Memorial Cup follow-up

Published 4:03 pm Thursday, October 16, 2008

I talked to Tips GM Doug Soetaert this afternoon, so here’s a little follow-up on Everett losing out on hosting the 2010 Memorial Cup to Brandon.

First off, the Tips knew the score going into Wednesday’s presentations. Soetaert said the Tips were informed a few weeks ago of additional fees required for their bid because Everett is in the U.S., and several of the sponsors are targeting a Canadian audience. Those additional fees were a game changer, and the Tips decided before the presentations that they were going to withdraw and support Brandon.

So, what does this mean for 2013 and beyond? Well, Soetaert said the Tips are still very much interested in hosting the Memorial Cup, and he’s confident Everett would do an excellent job. However, he emphasized that the CHL needs to come up with a policy that makes the bidding process fair for all teams, whether located in Canada or the U.S. WHL commissioner Ron Robison during Wednesday’s conference call said the CHL is working on that policy.

Whether that policy eventually comes to fruition will probably determine whether Everett bids again in 2013.

Now, one quick note regarding the team. Defenseman Graham Potuer (concussion) and left wing Jordan Mistelbacher (ankle) have both been cleared to play tomorrow against Kelowna, meaning the Tips will be at full strength.