The long wait is almost over for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds.

A season of anticipation is into its final days as the Thunderbirds prepare to welcome the country’s best to the Fraser Valley for the 2025 edition of the TELUS Cup.

When the puck finally drops on Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship on April 21 – Fraser Valley opens against the West Region champions, the Regina Pat Canadians – it’ll end a 44-day layoff for the hosts, who haven’t seen the ice since they were swept from the first round of the B.C. Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) playoffs by the Vancouver NW Hawks on March 8.

The Thunderbirds ran hot and cold during the regular season, never winning more than three in a row while never dropping more than four straight. They finished with an 18-16-1-1 (W-L-OTL-T) record, good for fifth in the eight-team BCEHL, with goals for (151) and goals against (163) totals that placed them fourth and seventh, respectively.

Cole Brown was the offensive star for Fraser Valley, pacing the BCEHL with 65 points (24-41—65) – meaning he was involved in 43.1% of the goals the Thunderbirds scored during the regular season. But it was a balanced offence behind Brown, with five players – Marco De Pedrina, Manwinder Sandhu, Simon Ward, Parker MacDougall (who left the team midseason to join the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels) and Noah Lawless – all finishing with 40+ points.

The Thunderbirds are looking to end a very long drought for host teams; not since the Calgary Northstars in 1991 has the hometown side been the last team standing, and only six in the 31 tournaments since then (most recently the Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe in 2023) have reached the gold medal game.

HOW THEY GOT TO CHILLIWACK

B.C. Elite Hockey League
Quarterfinal: lost to Vancouver NW Hawks 2-0 (2-4, 2-6)

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL-T): 18-6-1-1 (5th in BCEHL)
Goals for: 151 (4th in BCEHL)
Goals against: 163 (7th in BCEHL)
Longest winning streak: 3 (Oct. 13-27)
Top 3 scorers:
- Cole Brown – 24G 41A 65P (1st in BCEHL)
- Marco De Pedrina – 19G 28A 47P (12th in BCEHL)
- Manwinder Sandhu – 10G 36A 46P (14th in BCEHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 0-2
Goals for: 4
Goals against: 10
Top 3 scorers:
- Noah Lawless – 1G 2A 3P
- Jeremy Kraft – 2G 0A 2P
- Manwinder Sandhu – 0G 2A 2P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

First appearance

WHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Koltin Herfst – Victoria Royals 2024 (2nd round, 37th overall)
Riley Charlton – Vancouver Giants 2024 (5th round, 94th overall)
Lucas Wiercioch – Everett Silvertips 2024 (6th round, 125th overall)
Simon Ward – Vancouver Giants 2022 (9th round, 180th overall)

There are two teams left in the westernmost region of U18 hockey – either the Calgary Flames or Okanagan Rockets will represent the Pacific at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

It’s the second time in three years these teams will meet for regional supremacy – Calgary swept Okanagan in a pair of competitive games in 2023, with the teams combining for 23 goals in two games. Both teams have made somewhat recent trips to the U18 Men’s National Club Championship – the Flames were the Pacific representatives two years ago, finishing in sixth place, while the Rockets won bronze in 2014 (the first medal by a B.C. team in 32 years).

Calgary and Okanagan skate into the best-of-three regional series with different kinds of momentum – the Flames swept their way through the AEHL final, while the Rockets persevered to down the Cariboo Cougars in overtime of Game 3 on the road to win the BCEHL title.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)

2024 – Calgary Buffaloes (bronze medal)
2023 – Calgary Flames (6th place)
2022 – Vancouver NE Chiefs (6th place)
2019 – Calgary Buffaloes (4th place)
2018 – Lethbridge Hurricanes (bronze medal)

CALGARY FLAMES
AEHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 27-6-4-1 (1st in AEHL)
Goals for: 173
Goals against: 98
Leading scorer: Evan Benoit (19G 23A 42P)

Playoff record: 8-1
Goals for: 41
Goals against: 23
Leading scorer: Nathan Ivey (7G 3A 10P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Calgary Royals 2-0 (6-4, 5-2)
Semifinal: defeated Calgary Buffaloes 3-1 (6-3, 1-3, 5-3, 6-1)
Final: defeated Sherwood Park Kings 3-0 (4-2, 3-2 2OT, 5-3)

Last national championship appearance: 2023 (6th place)
Total national championship appearances: 2 (1999, 2023)

OKANAGAN ROCKETS
BCEHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 21-12-1-2 (3rd in BCEHL)
Goals for: 149
Goals against: 121
Leading scorer: Dion Schraeder (39G 23A 62P)

Playoff record: 6-1
Goals for: 27
Goals against: 12
Leading scorer: Hayden Laing (3G 8A 11P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Vancouver NE Chiefs 2-0 (4-1, 6-2)
Semifinal: defeated Valley West Giants 2-0 (6-0, 2-1)
Final: defeated Cariboo Cougars 2-1 (4-2, 2-4, 3-2 OT)

Last national championship appearance: 2014 (bronze medal)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2014)

There are two teams left in La Belle Province – either the Rousseau Royal de Laval-Montréal or Chevaliers de Lévis will represent Quebec at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

The Chevaliers have been simply dominant this season; they went without a regulation-time loss in the regular season, going 38-0-4, and are 8-1 on their postseason run, with a 5-1 setback in Game 3 against Séminaire Saint-François their only 60-minute setback across 51 games. The Rousseau Royal, meanwhile, are battle-tested, having gone the distance in all three of their series, and twice were an overtime goal from elimination.

Whoever earns the spot on the West Coast will be looking to make it back-to-back-to-back national titles for the region, following Séminaire Saint-François, which ended a 22-year gold medal drought for Quebec in 2023, and Magog, which finally got over the hump in 2024 after three gold medal game losses in as many tournaments.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)

2024 – Cantonniers de Magog (gold medal)
2023 – Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François (gold medal)
2022 – Cantonniers de Magog (silver medal)
2019 – Cantonniers de Magog (silver medal)
2018 – Cantonniers de Magog (silver medal)

ROUSSEAU ROYAL DE LAVAL-MONTRÉAL

Regular season record: 26-14-2 (4th in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals for: 151
Goals against: 137
Leading scorer: Zakary Horvat-Edouard (19G 38A 57P)

Playoff record: 8-5
Goals for: 54
Goals against: 43
Leading scorer: Benedetto-Antonio Masi (11G 8A 19P)

ROAD TO THE QUEBEC REGIONAL
Division semifinal: defeated Intrépide de Gatineau 2-1 (3-4, 5-4 OT, 4-3)
Division final: defeated Vikings de Saint-Eustache 3-2 (4-2, 6-7, 8-1, 0-3, 4-0)
Semifinal: defeated Riverains du Collège Charles-Lemoyne 3-2 (6-5, 4-5 OT, 2-5, 3-2 OT, 6-2)

Last national championship appearance: 2013 (bronze medal)
Total national championship appearances: 2 (2009, 2013)

CHEVALIERS DE LÉVIS

Regular season record: 38-0-4 (1st in LHM18AAAQ)
Goals for: 195
Goals against: 67
Leading scorer: Charles-Antoine Dubé (27G 29A 56P)

Playoff record: 8-1
Goals for: 43
Goals against: 18
Leading scorer: Charles-Antoine Dubé (6G 7A 13P)

ROAD TO THE QUEBEC REGIONAL
Division semifinal: defeated Albatros du Collège Notre-Dame 2-0 (4-2, 6-3)
Division final: defeated Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François 3-1 (6-3, 3-0, 1-5, 7-3)
Semifinal: defeated Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe 3-0 (6-1, 5-1, 5-0)

Last national championship appearance: 2010 (6th place)
Total national championship appearances: 2 (2005, 2010)

There are a few familiar faces at the West Regional. The Winnipeg Wild and Thunder Bay Kings are both back for a fourth year in a row, joined by one of the region’s most successful teams, the Regina Pat Canadians, who are in search of a 10th trip to the U18 Men’s National Club Championship.

The host Kenora Thistles round out the quartet, with the winner off to the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

The three league champions are all coming in riding major playoff success – Kenora, Regina and Winnipeg claimed their titles by going 20-4 in the postseason, with only one of those four defeats coming by more than a single goal.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)

2024 – Brandon Wheat Kings (silver medal)
2023 – Saskatoon Blazers (bronze medal)
2022 – Notre Dame Hounds (fifth place)
2019 – Tisdale Trojans (bronze medal)
2018 – Notre Dame Hounds (gold medal)

KENORA THISTLES
HOST & HNO CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 19-29-3 (10th in MU18AAAHL)
Goals for: 130
Goals against: 191
Leading scorer: Carter Peters (25G 20A 45P)

Playoff record: 2-1
Goals for: 13
Goals against: 9
Leading scorer: Carter Peters (3G 4A 7P)

ROAD TO THE WEST REGIONAL
HNO championship: defeated Thunder Bay Kings 2-1 (2-3 OT, 4-3, 7-3)

Last national championship appearance: 2004 (4th place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2004)

REGINA PAT CANADIANS
SMAAAHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 35-7-2 (1st in SMAAAHL)
Goals for: 233
Goals against: 128
Leading scorer: Maddox Schultz (43G 50A 93P)

Playoff record: 9-1
Goals for: 38
Goals against: 17
Leading scorer: Maddox Schultz (9G 13A 22P)

ROAD TO THE WEST REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Prince Albert Mintos 3-0 (3-2, 4-2, 7-2)
Semifinal: defeated Saskatoon Blazers 3-1 (5-2, 3-4, 5-2, 4-0)
Final: defeated Moose Jaw Warriors 3-0 (2-1, 2-1, 3-1)

Last national championship appearance: 2017 (4th place)
Total national championship appearances: 9 (1978, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2015, 2017)

THUNDER BAY KINGS
HNO REPRESENTATIVES

Regular season record: 5-27-4 (13th in GTHL)
Goals for: 47
Goals against: 136
Leading scorer: unavailable

Playoff record: 1-2
Goals for: 9
Goals against: 13
Leading scorer: Sawyer Smith (3G 2A 5P)

ROAD TO THE WEST REGIONAL
HNO championship: lost to Kenora Thistles 2-1 (3-2 OT, 3-4, 3-7)

Last national championship appearance: 2019 (6th place)
Total national championship appearances: 9 (1975, 1976, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2019)

WINNIPEG WILD
MU18AAAHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 40-6-2 (2nd in MU18AAAHL)
Goals for: 236
Goals against: 89
Leading scorer: Ludovic Perreault (40G 46A 86P)

Playoff record: 9-2
Goals for: 50
Goals against: 27
Leading scorer: Ludovic Perreault (13G 9A 22P)

ROAD TO THE WEST REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Interlake Lightning 3-0 (7-0, 4-2, 4-3)
Semifinal: defeated Winnipeg Bruins 3-2 (3-2, 4-5, 7-1, 2-5, 3-2 OT)
Final: defeated Brandon Wheat Kings 3-0 (6-1, 6-3, 4-3 OT)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

A cross-country trip awaits whoever comes out on top at the Atlantic Regional, with five teams competing to represent the region at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

The Kensington Wild – the defending Atlantic champions – are set to play host, welcoming the Charlottetown Knights, East Coast Blizzard, Halifax Macs and Moncton Flyers to the Credit Union Centre in Kensington. The four provincial champions (the Knights are there as P.E.I. representatives) rolled through their respective playoffs, posting a combined 29-9 record.

There is experience in the group – the field includes four of the last five regional representatives: Flyers (2018, 2022), Macs (2019) and Wild (2024) – and familiarity; those three teams were also part of the 2024 tournament, with Kensington blanking Halifax 10-0 in the Atlantic final.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)

2024 – Kensington Wild (5th place)
2023 – Pictou County Majors (5th place)
2022 – Moncton Flyers (gold medal)
2019 – Halifax Macs (5th place)
2018 – Moncton Flyers (5th place)

CHARLOTTETOWN KNIGHTS
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND REPRESENTATIVES

Regular season record: 20-12-3 (3rd in NBPEIMU18HL)
Goals for: 156
Goals against: 138
Leading scorer: Declan MacLauchlan (33G 30A 63P)

Playoff record: 1-4
Goals for: 18
Goals against: 22
Leading scorer: Rowan Walsh (4G 3A 7P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
P.E.I. final: lost to Kensington Wild 4-1 (4-6, 6-4, 3-5, 2-3, 3-4)
Last national championship appearance: 2006 (6th place)
Total national championship appearances: 4 (1975, 1977, 1997, 2006)

EAST COAST BLIZZARD
NLU18MHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 22-10-0 (2nd in NLU18MHL)
Goals for: 160
Goals against: 90
Leading scorer: Gavin Connors (22G 25A 47P)

Playoff record: 8-4
Goals for: 54
Goals against: 41
Leading scorer: Gavin Connors (6G 11A 17P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated Central Impact 4-2 (6-7, 9-2, 4-5, 4-3 OT, 4-2, 2-0)
Final: defeated Pinnacle Growlers 4-2 (4-2, 6-2, 2-1, 5-6 OT, 1-7, 7-4)
Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

HALIFAX MACS
NSU18MHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 30-5-2 (1st in NSU18MHL)
Goals for: 178
Goals against: 70
Leading scorer: Luc Legere (24G 32A 56P)

Playoff record: 9-2
Goals for: 48
Goals against: 21
Leading scorer: Charlie Benigno (9G 13 A 22P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Quarterfinal: defeated Sydney Rush 3-0 (8-3, 9-4, 5-2)
Semifinal: defeated Cape Breton West Islanders 3-0 (1-0, 3-1, 4-0)
Final: defeated Pictou County Majors 3-2 (1-4, 9-1, 4-1, 1-3, 3-2)

Last national championship appearance: 2019 (5th place)
Total national championship appearances: 6 (1980, 1983, 1994, 2011, 2014, 2019)

KENSINGTON WILD
HOST & PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 13-19-5 (5th in NBPEIMU18HL)
Goals for: 140
Goals against: 166
Leading scorer: Jordan Shaw (21G 23A 44P)

Playoff record: 4-1
Goals for: 22
Goals against: 18
Leading scorer: Derek Andrews (4G 6A 10P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
P.E.I. final: defeated Charlottetown Knights 4-1 (6-4, 4-6, 5-3, 3-2, 4-3)

Last national championship appearance: 2024 (5th place)
Total national championship appearances: 2 (1976, 2024)

MONCTON FLYERS
NEW BRUNSWICK CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 26-8-3 (2nd in NBPEIMU18HL)
Goals for: 167
Goals against: 101
Leading scorer: Nathan Weber (19G 33A 52P)

Playoff record: 8-2
Goals for: 38
Goals against: 21
Leading scorer: Jaxon Somers (9G 5A 14P)

ROAD TO THE ATLANTIC REGIONAL
N.B. semifinal: defeated Saint John Vitos 4-1 (5-2, 5-0, 2-3, 5-2, 3-2)
N.B. final: defeated Fredericton Caps 4-1 (2-3, 5-1, 4-3 OT, 3-2, 4-3)

Last national championship appearance: 2022 (gold medal)
Total national championship appearances: 9 (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2022)

Fifty-two teams call the Central Region home, but only six remain in the hunt for the region’s berth at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, British Columbia – the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, Markham Waxers, Ottawa Automotive, Sudbury Wolves, Upper Canada Cyclones and Vaughan Kings.

There are familiar faces – the Waxers are the defending regional champions (they finished fourth at last year’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship in Nova Scotia), and the Kings are back for a second year in a row.

The field has a bit of a ‘Cinderella’ feel to it – only the Canucks (who went without a regulation-time loss) were the best regular-season team in their league – although all six teams have earned their spots; the five league champions finished a combined 43-17-5 in the playoffs.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (TELUS CUP FINISH)

2024 – Markham Waxers (4th place)
2023 – Toronto Jr. Canadiens (4th place)
2022 – Mississauga Reps (4th place)
2019 – Toronto Young Nationals (gold medal)
2018 – Toronto Young Nationals (4th place)

ELGIN-MIDDLESEX CANUCKS
ALLIANCE CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 32-0-3 (1st in Alliance)
Goals for: 191
Goals against: 42
Leading scorer: Chase Pettipiece (26G 22A 48P)

Playoff record: 8-2
Goals for: 41
Goals against: 11
Leading scorer: Ty Lawson (9G 6A 15P)

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

Quarterfinal: defeated Brantford 99ers 2-0 (9-3, 4-1)
Semifinal: defeated London Jr. Knights 3-0 (3-0, 5-1, 5-0)
Final: defeated Waterloo Wolves 3-2 (4-1, 2-3, 4-1, 0-1, 5-0)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

MARKHAM WAXERS
OMHA CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 20-6-2-2 (6th in OMHA)
Goals for: 140
Goals against: 78
Leading scorer: Maxim Skinner (16G 19A 35P)

Playoff record: 11-4
Goals for: 61
Goals against: 33
Leading scorer: Ulysses Lombardi (11G 12A 23P)

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

OMHA Playoffs
Round robin: 1st in East Group B – defeated Whitby Wildcats 4-2, defeated York-Simcoe Express 5-2, defeated Quinte Red Devils 7-4, lost to Quinte Red Devils 2-1, defeated Barrie Jr. Colts 6-2, defeated Peterborough Petes 2-1, defeated Whitby Wildcats 2-0, defeated Peterborough Petes 6-3, lost to Barrie Jr. Colts 4-3, lost to York-Simcoe Express 3-1

OMHA Championship
Preliminary round: 2nd in Group 1 – lost to Ajax-Pickering Raiders 3-1, defeated Hamilton Kilty B’s 10-2, defeated Burlington Eagles 3-0
Semifinal: defeated Guelph Gryphons 6-2
Final: defeated North Shore Whitecaps 4-3 (SO)

Last national championship appearance: 2024 (4th place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2024)

OTTAWA AUTOMOTIVE
HEO CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 13-12-5 (4th in HEO)
Goals for: 103
Goals against: 87
Leading scorer: Sebastian Dzieciol (13G 15A 28P)

Playoff record: 6-4-3
Goals for: 35
Goals against: 32
Leading scorer: Owen Kelly (7G 2A 9P)

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

Semifinal: defeated Ottawa Jr. 67’s 2-1-3 (1-4, 1-0, 4-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-2)
Final: defeated Upper Canada Cyclones X-X (2-0, 1-2, 6-4, 1-4, 3-4, 4-3, 4-1)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

SUDBURY WOLVES
GNU18L CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 20-11-1 (4th in GNU18L)
Goals for: 158
Goals against: 113
Leading scorer: Denver Mulligan (26G 25A 51P)

Playoff record: 3-2-1
Goals for: 14
Goals against: 16
Leading scorer: Cameron Vekhala (3G 4A 7P)

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

Preliminary round: 4th place – tied Timmins Majors 2-2, lost to Soo U16 Greyhounds 4-2, defeated Soo U18 Greyhounds 3-1, lost to North Bay Trappers 4-1
Semifinal: defeated North Bay Trappers 4-3 (OT)
Final: defeated Timmins Majors 3-2

Last national championship appearance: 2018 (6th place)
Total national championship appearances: 6 (1987, 1994, 1998, 2008, 2012, 2018)

UPPER CANADA CYCLONES
HOST

Regular season record: 18-8-4 (2nd in HEO)
Goals for: 113
Goals against: 80
Leading scorer: Jay-Zeus Mbarushimana (22G 33A 55P)

Playoff record: 6-4-1
Goals for: 32
Goals against: 27
Leading scorer: Connor Bain (6G 7A 13P)

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

Semifinal: defeated OHA Mavericks 3-0-1 (1-1, 4-0, 5-3, 4-2)
Final: lost to Ottawa Automotive 4-3 (0-2, 2-1, 4-6, 4-1, 4-3, 3-4, 1-4)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

VAUGHAN KINGS
GTHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 24-7-5 (2nd in GTHL)
Goals for: 125
Goals against: 50
Leading scorer: unavailable

Playoff record: 9-1
Goals for: 31
Goals against: 14
Leading scorer: unavailable

ROAD TO THE CENTRAL REGIONAL

Quarterfinal: defeated Mississauga Senators 3-1 (6-3, 1-3, 2-0, 5-0)
Semifinal: defeated Toronto Young Nationals 3-0 (1-0, 5-3, 4-2)
Final: defeated Toronto Marlboros 3-0 (4-2, 2-1, 1-0)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the schedules and ticket package details for the 2025 editions of the Esso Cup, TELUS Cup and Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.

"We are grateful to the three amazing communities who have dedicated countless hours and put forward an immeasurable effort to play host to these three major events,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “The passion, teamwork and unwavering commitment has brought these events to life, that will create memories that will last a lifetime for the athletes, coaches, officials and fans.”

“We are also grateful to BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) for their efforts and support to deliver these events and look forward to continuing to work with them into the spring.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Esso Cup, TELUS Cup or Centennial Cup can now sign up here to support the delivery of three of Hockey Canada’s marquee national championships.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air select tournament games, with a full broadcast and streaming schedule to be announced at a later date.

2025 Esso Cup – Lloydminster, Alberta

The Esso Cup returns to Alberta for the first time since 2022, with the Lloydminster Steelers set to host Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship, April 20-26 at the Centennial Civic Centre.

Joined by five regional champions from across Canada, the Steelers will play their first game on April 20 at 7 p.m. MT against the Atlantic Region winners, following matchups between the Pacific and Quebec champions and Ontario and West titlists earlier in the day.

After each team plays five preliminary-round games, the top four clubs will advance to the semifinals on April 25, with the medal games scheduled for April 26.

Tickets for the 2025 Esso Cup can be purchased here.

2025 TELUS Cup – Fraser Valley, British Columbia

The host Fraser Valley Thunderbirds will welcome five regional champions to the West Coast for the 2025 TELUS Cup, Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship, April 21-27 at the Chilliwack Coliseum.

The Thunderbirds open their schedule against the West Region champions on April 21 at 7 p.m. PT to finish a three-game opening day that also sees the Central winners face the Atlantic champs and Quebec titlists play the Pacific champions.

Semifinals are scheduled for April 26, before the medal games on April 27.

Tickets for the 2025 TELUS Cup can be purchased here.

2025 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons – Calgary, Alberta

In partnership with the CJHL and AJHL, Canada’s top Junior A teams will compete for the 2025 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, May 8-18 at the Max Bell Centre. The host Calgary Canucks will be joined by nine champions from across the CJHL.

Teams will be separated into two groups and each play four preliminary-round games, with the quarterfinals scheduled for May 16, semifinals on May 17 and championship game on May 18.

Group A will include the champions from the AJHL, Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and Superior International Hockey League (SIHL).

The host Canucks and champions from the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ), Maritime Hockey League (MHL) and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) comprise Group B.

Tickets for the 2025 Centennial Cup can be purchased here.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the host locations for Canada’s 2025 U18 national club championships, with the Esso Cup set for Lloydminster, Alberta, and the TELUS Cup returning west to the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.

From April 20-26, the Lloydminster Steelers of the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) will welcome five regional champions to compete for Canada’s Women’s U18 National Club Championship at the Centennial Civic Centre, marking the fifth time the Esso Cup has been hosted in Alberta and the first in the Border City.

The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) will make their national championship debut at the TELUS Cup from April 21-27 at the Chilliwack Coliseum, with Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship returning to British Columbia for the first time since 2017. 

“Hosting a national championship is a tremendous undertaking, and we are grateful for the local organizing committees, Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey, for collaborating with our staff to host first-class events in Lloydminster and Chilliwack next spring,” said Pat McLaughlin, Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy. “Canada’s U18 national club championships have seen some of the top athletes in our country compete before they’ve gone on to wear the Maple Leaf internationally, and we know hockey fans in Alberta and British Columbia will enjoy watching teams play for gold next spring.”

Fans can sign up now to receive ticket information about the 2025 Esso Cup and 2025 TELUS Cup as it becomes available, or become a Hockey Canada Insider and receive advanced access to tickets and other promotions.

“These tournaments are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the participants, families and fans, and thanks to the generous support of Esso and TELUS, we are excited to build on the legacy of both events in two outstanding hockey markets,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “We thank all communities that expressed interest in hosting one of these national championships next season and look forward to welcoming the best under-18 clubs in the country in the spring.”

At the 2024 Esso Cup, the Regina Rebels won their first national title in Vernon, B.C., while the Cantonniers de Magog became national champions for the second time at the 2024 TELUS Cup in Membertou, Nova Scotia. Both gold medal games were broadcast on TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

MEMBERTOU, Nova Scotia – The Cantonniers de Magog have won their second TELUS Cup after defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-1 to complete a perfect 7-0 week at Canada’s Men’s U18 National Club Championship. 

It’s the fifth medal for the Cantonniers at the TELUS Cup, joining the gold medal won in 2000, and the silver medals from 2018, 2019 and 2022. 

Gabriel Courchesne (Drummondville, QC) netted the game-winning goal on the power play in the final minutes of the opening period. Courchesne, who had five multi-point games and at least one point in six of seven, finished as the tournament leader in goals (10) and points (15).

“This is an amazing feeling. We worked hard all year long for this moment, and we are all so happy to win this tournament. We have 20 players on our team that can do their job perfectly within our system, and that is what makes our group special,” Courchesne said. “We knew about the last three losses [in the gold medal game] this team had at the TELUS Cup, so we wanted to get a win for the coaches that lost those games, our program and ourselves.”

Simon-Xavier Cyr (Sherbrooke, QC) beat Brandon netminder Burke Hood (Brandon, MB) to open the scoring for the Cantonniers 11:58 into the game before Easton Odut (Brandon, MB) evened the score just over three minutes later. The Cantonniers added goals from Marc-Olivier Proteau (Lac-Mégantic, QC) and Antoine Boudreau (Drummondville, QC), who also contributed two assists apiece, in the second period to secure the win.

“I had such a sense of pride watching my players win every game this week, and it was an unbelievable feeling when I was able to rejoin my second family [for the semifinal] on Saturday,” said Magog head coach Samuel Collard (Sherbrooke, QC). “We wanted to bring this trophy back to Magog, and we never took anything for granted this week right up until the last minute. All year, we wanted to be a team that works hard and sticks together, and that is exactly what we did.”

Kyan Labbé (Sherbrooke, QC) made 19 saves for Magog to cap off an impressive tournament, leading all goaltenders in goals-against average (1.71) and save percentage (.942). Hood turned in a stellar performance in net for the Wheat Kings, making 42 saves.

“We worked all season to be national champions, and to be able to say that we accomplished that with people that we have been playing with since we were 10 years old is amazing. When we got the lead, we knew we needed to stay calm and we ended up getting two big goals in the second period,” said Labbé. “This is an incredible tournament, and we only had one thing on our minds here, and that was to win. This is a team that loves each other and we are really going to enjoy this win.”

A full game summary game be found HERE.

In between the medal games, Hockey Canada announced the 2024 TELUS Cup tournament awards:

• Most Valuable Player – Gabriel Courchesne (Drummondville, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Top Forward – Antoine Boudreau (Drummondville, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Top Defence – Liam O’Neill (Calgary, AB), Calgary Buffaloes
• Top Goaltender – Kyan Labbé (Sherbrooke, QC), Magog Cantonniers
• Most Sportsmanlike Player – Brady Turko (Brandon, MB), Brandon Wheat Kings
• TELUS Cup Scholarship ($1,000) – Ryan Piggot (Richmond Hill, ON), Markham Waxers

Calgary Buffaloes defeat Markham Waxers 4-3 in shootout to win bronze

Earlier in the day, Calgary rebounded from a 4-1 loss to Brandon in the semifinals to win the bronze medal, defeating the Markham Waxers 4-3 in a shootout to secure its seventh medal at the TELUS Cup.

Brayden Gourley (Calgary, AB) and Rhys Jamieson (Calgary, AB) scored in the shootout to give Calgary its third bronze all-time. Kael Svensson (Calgary, AB) turned aside all four attempts he faced in the shootout after making 36 saves in regulation and overtime, while Eamon Callaghan (Oshawa, ON) stopped 23 shots.

“I just wanted to stay calm and collected, and I trusted our guys to get the job done. The boys battled really hard, and we had to go through a little bit of adversity, but we were able get through it and come away with the win,” said Svenson. “It feels great [to win the bronze medal]. We really wanted to finish the tournament with a win, and although we did not come away with gold, we wanted to leave with something. I could not be more proud of this team.”

The teams traded goals in the opening two periods before Piggott scored on a partial breakaway to give Markham a 3-2 lead midway through the third. Calgary tied it just over four minutes later when Christian Stephanson (Calgary, AB) beat Callaghan for a shorthanded goal. Calgary and Markham traded chances in the 3-on-3 extra frame, but neither team could find the back of the net.

A full game summary game be found HERE. To download game highlights from the bronze medal game, please CLICK HERE.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2024 TELUS Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram, and by using #TELUSCup.