After a dominant 2023-24 campaign, it’s no surprise the Calgary Buffaloes qualified for the 2024 Telus Cup in Membertou, Nova Scotia.
That doesn’t make the achievement any less special for Buffaloes captain Tyson Murray, who said it’s surreal the team is one of the top U18 AAA teams in Canada after defeating Vancouver North East Chiefs in the Pacific Regional Championship.
“It’s super special,” Murray said. “It means a lot. We have a great group of guys, and they show up to work every day. Everyone has earned it and it took all of the players and coaches to get here. I’ve always wanted to play in a tournament this big … it’s going to be a lot of fun, I can’t wait.”
The Buffaloes went 27-9-2 in 38 regular season games. Murray said he knew early on that this season could be a special one for the group.
“Honestly it was probably pretty early in the season,” Murray said. “It was probably the fourth or fifth game. We started to get on a run, started playing better and I thought we started clicking. Everyone connected so well to each other. I thought we had a good group from the start and I’m just super happy we’ve been able to make it this far.”
The Telus Cup features the best teams and players from across the country. Murray, who finished the season with 34 points in 35 games, says it’s a great opportunity for him and his teammates to measure themselves up against other top competitions. The Buffaloes begin their tournament this evening (April 22) against the hosting Sydney Rush.
“It’s super exciting to play against the best. That’s always what you want to do. You always want to play against the best and be the best. But we’re not satisfied with just getting here. “We want to do our thing and try to have some success,” he said. “We know how good we are and while it’s going to be a bit different since we’ve never played these teams, I feel confident. I like our group of guys, I think we have a great team, great coaches and a great gameplan.”
Murray is a dependable 200-foot forward that can produce offence but is also responsible defensively. Due to his attention to detail and work ethic, he was named the Buffaloes captain for this season.
“I’m very proud to wear the ‘C’. It’s an honour to have that distinction, especially for a team like this,” he said. “I just try to give it everything I have, whether it be dry land, practice or on the ice. I try to go 100 percent all the time, not leave anything out there and try to lead by example. I’m not the most vocal guy so I have to lead by example on the ice. Everyone has bought into what we’re trying to do and hopefully we can cap this season off the right way.”
The team’s full schedule can be found below:
| 2024 Telus Cup Schedule (All times MT.) | ||
| April 22 | Calgary Buffaloes vs Sydney Rush | 4:00 P.M. |
| April 23 | Calgary Buffaloes vs Kensington Wild | 1:00 P.M. |
| April 24 | Calgary Buffaloes vs Markham Waxers | 8:00 A.M. |
| April 25 | Calgary Buffaloes vs Brandon Wheat Kings | 8:00 A.M. |
| April 26 | Calgary Buffaloes vs Cantonniers de Magog | 8:00 A.M. |
| April 27 | Semifinals | TBD |
| April 28 | Bronze Medal Game | 10:00 A.M. |
| April 28 | Gold Medal Game | 2:00 P.M. |