B.C.'s best Junior B hockey teams are congregating in Courtenay this week to battle for Cyclone Taylor Cup bragging rights.
The four-team tournament runs Thursday through Sunday at the Comox Valley Sports Centre. Joining the host Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League are VIJHL champs Victoria Cougars, Pacific International Junior Hockey League winners Castlegar Rebels and Pacific Junior Hockey League reps Richmond Sockeyes.
Round-robin play gets underway Thursday with Richmond taking on Victoria at 3:30 p.m. followed by the Rebels up against the Glacier Kings at 7:30 p.m. Official opening ceremonies will be held before the evening game.
“The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are very pleased to have been selected as the host site for the 2013 Cyclone Taylor Cup,” said committee chair Marsha Webb of the Glacier Kings when the decision to award the team the tournament was announced last spring.
“We look forward to this opportunity to showcase and extend hospitality to all of the teams, the officials, the fans, our league, our community and the BC Hockey Junior Hockey program.”
“It was a very difficult decision to select the host community for the 2013 Cyclone Taylor Cup as we had several outstanding applications from which to choose. While each would have done an outstanding job it was felt that Comox presented the strongest bid,” commented BC Hockey Junior B divisional director Brian Harrison at the time of the announcement.
“Comox Valley has been a most successful franchise over the years and has a track record of being able to host such an event. It will be a pleasure working with the Webbs to make this one of the most successful Provincial Junior B Championships ever.”
The round-robin continues Friday with Victoria vs. Castlegar at 3:30 p.m. and Glacier Kings vs. Sockeye at 7:30 p.m. Final round-robin games go Saturday with Castlegar vs. Richmond at 3:30 p.m. and Victoria vs. Comox Valley at 7:30 p.m.
The finals go Sunday with the bronze medal game (3rd vs. 4th) at 10:30 a.m. followed by the gold medal game (1st vs. 2nd) at 2:30 p.m.
The B.C. Junior B champ advances to the Western Canadian championships (Keystone Cup) April 17-21 in St. Malo, Manitoba.
Cyclone Taylor Cup tickets are available through the Glacier Kings' head office at 250-334-4709.
The PJHL Abbotsford Pilots won the 2012 Cyclone Taylor Cup and went on to capture the Keystone Cup. The win gave B.C. three of the past four Keystone Cup victories. In 2009 and 2010, the B.C. reps won back-to-back Keystone Cups with the Richmond Sockeyes winning in 2009 and the Revelstoke Grizzlies in 2010.
sports@comoxvalleyrecord.com