CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s top Midget players are heading to Lévis, Que., for the 2010 TELUS Cup, which kicks off on Monday, April 19.

The host Commandeurs de Lévis will be joined by five other teams in the hunt for the National Midget Championship: the St. John’s Fog Devils (Atlantic), Gaulois du Collège Antoine-Girouard (Quebec), Mississauga Reps (Central), Notre Dame Hounds (West) and Red Deer Optimist Rebels (Pacific). Notre Dame will attempt to become just the second team in the history of the event to win consecutive titles. The Hounds won the 2009 TELUS Cup in Selkirk, Man.

“We’re excited to partner with Hockey Quebec in delivering what we expect to be another outstanding TELUS Cup,” says Scott Smith, chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “Year after year, this event showcases the future stars of the game. Fans in Lévis are in for a treat.”

Sidney Crosby, Simon Gagné, Joe Sakic and Dany Heatley are among the TELUS Cup alumni who went on to successful international and professional hockey careers.

TELUS Cup alumni Patrick Roy and Jean-Phillipe Chabot, who was a bronze medal winner at the 2005 TELUS Cup with the Commandeurs de Lévis, will serve as this year’s tournament ambassadors. The 2010 TELUS Cup is the 32nd annual National Midget Championship in Canada. This is the fifth time the event will be held in Quebec.

“Hockey Quebec is proud to be playing host to the 2010 TELUS Cup, which is a gem among Canada’s national championships,” says Sylvain Lalonde, executive director of Hockey Quebec. “We’re going to see large crowds at all of the games and fans won’t be disappointed. We can’t wait for the tournament to begin.”

Tickets are available for the 2010 TELUS Cup by clicking here. Full-event passes are $69, with single-game tickets available for as low as $10.

The 2010 TELUS Cup will open on Monday with a game between the Hounds and Rebels. Three games will be held daily during the round-robin, with the top four teams moving on to semifinals on April 24. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on April 25, with TSN and RDS carrying the gold medal game (check local listings for specific times).

All games – except for the gold medal game – will be available to fans via FastHockey. For the first time, every webcast will be available in French or English. For more information, go to www.hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.