Despite losing out against the Saginaw Spirit in the Memorial Cup semi-final, the Moose Jaw Warriors returned home to hero's welcome.
Main Street in Moose Jaw was packed with screaming fans on Sunday as the team made their way through the parade dedicated to their first ever appearance at the Memorial Cup.
"Forty years is a long time for these fans to have to wait,” Head Coach Mark O’Leary explained.
“The way that this all happened, the support from them and you know the players and their ability to keep getting up and punching back, I think it's a special year and it's the most fun I've ever had in hockey.”
The victory procession eventually ended with fans flooding the Moose Jaw Events Centre for a ceremony dedicated to the team.
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Warriors Captain Denton Mateychuk told CTV News that despite coming up just a little short, the team felt like it accomplished something truly great.
"It's one of those things you get kind of speechless about you know it's a surreal opportunity and moment,” he said.
“We wish we could've brought home the Memorial Cup but we got a lot to be proud of this year."
The 2023-24 season marked the first time in history that a Moose Jaw team made it to the Memorial Cup.
It’s an opportunity that wasn’t awarded to the Moose Jaw Canucks in 1967 – despite winning the league championship in five games against the Regina Pats.
The exclusion was due to the league being considered “outlaw” at the time.
The Warriors fell to the Saginaw Spirit 7-1 to end off the history making post-season run.
Both Denton Mateychuk and forward Jagger Firkus were included in the tournament's all-star team – while Mateychuk also received the George Parson’s Trophy for Sportsmanship.
--With files from Angela Stewart.
