Barely a month after their championship win, the Calgary Inferno is hosting a fire sale of sorts, selling off trophies and jerseys.
In March, a week after the Inferno hoisted the Clarkson Cup, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) announced it would fold because the six-team league was “economically unsustainable.”
Now, the CWHL has begun auctioning off pieces of its 12-year history, leaving everything from game-worn jerseys to one-of-a-kind trophies in the hands of the highest bidder.
The Inferno is hoping to raise $15,000 through the auction to cover debts. The league as a whole aims to net $30,000 through the auction.
“It’s pretty heartbreaking to know we’re in that much of a hole that we have to sell stuff like that … All the league trophies,” Blayre Turnbull, one of the Inferno’s players, told Global News.
“I hope that they go into the hands of people that recognize their importance in our game,” said Inferno player Brianne Jenner.
Turnbull, meanwhile, said she thinks the trophies belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF).
However, a statement from the organization said it can’t buy any of the memorabilia because it is a registered charity.
“We only accept items that have been game worn/used. We have been in conversations with the CWHL, but to date, nothing has been confirmed,” the HHOF stated.
“The HHOF represents hockey on all levels worldwide so we would be interested in materials from the CWHL so that we can preserve the League’s history.”
Originally, the Jayna Hefford Trophy, which goes to the MVP, was up for auction, as well as the Chairman trophy and Humanitarian trophies. However, on Tuesday the CWHL tweeted that the league is “in discussions with third party entities on purchasing trophies without bids and having them donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame.”
The Clarkson Cup and Angela James Bowl trophy are also not up for grabs, but as of Tuesday at noon five other trophies were.
In an email to Global News, the CWHL Players’ Association said it’s hard to understand how a team could sell something that is inherently earned.
“They represent a history of players who were here, who made their mark and who challenged the next generation to strive for better,” the statement read. “It’s unfortunate that it has come to this for the CWHL. We hope that, somehow, these trophies end up in their rightful place in the HHOF.”
The auction is set to close on Tuesday night.
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