After a hard-fought Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoff run, the Comox Valley Glacier Kings are preparing to host the Cyclone Taylor Cup.
The North Division champions were defeated in the VIJHL final by their newly formed southern rivals and league champion Victoria Cougars and get a rare opportunity for redemption as they join the PJHL champion Richmond Sockeyes and the Castlegar Rebels of the KIJHL in the battle for B.C. Jr. B supremacy.
In what will be the 47th presentation of the Cyclone Taylor Cup, Comox Valley is poised to do what is necessary to bring the cup back to the community that took it home in its inaugural year. In 1967, when the Cyclone Taylor Cup was first presented, the Comox Totems won the big prize. That was the last time the Cyclone Taylor Cup was in the Valley. Now 47 years later, the trophy that has eluded the Comox Valley over almost five decades is in the Glacier Kings' sight.
A hard-working team that has gained fan presence with each contest, the Glacier Kings are set to prove that they are the team that is meant to break the curse – much like the 2004 Boston Red Sox that broke the Curse of the Bambino, or the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks that broke their own almost five-decade-long curse.
The current Glacier Kings squad, one of four Jr. B teams left of 39 in the province, are not fazed and embrace the challenge to be a part of Comox Valley and Cyclone Taylor Cup history.
Cyclone Taylor Cup tickets are available through the Glacier Kings' head office by calling 250-334-4709. Opening ceremonies start 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 at the Comox Valley Sports Centre when the Comox Valley Glacier Kings take on the Castlegar Rebels.
The Glacier Kings also invite the public to their 2013 awards banquet on Friday, April 5. The organization is excited for the opportunity to honour the names on the back that work for the crest on the front. Visit www.glacierkings.ca for more information.
The banquet is at the Cumberland Cultural Centre and cost is $20 per person. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m.
There will be dinner, live music, prizes for guests and a cash bar. "The Glacier Kings attribute much of their success to the greatest fans in the league and look forward to meeting with them on Friday," a team spokesperson said.
– Comox Valley Glacier Kings