The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins raised the 2016 Crescent Point Western Canada Cup (WCC) banner above the front entrance to Affinity Place last Thursday afternoon, signifying that hockey season is almost here.
Clark Munroe, director of operations and marketing for the Bruins, said raising the banner gets their hockey fever running and thanked the WCC planning committee for all the hard work they had done to get everything ready for the April 30 to May 8 Western Canada junior A championship. The WCC will feature the top teams from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and host Bruins facing off for the chance to earn a berth at the national junior A championship RBC Cup that is held May 14 to 22 at the Centennial Civic Centre in Lloydminster.
“Now that the signage is up out front and we have the banners in the arena here, we're just that much closer to hockey season and that much closer to this big event for Estevan,” said Munroe.
He said the Bruins start the quest for their first junior A title since 1999 when players report to fall camp Aug. 28 for conditioning. The team roster should be almost formed after fall camp ends and the pre-season begins a few days later.
“We have a pre-season tournament here in town with a couple of teams the weekend of (Sept. 11 to 13),” he said. “Then we might have a couple of away games as well that our organization is planning just for the guys to have a few more games before the season starts.”
Once their year begins Sept. 17 and 18 with an away and home series against the Melville Millionaires, Munroe said the Bruins will attempt to host a few fund-raisers over the course of the season to help the club host the WCC.
“I know the planning committee is working really hard to make it all happen, so there'll be more stuff going on for sure.”
