The Halifax Mooseheads made franchise history Friday night when they won their first President Cup.
Now, the team and their fan followers are turning their attention to their next goal - bringing home the Memorial Cup.
Super-fan Keith Richard has been following the team for years and will be heading to Saskatoon to see his team play.
The pilgrimage to the Memorial Cup has become an annual tradition for Richard and his fellow fans, known as the ‘junior hockey junkies.’
To be a fan in the stands at the Memorial Cup is not a cheap endeavour - between the hockey tickets, flight, hotel and food, Richard says the trip will cost about $2,000 to $3,000.
“Well I almost hate to say this on TV, because then my wife will know how much it cost," he laughs.
But to the players, who get to look up into the stands and see their fans supporting them, decked out in the Mooseheads’ colours of red and green, the show of support is priceless.
"It’s heartwarming really, to have that many fans behind you, night in, night out, but to have that dedication to come all the way to Saskatoon to cheer us on, that's pretty special," says team captain Trey Lewis.
Fresh off their President Cup win, the team was back at it on Monday, hitting the ice for an afternoon practice and thinking about the games that lie ahead on their road to winning the biggest prize in junior hockey.
"Obviously, there's good teams right,” says Mooseheads head coach Dominique Ducharme. “Three champions and a good team in Saskatoon, so it’s going to be a good battle, that's for sure."
The team leaves for Saskatoon on Wednesday and will hit the ice for their first game on Saturday.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett
