SALMON ARM, BC – The 2007 Esso Women’s National Championship, Canada’s senior women’s championship, will begin on Monday, March 5th, with six games on the schedule that day. The first game of the day has Nova Scotia battling Ontario 1. Monday’s feature game is between the two B.C. teams – the host BC Outback and the provincial squad – at 7:30 p.m. at the Spectator Arena.

The nine-team tournament will include five teams in Pool A (Alberta, Ontario 1 and Ontario 2, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) and four teams in Pool B (Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, British Columbia and British Columbia Host). A round-robin will be held from March 5-7, and the playoffs and relegation round begin March 8.

The event will be played at two venues – the Spectator Arena and Hucul Pond – both of which are located at Salmon Arm’s Sunwave Centre. This is the third major female hockey tournament that Salmon Arm has played host to in the last two years, as the city hosted two National Women’s Under-18 Challenges in 2005.

Esso, a long-time premier sponsor of Hockey Canada, has been involved as the title sponsor of the Women’s Nationals for the past 13 years. Esso is devoted to the development of Canada’s young hockey players, through such programs as Esso Fun Days. The Esso Fun Days program will be offered again at this year’s Women’s Nationals. On March 7, females who aren’t registered in minor hockey are invited to attend a free introduction to the basic skills of hockey.

“At Esso, we're proud of our 70-year history of sponsoring hockey in Canada,” says Karen Fraser, Marketing Sponsorship Manager, Imperial Oil. "Through our long-standing relationship with Hockey Canada, we're committed to supporting the ongoing growth and development of the game of hockey for both men and women and helping to ensure Canada continues to bring home the Gold in international competition."

The Women’s National Championship started in 1982 and is Canada’s senior women’s championship. The event attracts some of the most well-known names in Canadian female hockey. This year is no different with National Women’s Team members Hayley Wickenheiser, Danielle Goyette, Kelly Béchard and Jennifer Botterill, among others, taking part in the championship.

Hockey Canada’s website www.hockeycanada.ca, is the place to find all of the information on the Esso Women’s Nationals, including rosters, schedule, results and stories from the championship.

Media inquiries throughout the event should be directed to Chris Jurewicz, Hockey Canada’s Coordinator of Communications. He can be reached at (403) 880-5819