CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced on Tuesday the 2009 RBC Junior A Scholarship winners, including the national award winner, Kevin Ross of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. These annual scholarship awards provide financial assistance to players of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) for post-secondary education.

Ross, recipient of the $5,000 national RBC Junior A Scholarship, will be presented with his award at the 2009 RBC Cup, which takes place May 2-10 in Victoria, B.C. Ross was selected for the award from a list of finalists by a national panel of Hockey Canada-appointed junior hockey representatives.

2009 RBC Junior A Scholarship winners:

British Columbia Hockey League – Kevin Ross – Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Alberta Junior Hockey League – Brance Orban – Olds Grizzlys
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League – Preston Shupe – Weyburn Red Wings
Manitoba Junior Hockey League – Eric Delong – Portage Terriers
Superior International Junior Hockey League – Michael Thibert – Thunder Bay Bearcats
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League – Gilles Pickard – Blind River Beavers
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League – Anthony Ruberto – Hamilton Red Wings
Central Junior Hockey League – Justin Roethlingshoefer – Cornwall Colts
Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec – Alexandre Dubois – Cougars du Collège Champlain
Maritime Junior A Hockey League – Ben Cameron – Pictou County Weeks Crushers

“RBC is very proud to support the Junior A scholarship program,” said Deborah Linehan, regional vice-president of RBC. “The program was designed to provide an opportunity for Junior A players to apply for a scholarship based on their outstanding academic accomplishments and extraordinary community service. We are continuously pleased by the strong applicants that we receive from across the country on an annual basis. RBC is pleased to be a part of this important initiative for the past several years, and looks forward to continuing to assist in the development of Canadian athletes through these programs. Congratulations to all the winners this year. We look forward to recognizing Kevin Ross at the RBC Cup awards banquet.”

Players eligible for the RBC Junior A Scholarships must be Canadian citizens, on Canadian Junior A team rosters, and be registered or applying for full-time post-secondary studies. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, hockey achievement, and community involvement.

All Junior A hockey players in Canada who currently attend a Canadian post-secondary institution, or will in the near future, are also eligible for the Nickerson Family Awards, which are made possible through the Friends of the RBC Society in Fort McMurray, Alta. Ben Cameron of the MJAHL’s Pictou County Weeks Crushers is the $1,000 winner, and Alexandre Dubois of the LHJAAAQ’s Cougars du Collège Champlain is the $500 winner.