Several Surrey and Delta-area minor hockey teams, representing five different associations, will compete for B.C. championship banners this week and next.
BC Hockey-sanctioned championship tournaments will be played in 15 cities across the province over the spring break — for U13, U15 and U18 teams in four tiers each, plus three female-only divisions.
None of the tourneys are hosted at arenas in Surrey or Delta this year, and most are happening outside Metro Vancouver.
Surrey Minor's U18 A1 Team won the Pacific Coast Tier 2 banner for a chance to play for a B.C. championship at a tournament in Port Moody starting Sunday, March 16.
Coquitlam hosts the U18 Tier 1 championship, to involve Cloverdale's A1 team at Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex.
In U15 action, the Surrey Falcons A1 squad will play for a female championship at Richmond's Minoru Arena from March 20-23.
Among U13 division tournaments, the Surrey Falcons A1 team will be in Prince George for a B.C. female championship starting March 20. Meantime, the Semiahmoo A1 squad is in Campbell River for the Tier 1 tournament starting March 16, and the South Surrey/White Rock association's A2 squad will be in Kelowna to play for the Tier 2 title.
In the U21 hockey division, the B.C. championship series will see North Delta face Chilliwack in a Best of 3 weekend tilt starting 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21 at Sungod Arena with Game 2 Saturday in Chilliwack and Game 3 Sunday back at Sungod (7:30 p.m. start), if necessary.
BC Hockey also sanctions the PJHL junior A league playoffs, where Ridge Meadows Flames swept Chilliwack Jets in four games to represent the Harold Brittain conference in the Stonehouse Cup final. The Flames will face the winner of The Tom Shaw conference, where Delta Ice Hawks are up 3-0 in their series with Richmond Sockeyes, with Game 4 scheduled Thursday night (March 13) at Minoru Arena.
Champions of the PJHL and the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) will play for the Mowat Cup in Best of 5 series in April. The series kicks off with the PJHL champion hosting Games 1 and 2, then shifts to the KIJHL champions' turf for remaining games, including Games 4 and 5, if necessary.
