Cambridge RedHawks celebrate first Sutherland Cup championship with downtown parade

Following the franchise's first ever Sutherland Cup triumph, the Cambridge RedHawks flew out to the downtown streets for a celebratory parade.

The Cambridge RedHawks celebrated their first Sutherland Cup championship in franchise history with a downtown parade on Saturday.

For the athletes, it was a monumental win.

“Right from the start, we knew that we had something a little more special than anything any of us ever had before on a hockey team…we were so tight knit, nothing could stop us,” said defenceman Owen Yagar. “Given we’re two 21-year-old guys who are in our last year with this squad, this is all you could ever ask for in a sendoff.”

Parents echoed that sentiment.

“A big thank you to the fans for supporting this entire team and to the organization for just supporting our boys doing something they love: to play hockey,” said Yagar’s mom Jen. “They’ve been doing it since they were three years old and it’s just been an honour to be part of it.”

“This is like their mini Stanley Cup,” said parent Stephan McQueen. “These are life memories that these young men will remember for the rest of their lives and tell their children, so well done.”

Players and staff departed from Galt Arena Gardens around 3 p.m. and made their way through downtown Cambridge to City Hall Civic Square.

Fans got the chance to meet the RedHawks following the parade.

“Winning this championship, the least we could do is celebrate with [the fans] and give back to them as well,” said forward Kyler Morgan. “It’s probably the pinnacle at the end of the day, but what else could you ask for? It was just extra special… it was just an unreal year.”

Activities and celebrations also took place at City Hall Civic Square throughout the afternoon.

“It’s blue collar. People work here, they work hard, and that’s the product that we tried to put out in the ice, and a product we wanted the fans to be proud of,” said head coach Todd Bertuzzi. “They really stuck with it, and they worked and they’re deserve champions.

Bertuzzi said the team is already looking ahead to next season.

“We’ll be hunting. We got more messages to send to the rest of the league, and we look forward to getting back to work and having another successful season,” he said.

With reporting by Rowen Fisler