DIEPPE, New Brunswick – The Red Deer Chiefs have won their first Esso Cup, edging past the Stoney Creek Sabres 4-3 in overtime in the gold medal game Saturday night at Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship.

Jensyn Stephenson (Bentley, AB) was the hero for Red Deer, scoring her second goal of the game 3:50 of the extra period. Stephenson also scored the game-tying goal in the third period, and finished with a tournament-leading 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in seven games.

“Honestly, I just flashbacked to the whole season,” Stephenson said after scoring the winner. “Everything we’ve been through and such incredible people I’ve been able to do it with, alongside 19 of my best friends I was just thinking ‘Yeah, this is it, this is our time.’”

Macy Morrison (Sylvan Lake, AB) and Reece Lacina (Sylvan Lake, AB) had the other goals for the Chiefs, scoring four minutes apart in the first period to give the Chiefs an early 2-0 lead.

Oliva De Caria (Hamilton, ON) and Ryleigh O’Brien (Burlington, ON) pulled Stoney Creek even before the end of the second period, and De Caria capitalized on a turnover just 90 seconds into the third period to give the Sabres their first lead of the game. Stephenson would make it 3-3 game just 3:06 later, setting the stage for overtime.

“It’s something we have been building for,” said Red Deer head coach Don Morrison. “What these girls have gone through and how they’ve come together–we’ve been on an amazing journey the last half of the season and this just capped it off in a perfect way.”

Northern Selects defeat Moncton Rockets 4-0 to win bronze

Earlier in the day, the Northern Selects made history—becoming the first team from Atlantic Canada to medal at the Esso Cup with a 4-0 win over the host Moncton Rockets in the bronze medal game.

Ali Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) scored what would hold up as the eventual game-winner at 13:17 of the opening period before the  Selects put the game away with three more goals in the third period;  Lexi MacIntryre (Westville, NS) scored on the power play, Chisholm netted her second of the game and Laila Burris (Salmon River, NS) found the empty net with 2:42 left.

Amy Field (Valley, NS) earned the shutout with 35 saves, including 27 through the first two periods.

“It’s an amazing feeling, getting to win–we did it and it feels good,” said Field. “This means so much, to know we made Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada proud and for it to be us [to be the first Atlantic team to win a medal in their fifth appearance in the last seven tournaments], it feels like it should have been us. This is an amazing group of girls and every single person in our dressing room played a part today and we couldn’t have done it without everyone.”

Following the game, the Esso Cup tournament award winners were announced:

Most Valuable Player – Hali-Rose MacLean (Antigonish, NS / Northern Selects)

Top Forward – Ivy Johnston (Hagersville, ON / Stoney Creek Sabres)

Top Defender – Audrey Poirier (Shediac, NB / Moncton Rockets)

Top Goaltender – Brylee Hull (Sylvan Lake, AB / Red Deer Chiefs)

Most Sportsmanlike Player – Livia Landry (Lévis, QC / As de Québec)

Esso Cup Scholarship – Talia Jones (Winnipeg, MB / Winnipeg Ice)

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2026 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Another year, another trip to the Esso Cup for the Northern Selects.

The Selects made it four appearances in five years—and five in seven tournaments, including their pre-COVID appearance in 2018—with a runner-up finish at the Atlantic Region tournament, securing the 275-kilometre trip to Dieppe.

Northern was once again right near the top of the newly named Maritime Major Girls Hockey League (MMGHL), finishing third with a 31-9-0 record, trailing only the Moncton Rockets (the Esso Cup hosts) and Lindsay Surge.

A top-ranked power play, which clicked at a 32.2% success rate and a penalty kill with a success rate over 90% helped the Selects finish the regular season with a goal differential of +101.

The offence was led by veteran scorer Hali-Rose MacLean; the 17-year-old—who helped Team Atlantic to a historic silver medal at the U18 Women’s National Championship in the fall—was second in MMGHL scoring with 68 points, including a league-best 42 goals in 37 games.

Amy Field was lights-out between the pipes, fashioning a 1.04 goals-against average (good for second among MMGHL goaltenders) by allowing only 23 goals in 23 appearances.

After limping into the postseason by losing four of their last six games, the Selects survived a scare in their playoff opener, erasing a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five Nova Scotia semifinals against the Greenfoot Capitals thanks to consecutive game-winning goals from Ana McArthur in the final two games.

They made quick work of the Cape Breton Lynx (who had upset the Surge in their semifinal), claiming the Nova Scotia championship with a three-game sweep.

Facing familiar foes at the Atlantic Regional (four of the five teams were the same as 2025), Northern booked its spot in the final with a pair of wins on the final day of preliminary-round play, including a victory over the Rockets.

With Moncton already into the championship game, the Selects were assured of a place at the Esso Cup before the puck had even dropped on what finished as a 3-2 loss to the Rockets.

Northern—which is the only Atlantic team to ever reach the semifinals at the nationals, in 2022 and 2023 —has Esso Cup experience on its roster; five players (MacLean, Karly Boyle, Carrie Doiron, Lexi MacIntyre, Kate Morrow) were part of the team that finished fifth at the 2024 tournament in Vernon, B.C.

HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE

Maritime Major Girls Hockey League
N.S. semifinal: defeated Greenfoot Capitals 3-2 (1-2, 3-2, 3-4, 2-0, 2-1)
N.S. final: defeated Cape Breton Lynx 3-0 (9-1, 3-2, 4-2)

Atlantic Regional

Preliminary round: 1st place – 3-1 (defeated Eastern Ice Breakers 2-1, lost to Eastern Stars 3-1, defeated Moncton Rockets 2-1, defeated Western Wolves 4-2)
Final: lost to Moncton Rockets 3-2

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 31-9-0 (3rd in MMGHL)
Goals for: 160 (3rd in MMGHL)
Goals against: 59 (2nd in MMGHL)
Longest winning streak: 8 (Sept. 6-28)
Top 3 scorers:
- Hali-Rose MacLean (42G 26A 68P – 2nd in MMGHL)
- Ana McArthur (25G 25A 50P – 8th in MMGHL)
- Lexi MacIntyre (12G 27A 39P – 15th in MMGHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 9-4
Goals for: 38
Goals against: 24
Top 3 scorers:
- Hali-Rose MacLean (12G 9A 21P)
- Ana McArthur (9G 11A 20P)
- Laila Burris (2G 7A 9P)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2018 – Northern Selects – 5th place | 1-4 | 12GF 19GA
2022 – Northern Selects – 4th place | 2-4 | 14GF 16GA
2023 – Northern Selects – 4th place | 2-5 | 14GF 27GA
2024 – Northern Selects – 5th place | 2-3 | 10GF 13GA

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Hali-Rose MacLean (Syracuse University)

The As de Québec figured out the formula for success in playoff hockey: if you don’t get scored on, it’s tough to lose games.

Over their four games at the Coupe Chevrolet provincial championship, the As—and standout goaltender Lya-Kim Dufour—were simply unbeatable.

After giving up a pair of goals in a tournament-opening 4-2 win over the Amazones de Laval-Montréal, Dufour shut the door the rest of the way, posting back-to-back-to-back shutouts—the last two against the defending champion Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière—to send Quebec to the Esso Cup.

That it came down to the As and Étoiles was not a surprise; the teams finished with identical 23-4-1 records in the Ligue de hockey d’excellence du Québec (LHEQ) regular season (thanks to a season-ending 12-game win streak by the As) and went the distance in the best-of-three LHEQ final, where Laurentides-Lanaudière got the upper hand.

But the two matchups at the Coupe Chevrolet were not close; Québec scored a 3-0 victory to earn a place in the final, and got two goals from Livia Landry and a goal and two assists each from Léanne Brassard and Camille Bihannic in a comfortable 6-0 win in the championship game.

Brassard (14-16—30), Landry (16-13—29) and Bihannic (11-13—24) were the offensive stars for the As in the regular season, finishing fifth, sixth and 11th, respectively in LHEQ scoring, while Dufour appeared in 24 of 28 games and ranked second in goals-against average (1.35) and shutouts (7).

Québec scored the second-most goals in the LHEQ in the regular season (99) and potted 17 in four games at the provincial tournament, giving it a prolific offence to pair with its lights-out goaltending.

The As will not have recent history on their side in Dieppe; beginning with their lone previous appearance in 2019, Quebec teams have missed out on the semifinals at Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship at five consecutive tournaments.

HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE

Coupe Chevrolet (Hockey Quebec)
Preliminary round: defeated Amazones de Laval-Montréal 4-2
Quarterfinal: defeated Remparts du Richelieu 4-0
Semifinal: defeated Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière 3-0
Final: defeated Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière 6-0

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 23-4-1 (T-1st in LHEQ)
Goals for: 99 (2nd in LHEQ)
Goals against: 40 (2nd in LHEQ)
Longest winning streak: 12 (Jan. 24-March 22)
Top 3 scorers:
- Léanne Brassard (14G 16A 30P – 5th in LHEQ)
- Livia Landry (16G 13A 29P – 6th in LHEQ)
- Camille Bihannic (11G 13A 24P – 11th in LHEQ)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 4-0
Goals for: 17
Goals against: 2
Top 3 scorers:
- Camille Bihannic (1G 5A 6P)
- Léanne Brassard (3G 3A 6P)
- Lya Michaud (5G 0A 5P)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2019 – As de Québec | 6th place | 1-4 | 16GF 20GA

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

None

The Winnipeg Ice are FINALLY going to the Esso Cup.

The proverbial bridesmaid when it comes to women’s U18 hockey in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the Ice has had its fingertips on a place at Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship in recent years, only to come up just short.

Since the Esso Cup returned in 2022 following a two-year hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Winnipeg won the Manitoba Female Hockey League (MFHL) championship in 2023 and 2024, falling to the Regina Rebels in the West Regional series both years, and dropped the MFHL final in 2022.

After a down year last year—it lost in the semifinals—the Ice bounced back in 2025-26.

Winnipeg dominated the regular season, losing just twice in regulation time in 28 games and allowing only 37 goals. It put four players in the top 10 of MFHL scoring, led by No. 6 point-getter Cassie Carvalho (19-15—34), and goaltenders Isla Matthews (1.13) and Gina Plett (1.33) were second and fourth, respectively, in goals-against average.

After easing past the Interlake Lightning in a three-game sweep (outscoring the Lightning 20-3), the Ice avenged its semifinal loss from 2025 against its cross-city rivals, the Winnipeg Avros, in four games.

That set up a marquee final against the defending champion Eastman Selects, who finished just a single point behind the Ice in the regular season and had a better goal differential (+99 to +77).

After the teams traded shutouts in the first two games, Winnipeg got overtime goals from Chloe Nicolas and Gabby Robbins to reclaim the MFHL championship for the third time in four years.

It rode that momentum into the West Regional on home ice, downing the Battlefords Sharks, the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League champions, in three games, with Callie Adams scoring the game-winner on the power play with 6:14 left in the third period of a 4-3 Game 3 win.

The victory over the Sharks ended a long drought for MFHL teams; not since the Pembina Valley Hawks in 2012 had the Manitoba champions beaten the Saskatchewan titlists in the West series. The good news for Winnipeg? Those Hawks went on to win Manitoba’s lone national championship that year.

HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE

Manitoba Female Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Interlake Lightning 3-0 (5-0, 7-1, 8-2)
Semifinal: defeated Winnipeg Avros 3-1 (1-2 OT, 3-2 OT, 5-3, 4-1)
Final: defeated Eastman Selects 3-1 (0-5, 2-0, 2-1 OT, 3-2 OT)

West Regional
Final: defeated Battlefords Sharks 2-1 (4-2, 1-4, 4-3)

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 25-2-1 (1st in MFHL)
Goals for: 114 (2nd in MFHL)
Goals against: 37 (2nd in MFHL)
Longest winning streak: 12 (Nov. 29-Feb. 7)
Top 3 scorers:
- Cassie Carvalho (19G 15A 34P – 6th in MFHL)
- Maren Temple (14G 17A 31P – 7th in MFHL)
- Sophie Woznesensky (14G 17A 31P – 8th in MFHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 11-3
Goals for: 49
Goals against: 28
Top 3 scorers:
- Cassie Carvalho (6G 15A 21P)
- Kate Cairns (7G 10A 17P)
- Claire Hudson (7G 8A 15P)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

First appearance

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Cassie Carvalho (University of British Columbia)
Chloe Delaquis (York University)
Claire Hudson (Minot State University)
Talia Jones (Université Laval)
Aliyah Teixeira (University of Regina)

For the Red Deer Chiefs, it was all about getting hot at the right time.

And now they’re going to the Esso Cup.

The Chiefs were a middle-of-the-pack team in the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) during the regular season, finishing fourth of eight teams with an 18-8-2 record, and they dropped their final two games to enter the postseason on a down note.

But they got a little momentum with a two-game sweep of the Calgary Fire Black in the quarterfinals before stunning the Edmonton Jr. Oilers—the defending national champions and back-to-back Pacific Region titlists who went 23-4-1 in the regular season—in the semifinals by stealing a shootout win in Game 1 despite being outshot 44-21 and winning the deciding Game 3 on the strength of a four-goal third period.

The Chiefs were road warriors again in the AFHL final against the St. Albert Slash, winning Game 1 despite being badly outshot (this time 41-23) and taking Game 3 as the visitor to win the Alberta title for the first time since 2023 and just the second time in the Esso Cup era (since 2009).

Welcoming the Greater Vancouver Comets, the B.C. Elite Hockey League champions, to Central Alberta for the Pacific Regional series, Red Deer found itself in unfamiliar territory, dropping a series opener for the first time in the postseason.

But goaltender Brylee Hull, who was the star of the Chiefs’ AFHL title run, took over from there, keeping the Comets goalless for more than 126 minutes across the three games— she shut out Greater Vancouver in Game 2 and kept it off the board until the final minute of Game 3 to send Red Deer to Canada’s U18 Women’s National Championship for the first time since it played host to the tournament in 2015.

Hull was spectacular in the playoffs; across 10 games, she fashioned a 1.47 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.

The offence was remarkably balanced in the postseason; 10 Chiefs recorded at least five points and none had more than seven—Ceder Thorburn (4-3—7) and Reeca Lacina (3-4—7) led the way.

The next challenge for Red Deer? Keep the national championship in Alberta; the Jr. Oilers became the first team from the Prairie province to win the Esso Cup when it was the last team standing a year ago in Lloydminster.

HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE

Alberta Female Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Calgary Fire Black 2-0 (4-1, 2-1 OT)
Semifinal: defeated Edmonton Jr. Oilers 2-1 (2-1 SO, 0-2, 4-2)
Final: defeated St. Albert Slash 2-1 (5-2, 1-2 OT, 3-1)

Pacific Regional
Final: defeated Greater Vancouver Comets 2-1 (1-3, 3-0, 3-1)

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 18-8-2 (4th in AFHL)
Goals for: 98 (2nd in AFHL)
Goals against: 69 (4th in AFHL)
Longest winning streak: 4 (Jan. 10-24; Feb. 1-16)
Top 3 scorers:
- Jensyn Stephenson (13G 17A 30P – 4th in AFHL)
- Reeca Lacina (9G 13A 22P – 13th in AFHL)
- Bria Hull (9G 10A 19P – 20th in AFHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 8-3
Goals for: 28
Goals against: 16
Top 3 scorers:
- Ceder Thorburn (4G 3A 7P)
- Reeca Lacina (3G 4A 7P)
- Bria Hull (3G 3A 6P)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2015 – Red Deer Chiefs | silver medal | 4-3 | 16GF 16GA

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Violet Green (Curry College)
Bria Hull (Lakeland College)
Brylee Hull (St. Thomas University)
Lena Loomer (University of Calgary)
Bailey Rogers (Red Deer Polytechnic)
Olivia Stewart (MacEwan University)
Ceder Thorburn (Red Deer Polytechnic)

The Moncton Rockets certainly look ready to welcome the nation’s best to Dieppe.

Earning the automatic berth as Esso Cup hosts wasn’t enough for the Rockets, who got in through the front door by winning their first Atlantic Region championship since 2015.

Moncton was the class of the Maritime Major Girls Hockey League (MMGHL), going 34-4-2 in the regular season thanks in large part to a league-best 175 goals.

The Rockets took command early, winning their first six games and 13 of their first 15, and finished strong with victories in eight of their last nine.

Their first-place finish earned them a bye into the New Brunswick playoff final where they made quick work of the Western Flames, outscoring the Flames 18-4 in a three-game sweep to secure their place at the Atlantics.

Moncton jumped out to a 3-0 start at the regional tournament in Charlottetown to book its place in the final, and got a pair of goals from Anabelle Daniel in a 3-2 win over the Northern Selects to end a decade-plus wait for an Atlantic championship.

It’s fitting that Daniel provided the offence in the team’s biggest game of the year; the 14-year-old Dieppe native—the Rockets’ youngest player—has been the catalyst all season, leading the MMGHL in scoring in the regular season (37-36—73 in 40 GP) and adding 18 points (10-8—18) in eight playoff games.

Moncton wasn’t bad at the other end of the ice, either; Morgan Redmond (1.57 and .918) and Claire Frenette (1.81 and .913) both posted sub-2.00 goals-against averages and save percentages north of 91%.

The Rockets will try and change history on home ice—since the Esso Cup began in 2009, a host team has never won Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship, and only two (Red Deer in 2015 and Sudbury in 2019) have reached the gold medal game.

HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE

Maritime Major Girls Hockey League
N.B. final: defeated Western Flames 3-0 (3-2, 6-1, 9-1)

Atlantic Regional
Preliminary round: 2nd place – 3-1 (defeated Western Wolves 2-1, defeated Eastern Stars 4-1, defeated Eastern Ice Breakers 4-0, lost to Northern Selects 2-1)
Final: defeated Northern Selects 3-2

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 34-4-2 (1st in MMGHL)
Goals for: 175 (1st in MMGHL)
Goals against: 69 (3rd in MMGHL)
Longest winning streak: 10 (Nov. 22-Jan. 4)
Top 3 scorers:
- Anabelle Daniel (37G 36A 73P – 1st in MMGHL)
- Audrey Poirier (15G 38A 53P – 4th in MMGHL)
- Lauren Ward (21G 24A 45P – 11th in MMGHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 7-1
Goals for: 32
Goals against: 10
Top 3 scorers:
- Anabelle Daniel (10G 8A 18P)
- Thea MacFayden (6G 5A 11P)
- Audrey Poirier (0G 10A 10P)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2010 – Moncton Rockets – 5th place | 1-4 | 13GF 17GA
2014 – Moncton Rockets – 6th place | 1-4 | 11GF 27GA
2015 – Moncton Rockets – 6th place | 0-5 | 5GF 30GA

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Lola Boutilier (Norwich University)
Audrey Poirier (Brown University)
Morgan Redmond (Hilbert College)
Marissa Richard (Liberty University)

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the schedules and ticket package details for the 2026 editions of the Esso Cup, TELUS Cup and Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.

"We are incredibly thankful to the three communities who have spent considerable time and put forward immense efforts to play host to these major events,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “These events and the memories they will create for fans, athletes, coaches and officials is only possible with the passion, commitment and collaboration of the host communities and volunteers across Canada.

“We are also grateful to Hockey P.E.I., Hockey New Brunswick, the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF), Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Maritime Hockey League (MHL) for their efforts and support to deliver these events and look forward to continuing to work with them into the spring.”

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

2026 Esso Cup – Dieppe, New Brunswick

The Esso Cup will be played in New Brunswick for the first time in tournament history, with the Moncton Rockets set to host Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship, April 19-25 at the UNIplex.

Joined by five regional champions from across Canada, the Rockets will play their first game on April 19 at 7 p.m. AT 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 24, with the medal games scheduled for April 25.

Tickets for the 2026 Esso Cup can be purchased here.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Esso Cup can sign up to be a Hockey Canada Insider and receive more information as soon as it is available.

2026 TELUS Cup – Peterborough, Ontario

The host Peterborough Petes will make their national championship debut as they welcome five regional champions to Ontario for the TELUS Cup, Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship. The tournament returns to Ontario for the first time since 2019 from April 20-26 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre and is hosted in partnership with the OHF and City of Peterborough. The Province of Ontario is providing funding support for the TELUS Cup in Peterborough through the Ministry of Sport's Ontario Sport Hosting Program.

The Petes open their schedule against the West Region champions on April 20 at 7 p.m. ET 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 25, before the medal games on April 26.

Tickets for the 2026 TELUS Cup can be purchased here.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the TELUS Cup can sign up here to support the delivery of one of Hockey Canada’s marquee national championships.

2026 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons – Summerside, Prince Edward Island

In partnership with the CJHL and MHL, Canada’s top Junior A teams will compete for the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, May 7-17 at Credit Union Place. The Summerside Western Capitals will play host for the fourth time in tournament history, having previously hosted in 1989, 1997 and 2013, and 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 15, semifinals on May 16 and championship game on May 17.

The host Western Capitals and champions from the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Superior International Hockey League (SIHL) comprise Group A.

Group B will include the champions from the MHL, Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).

Tickets for the 2026 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, can be purchased here.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, can sign up to be a Hockey Canada Insider and receive more information as soon as it is available.

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 2026 U18 national club championships, with the Esso Cup set for Dieppe, New Brunswick, and the TELUS Cup heading to Peterborough, Ontario.

“Hosting premier hockey events takes a tremendous effort from everyone in the chosen communities,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “From volunteers, sponsors and the fans, Canadians from coast to coast to coast step up every year to help grow the game of hockey and provide lifelong memories for these athletes.”

From April 19-25, the Moncton Rockets of the Maritime Major Female Hockey League (MMFHL) will welcome five regional champions to compete for Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship at the UNIplex. It marks the first time the Esso Cup has been hosted in the province of New Brunswick and fourth time the Rockets have competed in the event (2010, 2014, 2015), and represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, Hockey New Brunswick and the City of Dieppe.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the nation’s top U18 AAA female hockey teams and players to our community for the 2026 Esso Cup,” said Mélanie McGrath, co-chair of the Esso Cup host organizing committee. “This tournament is a celebration of talent, determination, and the bright future of women’s hockey in Canada. We’re honored to be part of this incredible event and can’t wait to create unforgettable memories for the players, families, and fans.”

The Peterborough Junior AAA Petes of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) will make their national championship debut at the TELUS Cup, which is set for April 20-26 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. The 2026 event marks the return of Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship to Ontario for the first time since 2019 in Thunder Bay and is hosted in partnership with the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) and the City of Peterborough.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the TELUS Cup to Peterborough— this is the most exciting hockey moment for our community since we hosted the Memorial Cup in 1996,” said City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal. “In Peterborough, hockey is more than a game, it is part of our identity. The TELUS Cup is an incredible chance to cheer on the future stars of the sport, showcase our facilities and the home of the legendary Peterborough Petes, and celebrate everything that makes Peterborough an unforgettable destination not only for minor hockey, but also for active family fun.”

Fans can stay up to date on news about the 2026 Esso Cup and 2026 TELUS Cup, including schedules, ticket information and other promotions, by signing up to become a Hockey Canada Insider.

The 2025 Esso Cup is currently being played in Lloydminster, Alberta, with the host Steelers welcoming the Eastern Stars (Atlantic), Edmonton Jr. Oilers (Pacific), Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière (Québec), North York Storm (Ontario) and Saskatoon Stars (West).

The 2025 TELUS Cup is underway in Chilliwack, British Columbia, with the host Thunderbirds joined by the Elgin Middlesex Canucks (Central), Chevaliers de Lévis (Québec), Moncton Flyers (Atlantic), Okanagan Rockets (Pacific) and Regina Pat Canadians (West).

For more information on Hockey Canada, the Esso Cup and the TELUS Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
About Peterborough:

Peterborough is a vibrant mid-size city shaped by its connection to nature, the waterway, community, and a rich tradition of sport and recreation. Conveniently located 90 minutes northeast of Toronto, on the doorstep of The Kawarthas cottage country, Peterborough is the largest urban centre on the historic, 386-kilometre Trent-Severn Waterway, named one of 52 destinations to visit in 2025 by New York Times. Peterborough is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, known collectively as the Williams Treaty First Nations.

About Dieppe:
Dieppe is the fourth largest city in the maritime province of New Brunswick located on the outskirts of the City of Moncton. A primarily francophone community, over 63% of the residents consider French as their mother tongue. Named in honor of the Canadian soldiers killed during the landing of Allied troops on the beaches in Dieppe, France in 1942, Dieppe is located along the Petitcodiac River and forms the southeastern part of the Greater Moncton Area. Dieppe is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Wolastoqiyik, Mi'gmaq, and Peskotomuhkati peoples.