Road to the Esso Cup: Final Spot at Canadian Nationals to be Determined This Weekend in Ontario
Updated April 12 at 11:25 a.m. EDT
The end of the road to the Esso and Telus Cup Canadian U18 club national championships is near. In fact, we’re just one regional champion away from having complete six-team fields for both tournaments.
Ontario will determine its Girls U18 champion between April 10-13 during Ontario Women’s Hockey Association Provincial Championship Weekend as teams compete in various locations around the province in every age group and skill level from U9 through seniors.
The Ontario U18 champion will advance to the Esso Cup in Lloydminster, Alberta, to compete for the Canadian Club U18 national championship. Five teams representing various regions of Canada will play for the Esso Cup, along with the host Lloydminster Steelers, from April 20-26.
Joining the Ontario champions and Lloydminster in competing for the national title will be the champions of Quebec as well as the Atlantic, Pacific and Western champs.
Meanwhile, all six participating teams have been determined for the Telus Cup. The Boys version of the U18 club national championship tournament is being held in Chilliwack, British Columbia, April 21-27 and includes the host Fraser Valley Thunderbirds along with the Quebec, Central, Atlantic, Western and Pacific regional champions.
Both tournaments can be viewed live and on-demand at HNLive.CA.
Here are the teams that already have secured their spots in the Esso Cup along with their national rankings as of Week 29 (April 9):
- #1 Edmonton Jr. Oilers White (Pacific)
- #3 Saskatoon Stars (Western)
- #6 Laurentides-Lanaudiere Stars (Quebec)
- #12 Lloydminster Steelers (Host)
- #30 Eastern Stars (Atlantic)
- Ontario TBD
OWHA U18 Girls Championship
For this weekend, we shift our focus to Mississauga, Ontario, as 32 teams compete in four pools for the U18 Girls provincial championship and a spot in the Esso Cup. Pool play has concluded, with every team playing the other teams in their pool once to determine who advances to the quarterfinals.
Pool play came concluded Friday, and the following teams have advanced to Saturday’s OWHA U18 quarterfinals:
Pool A – #7 North York Storm (2-0-1)
Pool B – #11 Stratford Aces (2-0-1)
Pool C – #10 Durham West Lightning (3-0-0)
Pool D – #13 Oakville Hornets (3-0-0)
Pool E – #34 Peterborough Ice Kats (2-0-1)
Pool F – #28 London Devilettes (2-1-0)
Pool G – #22 Toronto Leaside Wildcats (2-0-1)
Pool H – #51 Clarington Flames (2-1-0)
CLICK HERE for complete OWHA U18 pool-play standings
OWHA U18 Quarterfinals – April 12
All times EDT
2:30 p.m. – North York Storm vs. Clarington Flames at Iceland Arena #2
2:30 p.m. – Stratford Aces vs. Toronto Leaside Wildcats at Iceland Arena #4
2:45 p.m. – Durham West Lightning vs. London Devilettes at Iceland Arena #1
2:45 p.m. – Oakville Hornets vs. Peterborough Ice Kats at Iceland Arena #3
OWHA U18 Semifinals – April 12
7:00 p.m. Winner North York/Clarington vs. Winner Oakville/Peterborough at Iceland Arena #2
7:00 p.m. Winner Stratford/Leaside vs. Winner Durham West/London at Iceland Arena # 4
OWHA U18 Championship – April 12
1:00 p.m. – Semifinal winers at Iceland Arena #3
Highly ranked Canadian Tier 1 Girls teams also are competing for Ontario provincial championships in other age groups.
Pool play continued Friday night in the U22 AA division, which features six of Canada’s top 10 teams in the MHR Week 29 U22 Women’s Rankings.
Six teams advaned to the quarterfnals, with the top-two seeds, the top-ranked Etobicoke Dolphins and No. 10 Ottawa Lady Senators, having earned byes into the semifinals.
OWHA U18 Quarterfinals – April 12
All times EDT
1:15 p.m. – #3 Stoney Creek Sabres vs. #12 Burlington Barracudas at Iceland Arena #1
1:15 p.m. – #5 Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes vs. #17 Kingston Ice Wolves at Iceland Arena #3
OWHA U18 Semifinals – April 12
7:15 p.m. #1 Etobicoke Dolphins vs. Winner Mississauga/Kingston at Iceland Arena #1
7:15 p.m. #10 Ottawa Lady Senators vs. Winner Stoney Creek/Burlington at Iceland Arena # 3
OWHA U22 Championship – April 12
1:00 p.m. – Semifinal winers at Iceland Arena #1
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U22 standings
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U22 schedule
All teams have played two of their three pool-play contests in the U15 AA division, which includes six of Canada’s top eight teams and eight of the top 10, according the MHR Week 29 Rankings. among its 32 participants.
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U15 standings
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U15 schedule
There also are 32 teams competing in the OWHA 13U AA championship, including six of Canada’s top 10. Each team has played two of its three pool-play contests as of Friday night.
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U13 standings
CLICK HERE for the OWHA U13 schedule
In Ontario and Quebec, because of the number of Girls U18 teams competing at the Tier 1 level – as well as the overall level of play and depth of quality teams – the provincial champions are awarded bids to the Esso Cup.
CLICK HERE for the Road to the Esso Cup bracket
Quebec Provincial Champions
The Laurentides-Lanaudiere Stars overcame stiff competition from the Outaouais Intrepid, Quebec A’s and Mauricie 55 Stars to earn a trip to the Esso Cup. The Stars are ranked No. 6 in Canada after posting a 44-11-0 record and outscoring their opponents, 208-71.
Laurentides-Lanaudiere knocked off the 16th-ranked Intrepide twice by a single goal, 3-2 and 4-3, after beating No 50 Mauricie, 4-0, the weekend of April 4-6, to capture the provincial title.
The Stars open play at the Esso Cup vs. top-ranked Edmonton Jr. Oilers White April 20. They have won six straight games and nine of their last 11.
Pacific Region Champions
Ranked No. 1 in our MHR Week 29 Canada Girls U18 Tier 1 Rankings, Edmonton Jr. Oilers White knocked off the fourth-ranked St. Albert Slash to capture the Alberta Elite Female Hockey League title before beating the No. 8 Greater Vancouver Canucks for the Pacific Region championship and a berth in the Esso Cup. The Jr. Oilers enter the Esso Cup with a 49-7-1 record and having outscored their opponents, 230-58.
Edmonton swept the Comets in two games by scores of 3-2 and 4-0 after also sweeping the Slash by a combined score of 8-1 in two games of the AEFHL championship series. The Jr. Oilers bring a 14-game winning streak to the Esso Cup and have gone 17-3-0 in their last 20 outings, with two of those losses coming against Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna, the second-ranked U22 team in Canada. Ironically, the other loss was a 2-1 overtime setback against the Lloydminster Steelers, the Esso Cup host team and the Jr. Oilers April 21 opponent.
CLICK HERE for our statistical preview of the Laurentides-Lanaudiere vs. Edmonton April 20 Esso Cup matchup
West Region Champions
After finishing second in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League with an 18-8-4 record, the third-ranked Saskatoon Stars hit their stride in the playoffs by sweeping the Weyburn Gold Wings in two games; knocking out the Swift Current Wildcats, two games to one; and taking two of three from the No. 2 Battlefords Sharks. They capped their run to the provincial and league title with a resounding 6-1 Game 3 victory.
From there it was on to the West Regional Championship, where Saskatoon dropped the opening game to the ninth-ranked Eastman Selects of Manitoba, 2-1, before squeaking by in Game 2, 5-4, and recording another resounding Game 3 victory, 6-0.
Overall, the Stars are 35-16-1 and have outscored their opponents, 196-120. They are making their fifth Esso Cup appearance, but its also their first trip to the tournament in five years. Since a three-game skid Dec. 13-15, Saskatoon has gone 20-6-0.
The Stars open play at the Esso Cup against the Laurentides-Lanaudiere Stars April 21.
CLICK HERE for our statistical preview of the Laurentides-Lanaudiere vs. Saskatoon April 21 Esso Cup matchup.
Atlantic Region Champions
The 30th-ranked Eastern Stars, one of three teams called Stars at this year’s Esso Cup, enter the tournament with an overall record of 43-11-3 and having outscored their foes, 185-90. They are 17-1-1 in their last 19 games and swept the Western Wolves in four straight games to capture the Prince Edward Island championship before winning the Atlantic title.
Eastern won five straight games in the Atlantic Region Championship, overcoming the No. 52 Greenfoot Capitals, the No. 31 Northern Selects, the No. 79 Moncton Rockets and the No. 96 Eastern Ice Breakers en route to the title. The Stars beat the Northern Selects, 2-1, in overtime during the preliminary round and 3-1 in the championship game.
The Eastern Stars open play at the Esso Cup vs. the Lloydminster Steelers April 20
Host Team
The 12th-ranked Lloydminster Steelers are as formidable as any host team likely to be found anywhere, entering the Esso Cup with a record of 32-21-1 and having outscored their opponents, 119-98.
Lloydminster finished fourth in the Alberta Elite Female Hockey League regular-season standings with a 17-11-0 record and behind the nation’s Nos. 1, 4 and 14 teams. The Steelers bowed out in the league quarterfinals, however, getting swept by 18th-ranked Calgary Fire Red, two games to none. They have been off since, March 7, and concluded their season by dropping five of their last seven games.
Lloydminster opens play at the Esso Cup April 20 vs. the Eastern Stars.
CLICK HERE for our statistical preview of the Lloydminster vs. Eastern Stars April 20 Esso Cup matchup.
Esso Cup Format
All six teams will play each other once in the preliminary round, with play opening Sunday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m. EDT when the Ontario champions take on the Saskatoon Stars. There will be three games per day until the opening round concludes with the host Lloydminster Steelers taking on the Laurentides-Lanaudiere Stars at 9:00 pm. EDT April 24.
The teams that finish first through fourth in the preliminary round will advance to play in the semifinals April 25 at 5 and 9 p.m. EDT. The bronze-medal game is scheduled for April 26 at 3 p.m. EDT, with puck drop for the gold-medal game set for 7 p.m. EDT that same day.
CLICK HERE for the complete Esso Cup schedule
CLICK HERE for ESSO Cup team rosters
CLICK HERE for the Esso Cup standings
CLICK HERE for Esso Cup player stats
