ST. ALBERT, Alta. - Hockey Canada, in partnership with Hockey Alberta and the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association, announced Tuesday that tickets for the 2011 Esso Cup, scheduled for April 17-23 at Servus Place in St. Albert, are now on sale.

This year’s Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, will help celebrate the City of St. Albert’s 150th anniversary by bringing together the best female Midget hockey teams from across the country.

A full-event ticket package, allowing general admission to all 19 games including the semifinals and medal games, is now available for purchase online for only $50 by visiting the official 2011 Esso Cup website at www.hockeycanada.ca/essocup.

This ticket package provides fantastic value for hockey fans, representing $80 in savings over individually-priced tickets, which will go on sale at a later date.

“We’re confident that hockey fans will take advantage of this great deal for a great event,” said Dean Hengel, chair of the 2011 Esso Cup host committee. “The Esso Cup is quickly becoming one of the most exciting women’s hockey tournaments around, so snap up your tickets now for your chance to see many of Canada’s future stars of the female game in action.”

The 2011 Esso Cup will feature five regional champions (Pacific, West, Ontario Quebec and Atlantic), along with host team the St. Albert Slash of the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League, competing in a five-day round robin followed by the semifinals and medal games.

The gold medal game will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, on Saturday, April 23. Please check your local listings for broadcast times. All other games, including the round robin, semifinals and bronze medal game, will be available online through hockeycanada.fasthockey.com for $7 per game.

The 2011 Esso Cup will also include several development activities for coaches and players, including youth and adult Esso Fun Days, with more details to be announced at a later date.

“After hosting the inaugural Esso Cup in Calgary two years ago, we are truly thrilled to bring the Esso Cup back to Alberta,” said Annie Orton, president of Hockey Alberta. “Our enthusiasm only grows stronger as the 2011-11 hockey season unfolds, revealing an increasingly competitive female Midget game across the country.”

“The Esso Cup is truly a showcase for the best young women’s hockey in the country,” said Kalli Quinn, Hockey Canada’s director of female national teams. “Players such as Brigette Lacquette and Amanda Makela, who have both won gold at this national championship and then gone on to represent Canada with our National Women’s Under-18 Team, are proof positive that the Esso Cup has become one of many stepping stones to our national programs.”

Defenceman Lacquette won a gold medal with the Westman Wildcats at the first-ever Esso Cup in 2009 and went on to win a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, while goaltender Makela won gold with the Thunder Bay Queens at the 2010 Esso Cup before taking silver with Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship.