The McLean & Dickey Orillia Terriers have been selected to host the Provincial Junior Hockey League's Showcase Game which turns the spotlight on Ontario's top 16–17-year-old players.
The event will take place at Rotary Place in Orillia on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m.
“We are lucky enough to host this game and to showcase young talent from both North and East divisions who could possibly play at a higher level next year,” said Terriers general manager Andrew McDonald.
This is the first time Orillia will host the Showcase Game.
“We have a newer facility, a great hockey city with great hockey fans, and these types of events usually go to host teams that are winning and have a good organization. Now we can count ourselves among those teams,” McDonald said.
McDonald says hockey fans who enjoy a fast-paced game won’t want to miss the event, and it is guaranteed that Orillia will be well represented by local talent.
“We are hoping we will get a great fan turnout as well. We know there are a lot of people in Orillia who appreciate real good hockey, and this will be a real good hockey game to catch,” he said.
“We have three or four players that we will be submitting to the league for the selection process. We are excited for these players to have this opportunity because every scout from every league above Jr. C in the province will be invited,” he said.
McDonald says if the event is a success in Orillia, and if the event is well supported by fans, it could lead to other opportunities for Orillia to host major hockey events in the future.
“There has been a lot of talk about the Schmalz Cup (the league playoffs and championship) becoming a Memorial Cup type tournament where one city would host all the final rounds of the playoffs, and that would rotate around the centres that have the hotels and ice facilities to support it, and the community and volunteers to support such an event,” he explained
“If we can pull this Showcase Game off, at least down the road we would look good as a possible host for the Schmalz Cup and we would have experience with hosting a bigger event," said the Terriers' GM.
Hosting the Showcase game also adds more prestige to what has been a successful Terriers season so far. The team is 10-2 on the season and sit atop their division.
“It just seems that everything is lining up right now, and I don’t believe it’s luck. I believe the hard work and dedication of our players, staff, volunteers, and our community is paying off,” McDonald said.
Tickets for the Showcase Game will be about $10 and will be available at the door.
