In the spring of 2004, the hosted the Memorial Cup championship for the first and only time in franchise history.

Bruce Hamilton and company believe itsa国际传媒檚 high time major junior hockeysa国际传媒檚 season-ending showcase made a return to the Okanagan.

On Thursday, the Rockets announced the Western Hockey League club will be submitting a bid to host the Canadian Hockey Leaguesa国际传媒檚 championship tournament in the spring of 2020.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a great opportunity for our organization and our city,sa国际传媒� said Hamilton, the Rockets president and general manager. sa国际传媒淲e feel our fans deserve the opportunity to host this event again and we know our city will do an even bigger and better job this time out.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e looking forward to rolling the bid out.sa国际传媒�

The bid criteria for the includes a clubsa国际传媒檚 ability to ice a competitive team, while providing adequate facilities and guaranteeing a sufficient return of funds to the Canadian Hockey League.

Hamilton said Prospera Place would likely require some upgrades, including renovations to the dressing rooms which he said are already in the business plan.

As for assembling a Memorial Cup-worthy squad, the GM is confident the Rockets will hit the ice running in 2020.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 not worried about that, the hockey side of it at all,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檒l be fine, wesa国际传媒檝e been competitive every year wesa国际传媒檝e been in business.sa国际传媒�

The Rockets won their first and only Memorial Cup as the host team 14 years ago in May, defeating the Gatineau Olympiques in front of the largest and many would remember as the most electric hockey crowd ever (6,557) at Prospera Place.

Outside the arena, the 2004 tournament featured a festival-like atmosphere, with tents, displays and cultural activities to create a fan-friendly environment.

Hamilton said the Rockets will be looking for ways to push the Memorial Cup experience to another level.

sa国际传媒淲e started something here, it wasnsa国际传媒檛 just a hockey tournament, it became a festival and thatsa国际传媒檚 how you get more people involved,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲ith 6,000 seats theresa国际传媒檚 a lot of people that donsa国际传媒檛 get into the building, so there are things you have to do around it to make the event bigger. Itsa国际传媒檒l be interesting what Tourism Kelowna comes up with, there going to be with us in this, so wesa国际传媒檒l be looking forward to new ideas of other things that can happen and other facilities we can use in the downtown area.sa国际传媒�

The Rockets, along with the other bid cities, will make their official presentation to the WHLsa国际传媒檚 board of governors in the fall, with a final decision to be made Oct. 3.

Hamilton expects the Kamloops Blazers will also throw their hat in the ring, while the Victoria Royals are said to be possible candidate to submit a bid.

Local businessman Tom Dyas is serving as chairman of the Rocketssa国际传媒� bid committee and has little doubt the Rockets will warrant serious consideration as the 2020 hosts.

sa国际传媒淚f there is a community to raise the bar on tournaments of this nature, it would be this community,sa国际传媒� Dyas said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 involvement with its love for the sport of hockey, with its community involvement, with its brain capacity, I believe itsa国际传媒檚 something that will happen almost naturally.sa国际传媒�

Defenceman Josh Gorges was the Rocketssa国际传媒� captain for the organizationsa国际传媒檚 lone Memorial Cup win back on that memorable Sunday afternoon in May 2004.

Still his finest hockey moment, the Kelowna native cansa国际传媒檛 conceive of a better community and organization to serve as hosts for the national tournament.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 almost kind of surprised it hasnsa国际传媒檛 come back already,sa国际传媒� said Gorges. sa国际传媒淚 think just with the success we had the first time, you saw the community and the organization got behind the event. I mean this is one of the top organizations in junior hockey. And then you throw in the type of city that Kelowna is and how nice it is, and people coming from all over the place, Isa国际传媒檓 sure to watch the games and just be a part of it.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 excited they have the opportunity to bring the Memorial, to be honest I donsa国际传媒檛 think theresa国际传媒檚 a better spot for it.sa国际传媒�

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