Great Lakes Bay Region excited for 2024 Memorial Cup
SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - The greatest prize in the Canadian Hockey League is coming to Saginaw.
The Dow event center will play host to the 2024 Memorial Cup and hockey fans aren’t the only ones excited about this announcement. County commissioners estimate it will bring in about $24 million in economic impact.
“Well Saginaw we did it!” Saginaw Spirit President and managing partner Craig Goslin said.
“This is the final four. This is their national championship. And for the country of Canada to move this to America and let us host this in America is really a big move,” Saginaw Spirit team owner Dick Garber said.
Garber said this will only be the fourth time since its inception in 1919 that the Memorial Cup has been held in the U.S. The event is expected to create tens of millions of dollars of economic impact in the Great Lakes Bay Region.
Eugene Seals is with the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce.
“This is an opportunity not only for the small businesses, but the big businesses. Talking $20 to $30 million in economic impact in this area, it’s exciting for me being in my position for the chamber,” Seals said.
As you can imagine, Saginaw Mayor Brenda Moore is excited too.
“Saginaw is coming back. And the Great Lakes Bay Region, it’s going to benefit every last one of us. All the way from I-75 going north and south, everybody is getting ready to benefit from this,” Moore said.
We’ve learned the hockey teams competing in the Memorial Cup will be housed in Frankenmuth. Jamie Furbush is with the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce.
“Whether they stay in Frankenmuth, they stay in Bay City, or Midland. There are so many things that they can do throughout the region when they’re here to watch their favorite hockey team of course,” Furbush said.
And besides hockey at the Dow Event Center, there will also be fanfest across the street at the Jolt Credit Union Event Park. Spokesperson Bridget Staffileno said there will be some big concerts there.
“This is again, another opportunity that we do something phenomenal. We’re going to get people to come down to the Jolt Credit Union Event Park and say ‘You know, wait a minute, this is really cool, I’m coming back there.’ Super excited about it,” Staffileno said.
As for Goslin, he’s optimistic the Great Lakes Bay Region is going to leave a good impression to all who visit.
“We all want to say that Saginaw, and the Great Lakes Bay Region, and its people provided an exceptional experience for the Memorial Cup to everybody that attended. That’s what our plan is. That’s what we’re going to do,” Goslin said.
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