I’m not sure about you, but I’ve got a bad case of Esso Cup fever.
Read more: Floor hockey helps promote Esso Cup
The U18 AAA national female championship kicks off at the Centennial Civic Centre today at 11 a.m. as the North York Storm (Ont.) take on the Saskatoon Stars.
The Edmonton Jr. Oilers play the Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière of Quebec at 3 p.m. before the host PWM Steelers face off against the Eastern Stars of P.E.I. at 7 p.m.
Opening ceremonies are set for 6:30 p.m. ahead of the Steelers’ first game to set the tone for the tournament.
I can’t imagine the pre-tournament excitement felt by all competing for a national title this week.
For the host PWM Steelers, the excitement is amplified as they get the chance to compete in front of a home crowd.
The Steelers play preliminary games at 7 p.m. from April 20-24 with the semifinals starting at 3 p.m. on April 25.
I know this has been mentioned before, but the tournament will also be the last major event at the Centennial Civic Centre before it’s demolished.
General admission tickets for individual games are available on Hockey Canada’s website for $15. A full-event pass is also available for $90. Do you have your tickets yet?
Our editorial team can’t wait to be in the belly of the beast as the Steelers vie for a national title. Our new Sports Editor, John MacNeil, who you’ll be hearing lots from, is especially excited.
MacNeil joins our team after returning to the west following a journalism stint in his home province of Nova Scotia and brings years of experience and fresh ideas to the table.
The Esso Cup will be his first official assignment with the Source and I can’t wait for you, the reader, to see what he brings to the team.
The Source has seen a lot of growth in the past nine months since hiring Christian Apostolovski and Dan Gray, however, the one thing I believe we were missing was a full-time sports editor.
Who’s ready for one more big party at the Civic? See you at the rink!
