Host team wins as Esso Cup national championship hits the ice in Vernon

UPDATE

First day action at the Esso Cup saw the North York Storm from Ontario edge the Regina Rebels 7-6 in overtime to open the six-day tournament.

Sydney Bowness scored three goals for the Storm while Berlin Lolacher netted a hat trick for the Rebels, who are the Western rep.

Game two saw the Edmonton Junior Oilers (Pacific) score two goals on the power play in a 3-1 victory over the Intrépide de l’Outaouais of Quebec.

And the final game of the opening day saw the host Thompson Okanagan Lakers shut out the Atlantic’s Northern Selects 2-0.

Vernon’s Mena Bhatt scored the winning goal and Kelowna’s Reese Sliskovic made 27 saves for the shutout.

“The support tonight was amazing,” Bhatt said. “We’re so lucky to play in front of so many family and friends. We were excited and were able to build off the momentum. It’s good to get the first one out of the way and we can reset for tomorrow.”

Games on Monday are at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

See schedule here.

8 a.m. story

The puck drops Sunday for the 2024 Esso Cup at Kal Tire Place in Vernon.

Five regional champions from across Canada, plus the host team, and B.C. champion, Thompson Okanagan Lakers take part in the Canadian Women’s Under 18 national club championship from Apr. 21-27.

There are three round robin games per day from Sunday until Thursday. See the schedule here.

Today (April 21), the North York Storm of Ontario play the Western champion Regina Rebels at 11 a.m., followed by the Edmonton Junior Oilers (Pacific reps) versus L’Intrépide de l’Outaouais (Quebec) at 3 p.m., and then the host Lakers against the Atlantic Northern Selects at 7 p.m.

The top four teams after the round robin make the semi finals on Friday, with the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday, April 27.

TSN will broadcast the championship game at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

All preliminary-round games, both semifinals and the bronze medal game will be livestreamed at video.hockeycanada.ca.

Check here for ticket information and other details.

Countdown to Esso Cup in Vernon, event scores $1M economic spinoff
April 19, 2024

Vernon will be hockey central for the next week as the city plays host to some of the top young female athletes in the country.

Kal Tire Place is the site for the 2024 Esso Cup put on by Hockey Canada from April 21-27.

It features five regional champions, and the host Thompson-Okanagan Lakers, competing for the Canadian Women’s Under 18 National Club Championship.

Kevin Bathhurst is the co-chair of the local 14-member organizing committee that is working with Hockey Canada to deliver the event

He said the six-day tournament will have an economic spinoff of over $1 million.

“This is a destination place for these teams to come visit,” Bathhurst told Vernon Matters. “There has been a significant increase in our ticket sales as teams have qualified, which means their parents are buying tickets. My guess is that we’ll see a significantly large contingent of families travelling from across the country to visit.”

The team from Atlantic Canada arrives Friday with the other four on Saturday.

“They are spread out around a handful of hotels; a couple of the Prestige properties, the Sandman and the Best Western Premiere, so they are spread out around town.”

The regional champions coming to Vernon are the Edmonton Junior Oilers (Pacific); Regina Rebels (West); North York Storm (Ontario); Intrépide de l’Outaouais (Quebec), and Northern Selects (Atlantic).

Bathhurst said ticket sales in the community have started to pick up.

“Over the past two weeks, our numbers have jumped significantly.”

Bathhurst, who is the executive director of hockey operations for the Greater Vernon Minor Hockey Association, said the organizing committee has been promoting the tournament at Vernon Vipers games and at events like Shoparama.

“And it’s being heavily supported by organizations like Vernon Matters and a couple of other news outlets in town, and I think the word is spreading.”

He said Greater Vernon Minor Hockey and other local minor hockey groups plan to attend games.

“And on Tuesday and Wednesday, the morning games, over a thousand school kids will be coming to the games to support the girls playing.”

Each of the six teams will play each other once in the round robin tournament, followed by the top four making the semi finals on Friday, and then the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday, April 27.

TSN will broadcast the gold medal game at 4 p.m. on that day.

All preliminary-round games, both semifinals and the bronze medal game will be livestreamed at video.hockeycanada.ca.

For more on the event, or to buy tickets, visit Hockey Canada’s website.