Hosting the actual Stanley Cup might be a few years away for Ottawa, but the "Stanley Cup of High School Theatre" was awarded Saturday night at the National Arts Centre.
The 34th annual Canadian Improv Games have been in the city since Tuesday, with high school students from across the country performing with no scripts and few rules.
For tournament officials, the chance for the students to develop their real-life skills is an important one.
"It's a wonderful chance for students to get the opportunity to come play in front of a bunch of people and also learn genuine life skills, like speaking in front of people and thinking on your feet," said referee Chris Ramelan.
The team from John Rennie High School in Montreal ended up winning, with a Burnaby, B.C. team in second. Organizers say it's the first time a Quebec team has won the title.
Ottawa's All Saints Catholic High School came in third, only a few points out of first. Kingston's Holy Cross was fourth and Ottawa's Canterbury fifth in the final round.
With no workout regimes and playbooks like other sports, the cliché of "playing for the love of the game" actually applies.
"That's all I said to them, ‘You better have fun. . . That's all I'm asking,'" said coach Shawna McSheffrey. "They're young and they're full of energy, and they have way more funny ideas than I ever would have come up with."
