The Halifax Mooseheads want to host the 2012 Memorial Cup, but are no longer chasing the 2011 QMJHL draft.
Mooseheads owner Bobby Smith said this week hosting the draft isn’t an option because of scheduling conflicts at the Metro Centre. He had told Metro last June he wanted to host the draft in 2011 for the first time in franchise history.
“We’d love to host it, but it’s been hard,” Smith said. “We have one of the busier rinks in the league. If we could find a time when our rink wasn’t booked, we’d apply for it.”
The draft, which is essentially a miniature version of the NHL’s, is typically held the first weekend of June. The economic impact for the host city is estimated at $2 million.
The Drummondville Voltigeurs are hosting the 2010 draft in June for the second time in four years. There is a good probability Halifax will have the No. 1 or 2 overall pick in 2010 for the first time since the franchise’s expansion year.
