Community Celebrates Lincoln Moore’s Memorial Cup TriumphCommunity Celebrates Lincoln Moore’s Memorial Cup Triumph In a heartwarming display of local pride, the community of Garden River First Nation honored their homegrown hockey hero, Lincoln Moore, with a victory parade following his Memorial Cup victory. Moore, an 18-year-old forward for the Saginaw Spirit, led his team to a thrilling 4-3 win over the London Knights in the final held in June. As the parade commenced, Moore showcased his equipment and cheered alongside fellow residents, demonstrating the strong bond between the athlete and his community. Emotional Moments for Moore’s Family Selena Belleau, Moore’s mother, witnessed the parade with a mixture of joy and sentimentality. “I had to hold back tears more than once,” she said. “The support and the outpouring of love from our community was overwhelming.” Moore’s Journey to Success Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Moore played for the Greyhounds AAA team before joining the Spirit. Despite facing some uncertainty regarding his playing time, he remained steadfast in his pursuit of excellence. In the Memorial Cup tournament, Moore made a significant impact, scoring a goal and assisting twice in the semifinal against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Unforgettable Final During the dramatic final against the Knights, the Spirit found themselves with a 3-0 lead before surrendering three unanswered goals. However, they regained the advantage with just 21 seconds remaining, securing the victory and etching their name in Canadian junior hockey history. Bright Future Ahead Moore, who is expected to return to the Spirit for the upcoming season, has made a lasting mark on his hometown and inspired countless young hockey players. The community’s unwavering support will undoubtedly serve as a source of motivation as he continues his journey in the sport.
‘Had to hold back tears’: Family of Lincoln Moore, a Saginaw Spirit forward who won the ultimate Canadian junior hockey award, was honoured with a parade in his home community
It was a special weekend for the Garden River First Nation, where residents celebrated their own Memorial Cup champion Lincoln Moore with a victory parade.
The 18-year-old Saginaw Spirit forward and his teammates won the coveted Canadian Hockey League trophy on home ice in June after a thrilling 4-3 victory over the London Knights in the final.
Moore showed off his equipment and enjoyed the ceremony with his fellow Garden River citizens during Saturday’s parade, which began at 11 a.m. outside the Administration Building.
The parade passed several notable parts of the area, including the “Indian Land Bridge,” before concluding at the recreation center around 1:00 p.m.
After the parade, Moore signed autographs and took pictures with attendees, while several guest speakers offered their congratulations.
Garden River’s Lincoln Moore celebrates his Memorial Cup victory at home on June 27, 2024. Photo provided
His proud mother Selena Belleau couldn’t help but get emotional during that memorable Saturday.
“I had to hold back my tears more than once,” she said SooToday. “It was overwhelming to see the support and everyone who came out to the road or participated in the parade. I was really proud of Lincoln and the community.”
Lincoln Moore poses with the Memorial Cup trophy in Garden River on June 27, 2024. Photo provided
Moore grew up playing hockey in Sault Ste. Marie and was a Greyhounds fan, like most young hockey players in the area.
He played for the Greyhounds AAA team for four years before joining the Spirit for the 2022-23 season.
This season, he collected 13 points in 50 regular season games and added five assists in 11 appearances during the OHL playoffs.
As hockey fans in the city will remember, Moore helped eliminate his boyhood team when the Spirit defeated the Greyhounds in an emotional seven-game second-round series.
“A lot of our family members have season tickets to the Greyhounds,” Belleau said. “It almost felt like more pressure when he came to town.”
Lincoln Moore of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo courtesy of Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Although her son played most of the games, Belleau admitted her family was never 100 percent sure he would be in the lineup.
“It was definitely a mix of emotions this season,” she explained. “Not that he didn’t get a lot of playing time, but it was unpredictable whether he was going to play in games or not. There were a couple of times we went to Saginaw, or even Sault, and he wasn’t in the lineup.”
“But they were a very deep team,” she added. “Saginaw had a lot of NHL draft picks.”
Although he didn’t average a lot of minutes in the Memorial Cup tournament, the Garden River player showed it when he was on the ice.
Moore scored a goal and added two assists as the fourth pitcher against the Moose Jaw Warriors in the semifinals, earning a big 7-1 victory that sent his team to the finals against the Knights.
Lincoln Moore, 18, of the Saginaw Spirit celebrates his goal against the Moose Jaw Warriors during the second period of the Memorial Cup hockey game in Saginaw, Michigan, May 31, 2024. The Canadian Press/Duane Burleson
“That was very emotional,” Belleau said. “To be on TSN — national television — I was just so happy for him. He worked hard and mentally stuck with it, even when he wasn’t sure if he was going to be in the lineup.”
It would make most Saginaw fans nervous to see the Spirit score the first three goals in the final and then concede the next three goals against London.
Under the brightest spotlight of Canadian junior hockey, it’s hard to imagine how the mother of a player who played in such a situation must have felt.
But a late Saginaw lead with 21 seconds left in the game, giving the Spirit its first-ever Memorial Cup, is a memory Moore’s family will never forget.
Members of the Saginaw Spirit pose for a photo with the Memorial Cup after a dramatic victory in the finals against the London Knights on June 2, 2024. Saginaw Spirit Twitter page
“The atmosphere, the arena — it was crazy,” Belleau recalled. “We just tried to stay calm. The games Lincoln played, he always played great.”
Moore, the third of four children in his family, turns 19 in September and is expected to return to the Spirit for the 2024-25 season.
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