VICTORIA, BC – Hockey Canada, in partnership with BC Hockey, the British Columbia Hockey League and the Victoria Grizzlies, is set to kick off the road to the 2009 RBC Cup, the National Junior A Championship, to be held at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, BC from May 2-10, 2009.

More than 140 teams in 10 leagues across the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) will hit the ice this month with hopes of being one of the four teams joining the Grizzlies in May in a quest to become Canada’s 39th national Junior A champion.

Victoria opens its home schedule on Saturday night, September 20, when it hosts the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. As part of the pre-game ceremony, a special 2009 RBC Cup presentation will be made.

"We are pleased to hold such a prestigious event in our city,” says Jackson Penney, general manager of the Victoria Grizzlies. “We will strive to make it the best experience for all players and fans who will be involved in the 2009 RBC Cup."

“The RBC Cup is one of Canada’s longest-running national championships, and we are excited that it will be held in Victoria this year,” says Hockey Canada president/CEO Bob Nicholson. “Victoria has long had one of the strongest Junior A fan bases in the country, and with the efforts of BC Hockey and the British Columbia Hockey League, this will, no doubt, be one of the greatest National Junior A Championships ever.”

Ticket packages are now available for the 2009 RBC Cup. Packages include tickets to all 13 games, including the nationally-televised championship game, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

Ticket prices are as follows:
General public - $239
Victoria Grizzlies season ticket holders - $185
Corporate boxes (12 seats per box) - $315
Club seats - $449

Individual game tickets are not yet available.

Proceeds from the 2009 RBC Cup will go towards supporting the continued growth of the Victoria Grizzlies Hockey Club, including its scholarship program, as well as the British Columbia Hockey League, the Juan De Fuca Parks and Rec Society, and to development initiatives with BC Hockey.

Vancouver Island will be playing host to another Hockey Canada national championship during the 2008-09 season. From to , Port Alberni will play host to the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Ten teams, including five regional clubs from throughout Canada, will compete at the event.