The Minto Cup is one of the oldest sports trophies in Canada and will be given out in our home province this year as the tournament takes place at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex in Coquitlam, BC.
Many Vancouver Warriors players have a connection to the Minto Cup, and two current Warriors have a direct connection as they battled in the 2016 event.
Adam Charalambides and Reid Bowering were major contributors to the Warriors’ turnaround last season as they finished with an 8-10 record, including winning six of their final eight games.
The guys are beyond excited for the 2024-25 season to get going but with the Minto Cup kicking off this coming weekend, we thought we’d go down memory road with the two combatants turned Warriors’ teammates.
“Charalambides was the go-to guy who we had to gameplan around,” said Bowering when reminiscing about their 2016 series. “I didn’t know him at the time but thought he was nasty in 2016. He had these ridiculous fakes and twists that he was throwing that was not something we saw every day. So, it was pretty wild and pretty cool that we’re teammates now. I just remember him being the number one priority. We had to find a way to stop him to be successful.”
With 17 goals and 16 assists, Charalambides was the leading scorer of the 2016 Minto Cup. His offensive skill showed in droves but Bowering’s tough defence was something he was well aware of in preparation for his Orangeville Northmen’s matchup against the Coquitlam Adanacs.
“Bowering was definitely a name on our scouting report in terms of one of the guys who was going to push transition and then he was aggressive on defence,” said Charalambides. “I remember having to sprint back a few times with him running transition. We were definitely always worried about him being on the floor.”
For context, the Minto Cup is a tournament with deep roots in Canada. The trophy was first awarded in 1901 and now features four ‘Junior A’ teams from across Canada. The BCJALL, OJLL and RMLL champions face the host team in a tournament format that finished with a best-of-five series to determine the Minto Cup champion.
“You’re competing your ass off and tournaments like that are just special because you get to spend a ton of time with the guys,” said Charalambides. “You’re having every single meal together, having fun in the hotels, and it was almost like a first taste of the feeling of being a pro player.”
Both Bowering and Charalambides believe the Minto Cup helped improve their understanding of what it was going to take to be a professional lacrosse player. The environment is intense, and the focus has to be there to be successful.
“I remember our coach brought in a sports psychologist and we each had a couple of meetings with him. I still use the stuff I learned from him in my game today. It was important for us to be mentally prepared and laser-focused. It just felt like every Minto Cup had a professional feel. It’s the best Junior lacrosse that you could possibly play in.”
For the BC-born Bowering, it meant the world for him to win the Minto Cup in 2016 as an 18-year-old. When he was 17 years old, Bowering and his Coquitlam Adanacs team lost, and it left a sour taste in their mouths until the 2016 Minto rolled around.
For Bowering, it was more than just one year of waiting to raise the Minto Cup. He was in attendance for the 2010 tournament when now Warriors teammate Matt Beers won with his hometown Adanacs.
“I was 12 when Coquitlam hosted the 2010 Minto, and I went to it to watch, and I just remember it being so sick. That’s the first time I’ve seen that arena packed and it was just awesome to see the whole lacrosse community. I grew up watching guys like Matt Beers play in the Minto Cup and when it’s your chance, it feels unreal that you’re in the same spot where they were in years past, said Bowering.”
“At the moment, it’s hard to realize how big the Minto is,” Bowering continued. “It’s kind of in the culture of the Coquitlam Adanacs organization that that’s where they want to get to and that’s talked about all year. It was a big deal to us like how big it was and how rare it is. I honestly still remember the feeling of winning in 2016 and I even remember where I was when we won… which was in the penalty box, actually.”
Now, it is on the shoulders of the next wave of Junior A talent to make their memories at the Minto Cup. This year’s event is hosted in Coquitlam at Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex. The four teams competing will be: The Port Coquitlam Saints, Orangeville Northmen, Okotoks Raiders, and the host Coquitlam Adanacs.
Both Bowering and Charalambides’ former Junior A teams are back in the Minto, and it is sure to be a busy eight days of lacrosse out in Coquitlam – beginning on Saturday, August 17th with Saints and Northmen battling at 4 pm and the Raiders and Adanacs at 8 pm.
You will be able to see two current Warriors players; goalie Connor O’Toole (Orangeville Northmen) and defenceman Brayden Laity (Poco Saints) play over the eight days of action.
For more information, tickets, and the entire week’s schedule, visit themintocup.com.
