Opening ceremonies begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at VMSC
A championship team that helped define a generation of Stonewall hockey will return home this weekend as the community gathers for the 43rd Veterans Cup.
Veterans Cup weekend runs Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, featuring three U13 tournaments and a special tribute to the 2015–16 Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League champion Stonewall Jets, who will be honoured as guests of honour during Saturday’s dedication ceremony.
Teams from across Manitoba, the Interlake and Ontario will make up a 24-team field, competing at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex and Access Credit Union Arena.
The tournament will also welcome back members of the 2015-16 Jack McKenzie Trophy-winning Stonewall Jets, marking 10 years since their championship season — a run remembered as much for its resilience as its result.
Former Jets captain Brett Meilleur said one moment late in the season still stands out.
“We had an incredible group of guys who all knew how to be a good friend,” Meilleur said. “But sometimes that came at a cost. We could get distracted talking about life outside the dressing room.”
As the playoffs approached, Meilleur said he challenged the team to narrow its focus.
“I made it known that if we were going to go on a run, we had to leave life outside the rink,” he said.
That message was put to the test in the opening round against the St. Vital Jr. Victorias. The Jets trailed the series 3–1 and were down 3–1 in Game 5.
“With elimination on the doorstep, we came into the dressing room for the second intermission and something was different,” Meilleur said. “I looked around and not one word was spoken. The guys were locked in. Life was simply all about that moment.”
Stonewall went on to win that game, take Game 7 in double overtime, and then win 11 straight games to claim the franchise’s first MMJHL championship.
“Those 15 minutes of silence told me everything I needed to know about our group,” Meilleur said.
Tournament organizer Laura Bilingham said that perseverance is exactly what the Veterans Cup hopes to highlight for today’s young players.
“The big thing for the kids to take home is it took a lot of teamwork and perseverance to get through that season, and we hope some of those values are what these kids are working toward today,” she said.
For Meilleur, lifting the trophy in Stonewall made the journey even more meaningful.
“To do it for the town of Stonewall and showcase what I knew our group had all along was a payoff you find only in rare occasions in life,” he said. “To live it out loud and share it with our teammates, families and close friends was surreal. I’m proud of the joy it brought the town.”
He said the team’s story still carries an important lesson.
“No one in the league thought the Stonewall Jets would win that year, but we believed we could, and the difference is history,” Meilleur said. “If I could send a message to the youngsters, it would be to believe in your heart of hearts that you can win. In life and in hockey, if you tell yourself you can’t, you’ve already lost.”
The 2015-16 Jets will be honoured during the tournament’s dedication ceremony Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex.
The ceremony will also feature the Centennial School Grade 7/8 choir singing O Canada, Dusty Moore as master of ceremonies and special guests including Stonewall Mayor Sandra Smith, Rockwood Reeve Wes Taplin and Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 52 president Ken Power and the Colour Party.
“I have a great committee that I’m working with this year,” Bilingham said. “It’s a big team effort, and I think it’s brought a lot of the community together.”
The tournament will make a donation to the Military Family Resource Centre, with a silent auction and 50/50 draw running throughout the weekend.
Play begins at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30, with the preliminary round, continuing into Saturday evening. Playoff action begins Sunday morning, Feb. 1, wrapping up with medal games later that day.
Stonewall will have teams represented in all three divisions.
U13 A1 Stonewall Jr. Jets schedule:
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Transcona Regents, 8:30 a.m., VMSC
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Winkler Flyers, 5:30 p.m., VMSC
Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. Rat River Saints, 2:30 p.m., Ice Palace
U13 A2 Stonewall Blues schedule:
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Neepawa Titans, 2:45 p.m., Access Credit Union Arena
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Selkirk Fishermen, 7 p.m., VMSC
Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. Killarney Stars, 2 p.m., VMSC
U13 A3 Stonewall Blues schedule:
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Springfield Icehawks Yellow, 10 a.m., VMSC
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Brandon Stingers, 4 p.m., VMSC
Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. Rat River Saints, 5 p.m., VMSC
