Victoria backs out of bid for 2020 Memorial Cup

Victoria will not be hosting the 2020 Memorial Cup after the committee announced Monday they would not be moving forward with the bid process.

John Wilson, a committee chairperson, said they are backing away because of the potential of community fatigue with the 2019 World Junior Championship being co-hosted by Victoria and Vancouver.

Organizers also felt they needed more time to make it the best bid possible including venue upgrades at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

Instead, the Victoria Royals plan to focus their attention to 2023, the next time the Western League will host the marquee junior hockey championship after 2020.

Kamloops, Kelowna and Lethbridge are the three remaining teams in the hunt to host the junior hockey showcase in two years.

The host city will be announced in October.

Victoria has never hosted the Memorial Cup in its 100-year long history.