There's no higher aspiration in Canadian junior hockey than raising the Memorial Cup.

Now for the second straight year, no team will get that honour.

Today, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced the Memorial Cup tournament has been cancelled due to the challenges of working within COVID-19 health restrictions.

CHL president Dan MacKenzie said it was another tough decision made by the CHL along with officials from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

“The CHL is committed to the health and safety of our players, their families and billets, our teams, staff and officials, and the communities in which we play. That has driven all of our difficult decisions for the last year as we have dealt with this global pandemic,” says MacKenzie. “The decision was made based on the limitations on travel, border restrictions, and quarantining requirements that would make it impossible to produce league champions.”

Dillon Dube was the last Cochrane hockey player to play in the Memorial Cup final. The Kelowna Rockets were the WHL champions and lost to the Oshawa Generals in a barn-burner overtime final.

IN OTHER JUNIOR HOCKEY NEWS, the Medicine Hat Tigers have been cleared to resume play in the Western Hockey League.

Team activities for the Tigers were suspended last week after the club was deemed to be a close contact of the Calgary Hitmen, who received one positive test for COVID-19 within the team cohort. Team activities for the Calgary Hitmen remain suspended at this time.

Cochrane's Caleb Willms and Damon Agyeman play for the Tigers.