Updated Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 10:15 a.m. EST

In Canada, there are two U18 women’s hockey national championships. The ESSO Cup is the U18 Club National Championship, and it is played every spring. The other tournament, the Hockey Canada U18 National Championship, is for provincial and regional bragging rights, and it is being held this week.

The Hockey Canada National Women’s U18 Championship got underway Nov. 3 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, as all-star teams representing various Canadian provinces and regions traveled to the Maritimes in hopes of proving that their home area produces the top talent in the world’s premier hockey-playing nation.

Being held in the Atlantic region for the first time, the U18 National Championship features eight teams divided into two four-team pools. Each team played the other teams in its pool once during the preliminary round Nov. 3-5 to determine quarterfinal seeding. Quarterfinals are Nov. 7, semifinals are Nov. 8 and the gold- and bronze-medal games will be contested Nov. 9.

Here are the competing teams:

 

Group A Pool Play Standings

Ontario Red – 3W, 0L 9 pts

Saskatchewan – 1W, 1OTW, 1L, 5 pts

Alberta – 1W, 2L, 3pts

Atlantic – 0W, 2L, 1OTL, 1pt

 

Group B

Quebec – 2W, 1L, 6 pts

British Columbia – 1W, 1OTW, 1L, 5 pts

Ontario Blue – 1W, 1L, 1OTL, 4pts

Manitoba – 1W, 2L, 3pts

 

Quarterfinals – Nov. 8, 2024

9 a.m. EST – Atlantic vs. Quebec

12 p.m. EST – Manitoba vs. Ontario Red

3 p.m. EST – Alberta vs. British Columbia

6 p.m. EST – Ontario Blue vs. Saskatchewan

 

CLICK HERE for the full tournament schedule.

All games can be viewed via webstream at NHLIVE.ca.

 

The hockey-playing population in a province or region determines whether a province sends one team or multiple teams, while the provinces in the Atlantic Region pool their resources and send one team to ensure competitive balance. Ontario has two entries in the event, which has been held since 2001.

Ontario Red has won 13 of the 14 championships contested since 2001, with Ontario Blue capturing the 2012 while also earning three silver medals. Quebec has advanced to the gold-medal game eight times, including 2023, without ever taking home the gold. Manitoba has claimed a pair of silver medals to go along with three bronze medals. Saskatchewan took home silver in 2019 but never has won bronze. British Columbia has finished third four times, while Quebec has earned two bronze medals and Alberta captured bronze once. Ontario Red placed third in 2012, and the Atlantic Region won a bronze medal in 2005.

In 72 tournament games all time, Ontario Red has 58 wins, 9 overtime wins, 1 overtime loss and 4 regulation losses. Red has outscored its opponents, 284-94. Quebec has the next-best all-time record with 38 victories, 5 overtime wins, 9 overtime losses, 16 regulation losses and 1 tie.

Play got underway on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the qplex in Quispasmis, with four games being contested, starting at 9 a.m. EST. Ontario Blue knocked off Quebec, 2-0, in the tournament opener, with  Ontario Red skating to an 8-2 victory against Alberta, British Columbia rallying for a 4-3 win against Manitoba and Saskatchewan handing the host Atlantic team a 2-1 overtime setback.

While it’s easy for many folks to question the validity of hockey rankings, it’s always interesting to examine events such as the National U18 Women’s Championship, the composition of national-team rosters and an organization’s record of sending players on to compete at higher levels and compare the data with where teams are ranked.

Every player on the roster for Ontario Red, the traditional tournament favorite and winningest side, plays for a team ranked among Canada’s top 16 U22 clubs. Five of the players come from the top-ranked Etobicoke Dolphins, with three coming from both the No. 3 Stoney Creek Sabres and No. 4 Durham West Lightning. Two players compete for the fifth-ranked Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes.

Likewise, Ontario Blue’s roster is stocked with players from teams ranked among the nation’s top 16, with only two players coming from outliers – one from the 20^th-ranked Waterloo KW Rangers and another from the No. 30 Cambridge Rivulettes. The No. 8 U22 Ottawa Lady Senators, No. 5 Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes and No. 16 Nepean Wildcats each have three players on the Ontario Blue roster.

Quebec is another team that regularly competes for a gold medal at the tournament. This year’s Quebec roster features 13 players on the rosters of teams ranked among Canada’s top 20 at the U22 or U18 levels. No. 7 U22 Stanstead College has four players on the team, while three play for the ninth-ranked U22 Limoilou Titans.

British Columbia has placed third more times than any other team at the National Women’s U18 Championship. For B.C. in 2024, nine players have been plucked from the roster of Rink Hockey Academy Prep, the top-ranked Canadian Prep program and No. 2 U22 team, with five more coming from No. 3 Canadian Prep Delta Hockey Academy (U22 No. 13). Three more come from top 25 U22 rosters, with another playing for the U18 No. 3 Greater Vancouver Comets.

With five medals all time, Manitoba traditionally has been one of the more competitive teams at the U18 National Championship. This year’s Manitoba roster includes 11 players from teams ranked among Canada’s top 27 at the U22 or U18 levels. Three additional players come from 33^rd-ranked Balmoral Hall U22.

Saskatchewan’s roster includes 10 players currently playing at the U18 level for teams ranked among Canada’s top 13 – four each from the No. 4 Saskatoon Stars and No. 13 Regina Rebels and two from the second-ranked Battlefords Sharks. Two more players come from the prestigious Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna program. Saskatchewan also has a player from USA’s second-ranked Bishop Kearney Selects 18U team.

Alberta has nine players representing U18 teams ranked among Canada’s top 11 along with four more from U22 teams in the top 11. Six members of the Alberta team play for the top-ranked Edmonton Jr. Oilers U18 program, with two coming from sixth-ranked St. Albert Slash U18 and two from second-ranked U22 Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna.

The Atlantic roster features a number of players who have left home to compete in other regions of North America. Two Atlantic players are on the roster for the USA’s top-ranked 19U program at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota. Three are in Quebec playing for the Stanstead College, the No. 7 Canadian U22 team. Two more play for Canada’s top-ranked U22 Etobicoke Dolphins, with one on the rosters of the No. 3 Stoney Creek Sabres, No. 8 Ottawa Lady Senators, No. 19 Bourget College and No. 20 Waterloo KW Rangers U22 teams. Three more Atlantic players remained local and play for Rothesay Netherwood School, the 10^th-ranked Canadian Prep team, with one playing for the No. 14 Prep King’s-Edgehill School. Five more players are on rosters for top 35 U18 Canadian teams.

 

CLICK HERE for all team rosters

CLICK HERE for tournament standings

CLICK HERE for player stats

CLICK HERE for team stats