RICHMOND, B.C. -- The Esso Women's National Hockey Championship, an eight-team tournament
featuring many of the best female hockey players on the planet, is set for the Minoru Arena from March
6-9.
The annual Esso Women's Nationals is jointly presented by Canadian Hockey, Imperial Oil, Air
Canada, the Royal Bank and the local organizing committee and is one of the most important events presented
during the Canadian Hockey season. This will be the 16th annual women's national championship, with Team
Quebec returning as defending champion. Quebec has won the last three straight national women's titles.
Three-time champion Edmonton Chimos (1984, 85, 92) will be participating, representing
Alberta, and the two-time champion Toronto Aeros (1991, 1993), the Ontario champion, also will be competing
in the tournament.
This year's event features at least 20 players who have won at least one gold medal for
Canada at the Women's World Hockey Championship, and most of the players who will represent Canada at this
year's world tournament in Kitchener, Ont., from March 31 - April 6. Canada is gunning for a fourth straight
gold medal at the World's.
"If you want to see the premier players in Canada today, the Esso Women's Nationals gives you
that opportunity," said Karen Wallace, director of female hockey for Canadian Hockey. "This event allows us
to continue our evaluation process leading eventually to the selection of our team for the 1998 Winter
Olympic Games. We'll see plenty of great talent and hard-fought games.
"With some great provincial rivalries and several former gold medal teams taking part, these
games could prove to be most exciting. I'm convinced that our spectators will be entertained and amazed by
the talent on the ice," added Ms. Wallace.
"This year we're especially pleased to have Imperial Oil, Air Canada and Royal Bank as
sponsors for the event ," said Frank Libera, policy committee member and Canada's representative on the
International Ice Hockey Federation's Women's Committee. "For years, these sponsors have been outstanding
contributors to Canadian Hockey through their support of our national teams and minor hockey system."
Becki Bookham, chairperson of the organizing committee for the Esso Women's Nationals, noted
that the Vancouver area was privileged to be hosting a major women's tournament for the second time in less
than 12 months.
"We held the Pacific Rim championship last April and now, with the Esso Women's Nationals
coming to Richmond, it's another opportunity for fans to watch many of the players who compete for Canada
internationally," said Bookham. "It's nice for us to be a part of the process that leads through the Women's
World Hockey Championship in Kitchener to the Winter Olympics in Nagano."
The 1997 championship will be contested between teams from eight provinces, divided into two
pools of four teams. Pool A includes Quebec, Manitoba, B.C. and New Brunswick, while Alberta, Saskatchewan,
P.E.I. and Ontario will compete in Pool B. The round-robin portion of the tournament goes Thursday, March 6
and Friday, March 7, with the playoff round, including the gold-medal final game, on Saturday, March 8 and
Sunday, March 9.
The 1997 Esso Women's National Championship game will be played at 4 p.m. (7:00 p.m. EST),
and will be televised live on TSN, and its Quebec-based sister network, Le Réseau des Sports (RDS).
In addition to competing for the Esso Women's National Championship title and the Abby
Hoffman Cup, five individual awards and one team award will be presented to those deserving players for: most
valuable player, top defence, top forward, top goaltender, top scorer, the Mickey Walker most sportsmanlike
player award and the Canon K. Richardson most sportsmanlike team shield.
1997 ESSO WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Richmond, B.C.
Pool A -Quebec, Manitoba, B.C., New Brunswick
Pool B -Alberta, Ontario, P.E.I., Saskatchewan
THURSDAY,
1 Stadium Quebec vs New Brunswick 9:00 am
2 Spectrum B.C. vs Manitoba 9:30 am
3 Stadium Alberta vs. Saskatchewan 11:15 am
4 Spectrum Ontario vs. P.E.I. 11:45 pm
OPENING CEREMONIES 3:45 pm
5 Stadium New Brunswick vs. B.C. 4:30 pm
6 Spectrum Alberta vs. Ontario. 6:30 pm
FRIDAY,
7 Stadium Saskatchewan vs. P.E.I 8:00 am
8 Spectrum New Brunswick vs. Manitoba 10:00 am
9 Stadium Quebec vs. B.C.. 10:15 pm
10 Stadium Ontario vs. Saskatchewan 2:30 pm
11 Stadium P.E.I. vs. Alberta 4:45 pm
12 Spectrum Manitoba vs. Quebec 7:00 pm
SATURDAY,
13 Stadium 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B 8:30 am
14 Stadium 2nd Pool B vs 3rd Pool A 10:45 am
15 Spectrum 4th Pool A vs 4th Pool B 10:30 pm
16 Stadium Winner Game 13 vs. B-1 1:30 pm
17 Stadium A-1 vs. Winner Game 14 4:00 pm
SUNDAY
18 Stadium Loser Game 13 vs. Loser Game 14 9:00 am
19 Stadium Loser Game 16 vs. Loser Game 17 12:00 noon
20 Stadium Winner Game 16 vs. Winner Game 17 4:00 pm