Mr. Speaker, Quispamsis, New Brunswick, played host to the TELUS Cup last week, and what a week it was. The cup was the end of the season's journey that began last fall with 152 teams seeking to be crowned Canada's national midget hockey champions.
True to epic storytelling, Canada came together to watch the hometown heroes, the Saint John Vito's, battle against the pride of Ontario, the North York Rangers, in the finals. This was the first time that a New Brunswick team had reached that level. As one of the thousands of fans at the qplex last Sunday, I was moved as the crowd rose to its feet to applaud the Vito's for the last full minute of the game as the team achieved a silver medal standing.
I would like to congratulate all the players, the organizers, and the sponsors, with a special mention to the event chair, Aaron Kennedy, for the spectacular success of the tournament.
I thank the Saint John Vito's for reminding us that hockey truly is our national sport, building character, promoting teamwork, creating lifelong friendships, and bringing communities together.