LONDON, Ont. – The newly-rebranded Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup is coming to London this December, and fans can now take advantage of early-bird pricing to secure their tickets and sign up to volunteer.
With all three medallists from the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games ready to take to the ice at the Western Fair Sports Centre beginning Dec. 2, the local organizing committee is gearing up to welcome fans to an exciting display of the best in international para hockey – including a much-anticipated Canada-U.S. rematch.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting this event once again,” said Todd Sargeant, chair of the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup host organizing committee and the London Blizzard Sledge Hockey Club. “London has always supported para hockey and Hockey Canada, and we expect no different this time around. Para hockey is a very exciting game, and we hope the community will come out to support these athletes and provide Team Canada with the home-ice advantage it deserves.”
Sargeant and the local host organizing committee have unveiled the ticket pricing and packages available for the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup. Beginning today, hockey fans can take advantage of early-bird pricing starting at only $47, which includes all 10 games being played as part of the tournament. Beginning Nov. 1, the full ticket package jumps to $62.50. Ticket packages can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets or by calling 1.866.455.2849, as well as in-person at the Budweiser Gardens box office.
Two members of Canada’s recently-named 2018-19 National Para Hockey Team – James Dunn and Tyler McGregor – have close ties to London; Dunn and McGregor, from nearby Wallacetown and Forest, respectively, first met while being treated for cancer in London. The duo was part of Canada’s silver medal-winning team at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang last March.
Volunteer opportunities available
The host organizing committee is also looking for volunteers to join them to make this world-class event a success for the London area. Volunteer roles in transportation, team services, media services, and fan experience, just to name a few, are currently being filled; anyone over the age of 18 interested in volunteering can apply online.
London has a history of hosting Hockey Canada events, including this very tournament in 2011 where Canada won gold, as well as the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge – not to mention a pre-tournament game last December featuring the Canadian squad that eventually became 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship gold-medallists.
As with other Hockey Canada events, London will benefit from the net profits of all ticket sales to the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, which remain in the community as part of the event legacy to help grow the game. Historically, the tournament has brought an economic injection of more than $1 million to the host community.
The full event schedule and final teams will be announced shortly.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, and the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.