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December 1, 2008
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CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada has announced that the 2009 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Women’s Midget
Championship, will be held at Max Bell Arena in Calgary, AB from April 19-25, 2009. It will be the first-ever
National Women’s Midget Championship.
The Esso Cup will follow the same format as the TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Midget Championship. The
event will feature five teams – one host team and four regional champions (Pacific, West, Central, Atlantic).
The host team will be announced at a later date.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Quebec has withdrawn from the 2009 Esso Cup. It hopes to make its debut in
2010.
The teams will play a five-day round-robin, with semi-finals (1st vs. 4th, 2nd vs. 3rd) set for Friday,
April 24. The bronze medal game and gold medal game, which will be broadcast nationally on TSN/RDS, will take
place on Saturday, April 25.
“The women’s game in Canada continues to grow, especially at the minor hockey level, and this is a logical
next step,” said Julie Healy, director of female hockey for Hockey Canada. “We are excited to be a part of
this tournament, and to crown another national champion for women’s hockey.”
“This is a great opportunity for Calgary to showcase such a high-profile event,” said Terry Ledingham,
president of Hockey Alberta. “The inaugural National Women’s Midget Championship will without a doubt be a
huge success and we look forward to working with both Hockey Calgary and Girls Hockey Calgary leading up to
the start of the event.”
Esso, one of Hockey Canada’s premier sponsors, will be the title sponsor of Canada’s National Women’s
Midget Championship. Esso sponsored the National Women’s Championship for 14 years, from 1995 to 2008.
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