BROOKS, Alta. – With a new hockey season just around the corner, Canadian Junior A hockey fans have another reason to get excited with the release of the official tournament schedule for Canada’s National Junior A championship, set for May 11-19, 2019, in Brooks, Alta.

The event represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), and Hockey Alberta, and will bring together the top teams from four regions – Central, East, Pacific and West – along with the host Brooks Bandits at the 1,704-seat Centennial Regional Arena.

“We are proud to bring the National Junior A Championship to Brooks for the first time, and to showcase the immense talent of Canadian Junior A hockey to fans in the city and throughout Alberta,” said CJHL president, Brent Ladds. “The Bandits are consistently backed by strong fan and community support, and we look forward to bringing the teams, fans and community volunteers together at the 2019 National Junior A Championship next May.”

The 2019 National Junior A Championship features 10 preliminary-round games, including the Bandits’ tournament-opener at 7 p.m. MT on May 11, along with two semifinals and the championship game, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT on May 19. TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, will broadcast the championship game, while all other games will be available via live stream at HockeyCanada.ca/NJAC.

“The announcement of a tournament schedule truly gives the upcoming event a whole new feeling. As we go through the coming season building our group, we will be watching our competition across the country,” said Ryan Papaioannou, head coach and general manager of the Brooks Bandits. “The opportunity to host the top teams in the CJHL is something our organization takes great pride in, and from today forward we will be using our past experience to ready our players for the competition ahead.”

Fans who are eager to secure their seat for the 2019 National Junior A Championship can purchase a full-event ticket package by visiting HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. Packages are available online now for $191, and include all preliminary-round games, both semifinals, and the championship game. Single-game tickets will be available for purchase at a later date.

“The release of the schedule is an exciting milestone for us as we prepare to host the 2019 National Junior A Championship. With game times and match-ups available, fans can begin to plan their trip to Brooks to watch the best Junior A teams in the nation,” said Tyler King, chair of the local host committee and Bandits communications manager. “Over the next few months, we will continue working with Hockey Canada, the CJHL and our local community partners and volunteers to ensure fans and players alike are treated to a world-class event.”

Those who wish to volunteer for the 2019 National Junior A Championship can express their interest in the event by visiting HockeyCanada.ca/Volunteers and signing up for the volunteer mailing list. When volunteer positions are open for the event, those who expressed interest will be contacted and can apply for a variety of positions including team services, media services and fan experience, to name a few.

Historically, the event has generated more than $2 million in local economic impact, with event proceeds being directed to supporting hockey development in the community. 

For more information on the 2019 National Junior A Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca/NJAC, or follow along via social media on Facebook or Twitter.