Centre ice inside the Art Hauser Centre ahead of the Esso Cup tournament. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Esso Cup

Gameday Preview: Day one at the Esso Cup

Apr 23, 2023 | 11:27 AM

After years of postponements and cancellations, the puck is finally going to drop at the Esso Cup in Prince Albert.

Round-robin play begins at noon on Sunday with every team set to play each other over the next five days. Four of the six clubs will then move on to the playoffs on Friday before a champion is crowned on Saturday afternoon.

Before then, however, let’s see how each matchup looks heading into day one along with how they got to this point.

Regina Rebels (WST) vs Quebec Stars (QUE) – 12:00 pm

The winners of the West take on the queens of Quebec to open the tournament with their showdown at high noon.

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The Rebels came out on top of the West region, finishing atop the SFU18AAAHL with a dominating record of 24-5-1-0 (W-L-OTW-OTL) before defeating the Notre Dame Hounds in the first round of playoffs 2-1, then downing the Saskatoon Stars with the same series score in the league finals to capture the Provincial Championship. At the regional playdown, Regina swept the Manitoba champions, Winnipeg Ice, 2-0 to advance to the Esso Cup in Prince Albert as the West representatives. This is the Rebels’ third Esso Cup appearance where they finished fourth in both 2010 and 2013.

The Stars enter the tournament as the best from Quebec, ending the regular season in second with a record of 21-4-3 (W-L-T) in the LHEQ. The playoffs were an uphill battle, losing to both the As de Québec and Harfangs de Sherbrooke. However, the club managed to stay hopeful and the tides began to turn in their favour. In the quarterfinal, they defeated the Amazones de Laval-Montréal before upsetting As de Québec in the semis, then winning the Provincial Championship against Intrépide de l’Outaouais in overtime fashion. This is Laurentides-Lanaudière’s second appearance at the tournament having finished with a bronze medal in 2018.

Stoney Creek Sabres (ONT) vs Fraser Valley Rush (PAC) – 3:30 pm

Game number two is between two powerhouses, the superior of Ontario faces off with the returning beasts from B.C.

The Sabres made it to Prince Albert after a dominant showing in the OWHL, finishing the regular season tied for the top spot with a 19-1-2 (W-L-T) record before going undefeated in the playoffs. In the Southern playoffs, they defeated the Etobicoke Dolphins and the Oakville Hornets in rounds one and two before downing Bluewater Hawks in the semis. The Southern Finals would be against the defending Esso Cup Champions, the Durham West Lightning where they shut them out to advance to provincials. In the preliminary round, they finished 3-0 to cruise to the quarters. And they haven’t conceded a goal since, blanking the Ottawa Senators in the quarters, the Peterborough Ice Kats in the semis, and the North York Storm in the Provincial finals. This is Stoney Creek’s third appearance at the Esso Cup with a fourth-place finish in 2014 and a bronze medal in 2019.

For the second consecutive year, the Rush find themselves competing for a National Championship. The regular season was a breeze, ending the regular season first in BCEHL posting a 30-2-0 (W-L-T) record. Like the Sabres, they went through their playoffs undefeated beating the Greater Vancouver Comets in the semis then downing the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers for the Provincial title. In the regionals, the Rush made work of the Red Deer Chiefs to punch their ticket to PA. This is Fraser Valley’s second consecutive tournament appearance and fourth all-time with back-to-back fifth-place finishes in 2013 and 2014, and a silver medal in 2022.

Northern Subway Selects (ATL) vs Prince Albert Northern Bears (HOST) – 7:00 pm

Two more returning teams from last year’s tournament square off to round out the opening day of play.

The Selects stayed in control of the MMFHL all season and their efforts paid off, ending regular season action on top of the league with a 21-1-2 (W-L-T) record. They carried that momentum into the postseason where they made quick work of the Cape Breton Lynx and the Halifax Western Capitals to capture the league title. The Selects stayed hot in regionals, finishing the preliminary round undefeated before blanking the Western Flames to capture a spot in the Esso Cup. This is their third tournament appearance having finished fifth in 2018 and fourth in 2022.

The hometown Northern Bears play host to the tournament for the second consecutive year after being the hosts last year in Okotoks, Alta. but finally, they can host the Esso Cup on home ice. The Bears finished their season fifth in the regular season with a 9-18-1-2 (W-L-OTW-OTL) record in the SFU18AAAHL. In the playoffs, PA put up a fight but fell short to the Notre Dame Hounds in their quarterfinal matchup. This is the Bears third Esso Cup appearance with fifth-place finishes in both 2018 and 2022.

WATCH: P.A. Welcomes the teams of the 2023 Esso Cup

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann