For the 41st time, Canada’s top Junior A teams have gathered, this year in Camrose, to battle for the National Junior A Championship, beginning Saturday, April 30.
This year marks the fifth time Alberta has hosted the tournament, joining Grande Prairie in 2004, Fort McMurray in 2000, Olds in1994 and Edmonton in 1975.
The host team, the Camrose Kodiaks, are joined by regional representatives Pembroke Lumber Kings (East), Portage Terriers (West), Vernon Vipers (Pacific) and Wellington Dukes (Central). The five teams will take to the ice at the Edgeworth Centre, hoping to earn one of the two berths in Sunday’s nationally-televised championship game.
The Vipers are looking to become the first team ever to win three consecutive National Junior A Championships, while also looking for their seventh national title, which would be three more than any other team. The Vipers (1990, 1991,1996, 1999, 2009, 2010), Kodiaks (2001) and Terriers (1973) are the only teams in the field to previously win a national championship.
Camrose is looking to become the first host team since the Weyburn Red Wings in 2005 to win the national championship; the Red Wings beat the Kodiaks in the final.
The championship game on Sunday, May 8 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcasters. Check your local listings for the broadcast time in your area.
In addition, all 10 preliminary round games, along with both semifinals on Saturday, May 7, will be available via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.
All games are available on a pay-per-view basis for $7 each. Ticket information for the 2011 RBC Cup is available by clicking HERE.
