEMORIAL CUP
The Memorial Cup is awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) champion following a four-team round-robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL’s member leagues: the Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League.
“The CHL is very proud to be celebrating this special year in Regina,” said CHL President David Branch. “We thank Canada Post for commemorating this event and over the next 10 days, we’ll see some of the best junior players in the world compete for the ultimate prize in junior hockey.”
STAMP DESIGN
Illustrated by Louis Hébert and designed by Paprika of Montréal, the stamp evokes the Canadian flag. It features two players from the Regina Pats, which in 1919 competed in the first Memorial Cup against the University of Toronto Schools of the Ontario Hockey Association. The Pats are this year’s host team.
“The Regina Pats have a very long history in our community and in Canada’s hockey community,” said Regina Mayor Michael Fougere. “This design acknowledges that the Pats legacy is intertwined with the Memorial Cup’s, and I have no doubt our residents will be very proud of this representation.”
The stamp comes in pennant-shaped booklets of 10 and shows a Pats player from yesteryear facing off against a modern-day player with an illustration of the Memorial Cup between them. As a tribute to the trophy’s origins, an official first-day cover (OFDC) includes a photo of two Canadian Armed Forces members accompanying the Cup. It was cancelled in Regina.
On May 27, the Memorial Cup will be presented for the 100th time at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
For more information, visit canadapost.ca/memorialcup.