The George Parsons Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged to be the most sportsmanlike at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1974. The trophy is named for George Parsons, a former Ontario Hockey Association player whose career was ended prematurely in 1939, due to an eye injury in a National Hockey League game. Parsons appeared in the 1933 Memorial Cup as a member of the West Toronto Nationals, and the 1934 Memorial Cup as a member of the Toronto Young Rangers. Parsons later became involved with CCM hockey, helping to develop hockey helmets and facial protection for player safety, that were approved by the Canadian Standards Association and endorsed by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1976.
George Parsons Trophy
The Memorial Cup is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played among the champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL), and a fourth, hosting team, which alternates between the three leagues annually. The Memorial Cup trophy was established by Captain James T. Sutherland to honour those who died in service during World War I. It was rededicated during the 2010 tournament to honour all soldiers who died fighting for Canada in any conflict.
The Memorial Cup at the 2015 tournament
The Memorial Cup and the Red Tilson Trophy displayed at the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame for Remembrance Day in 2019