After 34 years on the ice, it’s game over for the Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament in Cape Breton.
“Everywhere we turned there was a roadblock and we couldn't do anything,” said Ritchie Warren, tournament chair.
Warren says the tournament thrived on the ice, but off the ice there are many problems, including a shortage of volunteers and a lack of sponsorship.
“I did not want to see us going in debt, if we ran the tournament, and where would we get the money to pay,” said Warren.
Another challenge was finding accommodations for teams coming from away.
The World Women’s Curling Championship is scheduled to take place in Sydney, N.S., on the same weekend in March the hockey tournament would've been held.
“It's something that certainly is a disappointment,” said Terry Smith, Destination Cape Breton CEO.
The “Vincey” is one of the largest adult hockey tournaments in North America, attracting nearly 100 teams from Canada and Internationally.
According to Warren, the economic spinoff is around $4 million. Not having it is a big blow for business.
“We would've seen most of our hotel rooms full, our restaurants, and our bars would've been buzzing with activity, so it would've been a significant boost at a time of year that would be typically be slow,” said Smith.
The tournament also raised thousands of dollars in scholarship money for local high school students.
Warren says it was a difficult decision for him to make.
“It makes me feel sad, because we hoped that it would be up and running in March,” he added.
Warren says it’s the end of an era, in honour of a skilled and successful hockey player from Donkin, N.S., who loved the sport.
