CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) have announced that the 2024 edition of the Centennial Cup will be played in Oakville, Ont., before Canada’s National Junior A Championship heads west to Okotoks, Alta., in 2025.
The Oakville Blades, a member of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), will host the Centennial Cup for the first time in team history from May 9-19, 2024, with all games taking place at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
In 2025, the best Junior A teams in Canada will take to the ice at Okotoks Centennial Arenas from May 8-18. The Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) have never hosted the Centennial Cup, however the Town of Okotoks did host the 2022 Esso Cup and 2022 TELUS Cup.
“We are ecstatic to bring Canada’s National Junior A Championship to Oakville next year and to Okotoks in 2025,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of strategic partnerships and community impact for Hockey Canada. “The Centennial Cup has a storied history and we cannot wait for fans in both communities to watch some of the top junior hockey players in the country compete to become national champions.”
“The CJHL is thrilled that the Oakville Blades and Okotoks Oilers have been named hosts of the Centennial Cup in 2024 and 2025, respectively,” said Andy Harkness, president of the CJHL. “Both teams put a significant amount of resources towards bidding for the right to host the event, and we know they will each put on an unforgettable tournament for the competing teams and fans.”
The 10-team field for the Centennial Cup includes a host team, along with champions from the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Central Canada Hockey League, Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Maritime Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Superior International Junior Hockey League.
Oakville will become the 11th community in Ontario to host the Centennial Cup, and Okotoks the seventh in Alberta since the tournament began in 1971.
Details regarding schedules, ticket packages and broadcast information for the Centennial Cup in 2024 and 2025 will be announced at a later date.
The 2023 Centennial Cup is set to begin on May 11 in Portage la Prairie, Man., with tickets on sale now. All preliminary-round games, quarterfinals and semifinals will be streamed on HockeyCanada.ca, with TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, airing the championship game on May 21.
For more information on Hockey Canada and the Centennial Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photo credits: Amy Deroche / OJHL Images – Chad Goddard Photography