(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Bears Hockey

Esso Cup not coming to Prince Albert, again; Bears still playing in the tournament in Alberta

Mar 22, 2022 | 10:28 AM

Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm for the Prince Albert Northern Bears to host the Esso Cup national female U18 AAA hockey tournament.

Hockey Canada announced on Tuesday morning that both national U18 AAA tournaments, the Esso Cup and the male Telus Cup, would be run in “a centralized location in Alberta” May 16-22, but did not indicate where.

“While we are disappointed we will not be hosting national championships in Prince Albert and Cape Breton this spring, we look forward to returning to both communities in the future,” Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada said in a statement. “They have been tremendous partners and support the changes that are being made for the benefit of the athletes.”

The Bears will still be playing in the tournament as the hosts, but will not be playing at the Art Hauser Centre.

That marks the third straight year the Esso Cup was scheduled to play in Prince Albert before those plans were scrapped. The tournament was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic-related reasons, before the centralized location approach this year.

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The Bears have already been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, after finishing fifth place out of seven in the regular season. That’s the Bears lowest finish in the past 12 seasons after having long established themselves as a perennial top-three team in the league in that time. The Bears also won the provincials and regionals in 2017 and advanced to the Esso Cup in Morden.

The Sydney Rush, who were set to be the Telus Cup’s hosts in Cape Breton, N.S., were also eliminated in the first round, after finishing fifth in the regular season. They were 17-15-2 in the Nova Scotia U18 Minor Hockey League. But unlike the Bears, this was the best season for the Rush since coming into the league in 2018.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW