The Calgary Canucks
are the
2025 Centennial
Cup Champions!!
Published June 25, 2025
The Calgary Canucks raised the Centennial Cup on Sunday May 18, 2025! This is the teams second time winning the prestigious cup. The first time was in 1995, dating back 30 years.
You can read more on this exciting accomplishment:
Highlights from the Championship Game:
We all know it takes a whole community, and beyond, to make a large event like this happen.
Tucker Hockey’s Assistant Business Manager Candace DiGiacomo was part of the large volunteer crew. With many years of experience working the electronic scoresheet for AAA AEHL games, Candace was a great fit to run the scoresheet for the Centennial Cup. Out of the 25 games, Candace worked 9 games in the box. Front row seats to the best Jr. A hockey in Canada!
Candace notes that it was exciting to see how everything ran in the background to such a large Hockey Canada event. She was fortunate to meet many likeminded people and formed great connections over the 10 day event. If you haven’t volunteered at a Hockey Canada event, Candace highly recommends considering if you have the opportunity. There is a role for everyone!
Candace with Anand Unnithan – local Colour Commentator and Podcast Host
You can check out Anand HERE!
Corey Kinghorn, who was Head of Off Ice Officials at the Centennial Cup, worked closely with all the Off Ice Officials, including Candace. Corey was an excellent leader! He ran a tight ship and could anticipate things before they happened. You could tell he had lots of experience and was very confident and comfortable in his role. Candace notes that it was a pleasure to work with Corey! Although the Off Ice Officials were serious about their job in the box, they also had lots of fun working with each other!
Corey Kinghorn flashing a smile for the camera!
Here’s a bit more about Corey:
- Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Calgary and lived in the community of Winston Heights, started playing Hockey in 1967 and have had a passion for the game since. Most of our games in those early years were on the ODR. I remember when we had an ice time at the Renfrew arena indoors and were asked to bring 25 cents each to pay for the ice time. I did my schooling in Calgary then moved away but found myself playing in the Chinook League Men’s Senior “A” at 19 or 20 and after that got married had kids and started coaching, I had changed jobs and found I couldn’t be at the arena 100% of the time to coach the kids and transitioned away from coaching so my very first game in the stands watching my kids play just wasn’t for me and looked around and seen a more interesting spot and that was the time/scorers box and have been there ever since throughout my kids careers which one of my kids played college hockey in goal, one of my other kids played until injuries didn’t allow to play anymore.
- What role do you play in the Canucks organization, and what drew you to this?
The role I play in the Canucks organization is Head of Off Ice Officials (OIO) I had been volunteering at the MACS starting around 2004 2005 timeline and still have work the Circle K all week all day at Max Bell. I had met some people that were heading the Canucks Off Ice crew at the time, so it was a natural progression that drew me in and when there was a chance to head that program, I took it and ran. We have a crew now of 10-12 and I set up game crews, Clock person, scoresheet person then 2 Penalty door persons and 2 Goal Judges. I really enjoy organizing my people and feel we are a top crew in the AJHL with our professional work ethic and attention to details.
- How did you manage the grueling schedule of working a demanding role at a Hockey Canada Event?
Yes, the schedules at these top Hockey Canada tournaments are gruelling and I’m fortunate to be able to give my time all day all week back to the game as it’s all about giving the players the best experiences. So, all the areas of running a tournament are important to me and if your fortunate to have good team of hockey people working together off the ice then the on-ice product is enhanced for the fans and players hence the long days and nights at the arenas. An understanding Wife at home helps immensely.
- What was the highlight of volunteering for the Centennial Cup?
My highlight of this Centennial Cup was of course the Calgary Canucks winning the Cup, reaching the Pinnacle of Jr A and seeing the journey they have been on since I started with them in 2011. It has really been a pleasure, there’s been the highs and lows along the way but the hard work this organization has put in on and off the ice has been exceptional and has paid off. And a close second highlight is meeting and working with all the new and previous people I have met at this prestigious Hockey Canada tournament and tournaments along the way; there’s nothing like the “Hockey Family” in sport and I’m proud to be part of that family.
Photos shared by Corey – what a special event to be involved in!
Tucker Hockey was very fortunate to get a viewpoint of the event from Jamie Henry, the Assistant and Skills Coach for the Calgary Canucks!
- Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m originally from Edmonton and have lived in Calgary the past 7 years working full time for Hockey Calgary as the Director of Hockey Operations.
- What is your hockey background?
I was not a very good player. I played tiered hockey in Edmonton growing up as a goalie. Took a few years off after high school before going down to the states to complete my undergrad in Jazz Music. While I was at school I found out they had a club hockey team. I worked hard over the off season, lost some weight, and made the team (as a healthy scratch). I didn’t dress a lot over the next 2 years, but it rejuvenated my love for hockey. After my undergrad, I went to UMass Amherst to complete my masters. While at the school, I was fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to work for the NCAA D1 hockey team. I helped out in an operations role in my first year and was able to be the Volunteer Assistant Coach in my second year, specifically focusing on faceoffs. I then moved to Calgary and assistant coached with a friend of mine at the U15AA level for two years before joining the Canucks, where I just completed my 5th year.
- When did you begin working with the Calgary Canucks Junior A Club?
2020-21 as an Assistant Coach and Video Coach. My role has changed quite a bit. My first two years I travelled with the team and was on the bench for games. Over the past 3 years we’ve brought on some tremendous staff, and I’ve transitioned and focused on being our Skills coach and doing some video on the side. I’m not a very good bench coach, so this aligns way better with my strengths as a coach and the strengths of our entire staff.
- The Calgary Canucks last won the Centennial Cup back in 1995 – 30 years ago. How significant was this accomplishment for the hockey organization – especially since there were many lean years and challenges on and off the ice over the past decades?
It’s a massive accomplishment for the organization. When I joined the Canucks, we weren’t having a lot of on-ice or off-ice success. It’s been a huge turnaround, and it happened very quickly. I can’t even begin to describe the layers of people that have had an impact in the turnaround of our organization. From the players, to coaches, to scouting staff, to alumni, to the volunteers, to the board of directors, to the community and fans. To be able to win back-to-back AJHL Championships and then to host and win the Centennial Cup on the 30th year anniversary of our last National Championship, I don’t know if you can script it any better.
- Was there a “A-ha” moment for the team this season?
I don’t think so. We had a motto all season long, ‘Earn Our Way’. We knew we would get an opportunity to participate in the National Championship as a host, but we wanted to be able to get there through our performance on ice. I think our team continued to get better as the season went on. It felt like a constant and steady build.
- Best “behind the scenes” memory from the season?
I’ll list a couple:
- Watching Assistant Coach Riley Hearn do the starting line ups for each game. He had to get creative and a couple times, he hid in some places in the locker room, being very quiet for about 10 minutes after warm up before surprising the players and reading the lineup with a ton of energy. It definitely pumped up our players.
- There was a decent amount of harmless pranking amongst our coaching staff this season. This year Assistant Coach Mat Robinson took the plug out of my stick and filled the whole thing with water. It was a fun practice using that stick.
- Playing River at the end of practice. Great game will players and coaches involved.
- Was this year’s Centennial Cup championship win, the highlight of your coaching career so far and if so, why?
As a skills coach, I love the moments when you see improvement in our players and when skills work translates into games. I also get super excited when our players commitment to colleges or higher levels of Jr. hockey. For me as a coach, the biggest highlight is watching players reach their goals and their potential as people and players. But yes, from a team perspective, this is certainly the highlight.
- What do you do in your spare time?
My biggest passion is biking. I love road cycling and gravel cycling. I do a lot of bikepacking which is like backpacking on a bike. I also enjoy playing guitar, camping, cross country skiing, snowboarding, and spending time with my family and friends.