Lakers host Langley B.C. in best of seven series starting Sept. 9; sports bar owner expects to see extra business
PETERBOROUGH-After being cancelled for the past two years due to Covid-19, the Mann Cup, emblematic of Canadian Senior ‘A’ lacrosse supremacy gets underway September 9 in Peterborough. The hometown Lakers will be aiming for a fourth straight Mann Cup title against the Langley Thunder.
Not only are the Lakers looking for immortality but the city itself wants to show everyone why this is a great city and furthermore, the unofficial lacrosse capital of the world. Indeed the Memorial Centre hosted crowds of well over 3,000 fans for three games during what ended about being a six game, Ontario championship series win against the Six Nations Chiefs.
Normally an annual event, the Mann Cup alternates sites yearly between the B.C. champions and the Ontario champions. Peterborough won its third cup in a row in Victoria against the Shamrocks when it was last fought for in 2019. Peterborough won its second straight cup at home the previous year.
There are few people who know the game of box or indoor lacrosse, Canada’s co-national sport along with hockey, who would argue that the liftlock city is not the hub of the lacrosse universe. The sport has more than 150 years of a rich and storied history in the community.
One of those who has had a ringside seat for all the action over the past few decades is longtime Lakers play-by-play announcer on YourTV Pete Dalliday. He said the Mann Cup means a lot to him.
“My first memory of the Mann Cup was in 1978 when the (Peterborough) Red Oaks and Victoria went 7 games at the Memorial Centre. There are many that say the PMC was filled well past it’s legal limit. The Fire Marshall must have been a lacrosse fan because literally every aisle was full of fans that night wanting to be part of Peterborough history. The Red Oaks won that night and as an eight-year-old lacrosse player, it was a big deal to be there watching my uncle Peter Guerin and his teammates sip from the cup in dressing room to the early hours of the next day,” Dalliday said. “As a player, I never got to play in a Mann Cup but I’ve been lucky enough to work a half dozen of them as a commentator. There’s something very special about calling a national championship, especially when it’s the creator’s game, the medicine game as some call it.”
Dalliday added that the Mann Cup comes at an opportune time for the city and its lacrosse fans.
“The Mann Cup nicely fills in that void in early September when the Petes are training but not yet playing games. It’s like a bonus week or two for local sports fans to soak up,” Dalliday said. “Financially the Mann Cup is a nice boost to what normally would be a quiet period tourism-wise. For starters you have an entire team staying and eating in the city for over a week. Add in some visiting fans doing the same and those coming in for a day or two and we are talking a gigantic economic spin-off. Sports tourism is big business and thankfully the Lakers provide a solid four months of it. It would be awesome if more city staff and council realized how big a business it is and addressed our shortage of good facilities.”
Among those who hope for a financial boost during the Mann Cup is Ron Baldwin, owner of Sticks Sports Pub, right across the street from the Memorial Centre.
“As a season ticket holder I’m happy that Peterborough won. Business-wise it’s going to be huge for us. It has the potential for seven nights of craziness for the pub,” Baldwin said. Like Dalliday, Baldwin believes some people in the city, including those in power, take lacrosse for granted.
“We get to see the best lacrosse players in the world summer after summer and I think a lot of people in the city don’t appreciate that. Our leaders have for years downplayed the lacrosse community. They always seem to get the short end of the stick. They are forever getting kicked out of the Memorial Centre by the Petes or some kids show. Meanwhile, they outdraw every other team in the area. It’s the best sport in the world to watch. Once people are exposed to the game, they become fans very quickly.”
Baldwin added that the Mann Cup will be a boon to dozens of restaurants, bars and hotels across the city, not just his.
“Covid has been a real hit for most of us and it is still affecting businesses including mine. We are all looking forward to some extra business during the Mann Cup.”
