January 23, 2008
RBC.001

ROAD TO 2009 RBC CUP BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE

The countdown is on, with less than 100 days to go until the first puck drops at the 2009 RBC Cup.

With the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) trade deadline passed, rosters are now set for all 143 teams from coast to coast as they all hope to earn one of the four spots available for this year’s National Junior A Championship.

And what awaits them if they survive to play in Victoria? What is likely to be one of the best-attended RBC Cups in history.

With the host Grizzlies averaging close to 1,800 fans per game – one of the top marks in the B.C. Hockey League – the tournament could come close to the all-time record of 35,953 set in Grande Prairie, AB in 2004.

More than 900 ticket packages have already been sold, and the remainder are going fast.

Don’t have your tickets yet? Packages can be purchased by phone at (250) 385-1555 or by email at info@victoriagrizzlies.com.

The Road to the RBC Cup begins soon, with the first playoff series beginning as early as February 19. Ten leagues will crown champions, and those 10 champions will fight it out for regional supremacy and a spot on the ice at Bear Mountain Arena beginning May 2.

Can the Grizzlies avoid the fate of the last four National Junior A Championship hosts – a first-round playoff exit? Can they become the first host team since Weyburn in 2005 to claim the national title? Who will be Canada’s 39th national Junior A champion?

Be sure to keep your eyes on hockeycanada.ca/rbccup as the Road to the RBC Cup unfolds.