All systems are go for the City of North Bay and the North Bay Trappers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to play host to the 2013 Dudley Hewitt Cup, Central Canada Championships as planned.
(The DHC rotates every year between host sites in the NOJHL, the Superior International Jr. Hockey League and the Ontario Jr. Hockey League. It features the champions of the three leagues and the host entry. If the host team and league champion are one and the same, the playoff runner-up from the host league gets entry into the DHC to round out the four-team format.)
North Bay was tapped as the NOJHL’s host entry for the 2013 DHC last summer. But doubt then ensued as to whether the Trappers would actually host the mid-April event at Memorial Gardens since the facility is scheduled to undergo major renovations as part of the recent deal that was reached which relocates the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League to North Bay in time for the 2013-2014 season.
However, it has now been learned that holding the 2013 DHC at Memorial Gardens in North Bay will go ahead as planned.
As such, sources have confirmed that:
* City of North Bay has given the Trappers and Memorial Gardens management the go-ahead to work together on the DHC.
* City of North Bay has allowed all DHC advertising and marketing to be publicly dispersed.
* City of North Bay is selling DHC tickets out of Memorial Gardens box office.
* A City of North Bay representative has met with Trappers ownership, shook hands and agreed that the DHC is going ahead as scheduled at Memorial Gardens.