By James Shewaga /

With the 2010 Memorial Cup less than 80 days away, Brandon’s host committee is kicking into high gear.

“It’s real now,” said host committee chairman Jeff Cristall.

“We’re in really good shape, but I would have to attribute that to the fantastic group we have that are helping put this thing on.”

The Brandon Wheat Kings — the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a berth in the Western Hockey League playoffs this season — will serve as the host team for this year’s Memorial Cup tournament from May 14-23 in the Keystone Centre’s main arena, Westman Place. The rink has undergone $5 million in renovations this season, including the installation of a state-of-the-art video score clock and seven new 20-seat luxury boxes.

While the 5,102-seat main arena will be the focal point for the 10-day tournament, the sprawling Keystone Centre complex will also be the site of plenty of off-ice activity, including interactive hockey displays and nightly entertainment. The host committee has announced that Canadian rock legends Tom Cochrane and Randy Bachman will be among the musicians taking centre stage at social events on-site during the Memorial Cup.

With less than three months to go until the start of the championship, the commissioners of the Western Hockey League (Ron Robison), Ontario Hockey League (David Branch) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (Gilles Courteau) came to Brandon in February to meet with the host committee and tour the facilities. Branch, who also serves as president of the Canadian Hockey League, was blown away by what he saw.

“The Keystone Centre complex is absolutely incredible,” Branch told reporters. “... To have everything there, under one roof, I think will only help serve to create a unique experience for the Memorial Cup and for all the people that come and witness it.”

The tournament has already been a hit with local hockey fans, with the organizing committee completely selling out its initial allotment of 3,302 Memorial Cup ticket packages.

The CHL responded to the overwhelming demand by freeing up another 350 tournament passes for local fans — including a record 3,646 Wheat King season ticket holders who received first dibs on Memorial Cup seats — and then released another 150 ticket packages for the general public in late February.

“We were down to two tickets and we sold the last 100 tickets as singles,” said Cristall, whose committee had surpassed the 3,700 mark in tournament passes sold entering the final week of February.

With the work of the host committee and the positive response from local hockey fans, Robison believes the Memorial Cup tournament is in good hands.

“We always had confidence in the city of Brandon and the volunteers and the strength of the people and I think that’s really what is going to bring this event over the top is not only the strength of the hockey team, but the quality of the hospitality,” said Robison. “Brandon has such a great history of hosting events and major tournaments and I think this one will be special.”