Hockey NB announces big tournament for women's hockey this fall

Some of the best young women hockey players are coming to New Brunswick this fall.

Hockey New Brunswick announced Tuesday it will host the Women’s Under-18 National Championship from Nov. 3 to 9 in Quispamsis.

“It’s an event that’s been on both our radar and the town of Quispamsis’ radar for a number of years,” said Hockey NB executive director Nic Jansen. “We have a long history of hosting events with Quispamsis dating back to the 2016 Telus Cup, the 2018 Under-17 World Challenge, the Para-hockey Cup last December, so this was a natural transition.”

The week will bring the top eight teams from across the country and Hockey Canada says this is the first time ever the tournament will take place in Atlantic Canada.

Jansen says an important part of hosting this year’s tournament is the growth of female hockey.

“The last two-to-three years we’ve seen at least a 10 per cent increase year over year, so I think, like, throughout the country, not just in New Brunswick, but there’s certainly more of an interest in female hockey,” he said. “A lot of it probably has to do with the growth and the PWHL starting this year in January, the national women’s team certainly helps, so we see female hockey as our biggest opportunity for growth.”

Hockey NB says the championship will also feature more than just good hockey.

“We will work closely with the Fundy Female Hockey Association, which is the local association, to organize coach clinics, officiating camps, players camps, introduction to hockey camps, things like that, so we’ve already started the process,” said Jansen.

Hockey NB and the Town of Quispamsis put in their official bid last fall. 

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