Controversy erupts at Allan Cup

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/04/2016 (2932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A major controversy at today’s Allan Cup tournament in Steinbach has resulted in the cancellation, postponement and then re-scheduling of the two quarter-final games.

At 4:00 p.m. today the Ile des Chenes North Stars and Shellbrook Elks were set to face-off in one quarter-final game. But it was discovered that Ile des Chenes had used one too many import players in their two round robin games, apparently a clerical error by Hockey Manitoba, according to host committee chair Jared Driedger.

The North Stars were subseqently stripped of their round robin victory over Stoney Creek and have finished third in their pool instead of second.

As a result the 4:00 p.m. game was cancelled and the first game of the day at 8:00 p.m. will have Stoney Creek vs. Shellbrook. Then later tonight, around 10:30 p.m., the Southeast Prairie Thunder will face-off against the North Stars as one of the two local teams will then be eliminated.

Driedger, visibly upset by what transpired this afternoon, says it has been a nightmare for the organizing committee as it pertains to tickets and possible reimbursement of some tickets. Not to mention how it has affected the fans and the players involved. “We are a non-profit organization and are just trying to meet our budget.” He said it’s quite possible the remaining games could be played under protest.

“We will try and get through this as best we can,” said Driedger.