The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), in partnership with the City of Quinte West and the Trenton Golden Hawks, have announced that the 2018 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge will return to the Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens in Trenton, ON., from November 19-21, 2018. The Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens is the home of the Trenton Golden Hawks of the OJHL and has played host to the 2017 Winter Showcase as well as the 2017 Dudley-Hewitt Cup.
The Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge is one of the premier Junior A hockey events in the country and provides tremendous exposure for the top prospects of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Central Canada Junior Hockey League (CCHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) and the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) to play in front of scouts from all over the hockey world – including the NHL, NCAA, CHL and USports.
Additionally, it also serves as a player identification event for the coaching staff for Team Canada East in player selection for the yearly training camp and subsequent entry into the World Junior A Challenge.
“On behalf of the five CJHL leagues, I want to express our appreciation to the City of Quinte West for their support of the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge,” stated Marty Savoy, Commissioner, OJHL. “This event is one of the largest all star events in all of Junior hockey and to be able to partner with a community like Quinte West allows for the opportunity for all of us to deliver a great experience for not only the close to 200 elite Junior hockey players but also the great fans in this area of Ontario.”
Twelve all-star teams will compete in a tournament format that will consist of four teams from the OJHL and two teams for the CCHL, QJHL, MHL and NOJHL. A total of 21 games will be played to determine the champion with each team playing a modified two period game in a round robin, semi-final and championship game. Teams will be awarded 3 points for the win, 2 points for the overtime win and 1 point for the overtime loss.
Team Quebec are defending champions.
“The City of Quinte West is looking forward to hosting this high calibre hockey tournament for the second year in a row,” said Jim Harrison, Mayor of the City of Quinte West. “We are expecting great spectator turnout from local schools and sports teams as well as sponsorship from local businesses who can all benefit from having this event in our community.”
“The City of Quinte West did an amazing job last year; no detail was overlooked,” said Brian Whitehead, Commissioner of the MHL. “The army of volunteers were very professional and knowledgeable. The MHL is very excited to be going back for another year.”
Game and ticket information for the 2018 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge will be announced in the coming weeks along with other event details such as sponsors, rosters and coach announcements.
