Editors Choice:

EDITOR’S CHOICE

He’s Back……. He Did Not Come Back Empty Handed

July 1, 2024 – Lead by their General Manager Dave Drinkill, the Saginaw Spirit were victorious in their quest to hoist the most coveted trophy in junior hockey history.  After a hard fought battle in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs where they lost in the conference finals against the London Knights, the Spirit defeated the Knights in the final to win the Memorial Cup.  London handed the Spirit their only loss in the round robin of the tournament and the team was able to rebound and shut down the Knights after a long week of tough hockey in Saginaw.  

After Elmvale native Drinkill and the Spirit attended the local Elmvale rink for a fast paced practice, it was clear that the team had the winning mentality and maximum effort.  Locals praised the team during and after the practice, stating that the young men acted as true gentlemen when interacting with the young fans upstairs at the arena.  It was that same team that were victorious to close out the season. 

The Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup, established in 1919, holds a storied history as one of Canadian junior hockey’s most prestigious trophies. Initially created to honour the Canadian military members who played hockey who lost their lives in World War I, the tournament has evolved into a symbol of excellence and achievement in junior hockey.  The inaugural Memorial Cup took place in 1919, featuring teams from the Ontario Hockey Association and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. The University of Toronto Schools emerged as the first champions, setting the stage for decades of intense competition. 

The Memorial Cup visited the Elmvale Legion previously, and Drinkill is planning to bring it back there on Friday, July 5th starting at 3:00 pm.  The following details can be found on the Elmvale Community Facebook page, organized by Graham Archer:  Hello Friends, Family, Hockey Fans, Dave Drinkill is a Memorial Cup Champion! And after all the hard work and dedication comes the chance to have a little fun. Dave will be bringing his latest accomplishment back to Elmvale, only this time it’s a celebration! Please come out, and help celebrate and congratulate our hometown boy, who’s accomplished so much! Open to everyone. There will be interactive games for the kids, and a chance to hold, and have your picture taken with a piece of history. And one of the hardest trophy’s in sports in win. We are planning some evening entertainment to carry the evening on till late! A Great chance to support a couple of great things, a hometown hero, and the Elmvale Legion!

Drinkill had some local friends attend Saginaw during the week of the Memorial Cup.  Photos are included of some of the crew who represented the community and supported the Spirit.  Congratulations Dave!

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