The mood was heavy at the Aud.

It was a night to mourn at the 74-year-old junior hockey mecca on Friday night.

There was a hockey game on the ice.

A good one too between the Kitchener Rangers and the Ottawa 67’s.

But it was hard to focus on the tilt.

Chatter around the concourse on East Avenue centred on the team’s failed quest to host junior hockey’s biggest event.

Just a day earlier, the Rangers, and their fan base, learned the difficult news — the 2027 Memorial Cup was going to Guelph.

The Rangers and Storm were the last two teams standing in the race to win hosting rights and the automatic entry into the four-team tournament that comes with it.

Many felt Kitchener was a lock.

But a heartfelt bid that focused more on community than hockey pushed the five-person selection panel

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