The City of Moncton will be hosting another major hockey event next year

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced the Moncton Wildcats will host the 2024 league entry draft at the Avenir Centre.

Newly appointed league commissioner, Mario Cecchini, made the announcement at the arena Tuesday morning.

"I'm delighted that the City of Moncton and the Wildcats came forward to host the 2024 edition of the QMJHL entry draft," said Cecchini. "The draft is a very, very special thing."

During the news conference, Moncton Wildcats president Robert K. Irving welcomed the commissioner who was in the city for the first time and dropped a so not so subtle hint about his desire to host the 2025 Memorial Cup, the next time the QMJHL hosts the championship tournament.

"We've got a good clean team," said Irving.

Irving later asked the crowd of season ticket holders and city staff if they would want to have the Memorial Cup back in the city for the first time since 2006.

He was met with a round of applause.

"I was warned," laughed Cecchini.

After the news conference, Cecchini stressed it's up to the Canadian Hockey League to decide who hosts the major event.

"The Memorial Cup is really, as I understand it anyway right now from what I've been told, it's really all about the bids that are going to come in and obviously it's a committee that makes that decision to actually alleviate that type of pressure on any one of the three commissioners," said Cecchini.

Moncton has a lot of hockey momentum on its side right now.

It was the co-host for the 2023 World Junior Championship and in March, the Wildcats were named the hosts for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game next year.

The last two times the QMJHL played host for the tournament, it was held in Maritime Provinces.

The Memorial Cup was held in Halifax in 2019, and after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returned in 2022 and was hosted by Saint John.

After the announcement Irving spoke about Moncton's desire to be the third straight team from the Maritimes to represent the QMJHL.

"We're all in," said Irving. "We think we've got a great facility. We've got a great organization and I think if you look at our hockey players we're going to be building for that year and we'll have a great team. So everything is lining up towards Moncton right now."

The Wildcats last hosted the Memorial Cup in 2006 at the Moncton Coliseum and Irving believes it's their turn again.

"Look, it's the CHL that's going to make the decision at the end of the day. They have certain criteria. We'll have to meet that criteria and hopefully exceed their expectations and that's what our plan is," said Irving.

Events Moncton co-chair, Bill Whelan, said the draft will have a huge economic spin-off for the hotels, restaurants and bars in the city.

"I haven't seen an economic impact analysis, but I would assume it would be certainly be $10 million-plus by the time it's all said and done," said Whelan.

The Wildcats last hosted the draft at the Moncton Coliseum back in 2009.

The 2024 draft is scheduled to take place on June 8.

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