Saint John celebrates Memorial Cup win with parade Thursday
Saint John is having its dog day.
The host city of the 2022 Memorial Cup is celebrating after the Saint John Sea Dogs bested the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-3 during Wednesday's championship game.
A celebratory parade was held Thursday in uptown Saint John during the noon hour, featuring the team raising the cup to a crowd of thousands.
Wednesday night's final was played to a capacity crowd inside TD Station. Bars and restaurants around the city were filled and two public viewing areas were located at Market Square and the Area 506 Container Village.
A presentation of fireworks was held on the Saint John waterfront shortly after the big win.
Jessica Daly, who was at the Area 506 Container Village on Wednesday night, said the win was the perfect way to mark her return to the city after roughly 14 years.
"We just moved back and this is such a way to celebrate," said Daly. "We're so proud of our team."
The Sea Dogs also won the Memorial Cup in 2011. Their win on Wednesday marks the sixth time a QMJHL team has won the Memorial Cup in the last 10 tournaments.
The 2020 and 2021 Memorial Cup events were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team was considered an underdog going into the tournament, after a first-round loss in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs.
"It's been a challenging playoff series for sure," said Sea Dogs fan Denise Gallant, following the final win. "The coaching change was absolutely what was needed, so this win was very, very sweet."
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada should loosen visa requirements to allow more Ukrainian refugees: report
A new report says Canada needs to change its federal visa policy to speed up the admission of Ukrainian refugees, which has slowed to a trickle.

Canadian army veteran charged with murder after mass shooting in Belize nightclub
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
B.C. actress hit in the chest by bullet in L.A. shooting last month
A B.C. performer is recovering after taking a bullet to the chest in Los Angeles last month.
Well-known Brampton, Ont. real estate agent, media personality savagely attacked outside home
A well-known real estate agent and media personality in Brampton, Ont. was viciously attacked in broad daylight in his own driveway by three men, two of whom appeared to be wielding an axe and a machete.
More Canadians report strong attachment to their language than to Canada: poll
A new survey finds more Canadians report a strong attachment to their primary language than to other markers of identity, including the country they call home.
Social media model arrested in Hawaii on murder charge
Law enforcement in Hawaii on Wednesday arrested social media model Courtney Clenney on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
Doctors call for action as growing number of Canadians dying from common food preservative
Doctors are among those calling for tighter regulation of sodium nitrite as a growing number of Canadians are dying after intentionally ingesting unsafe quantities of the common food preservative in its pure form.
How rising interest rates are making GICs more attractive for investors
Rising interest rates might be bad news for Canadians with mortgages, but it also means higher rates on savings vehicles such as guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), prompting renewed interest in the investments.
Olivia Newton-John to receive state memorial service in Australia
Olivia Newton-John, the singer and 'Grease' star who died on Monday in the United States, will receive a state memorial service in Australia, Victorian state Premier Dan Andrews announced Thursday.