Western Championship Framework In Place:

Last week (Monday, November 21st) The Nanaimo Clippers had brought up a story in conjunction with Hockey Canada the four western branches and the four western Canadian Jr. A Hockey Leagues - BCHL, AJHL, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League – have the framework is in place to move forward with a Western Canadian Championship. Well still no official word from the BCHL or any other leagues until I come across this on the AJHL Grande Prarie Storm's website the other day.

WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIP FRAMEWORK IN PLACE

Posted on 11/28/2011

The Alberta Junior Hockey League hasn’t given its official blessings just yet, but the framework for a Western Canada Junior A championship has been laid out.

According to a story that appeared on the website of the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League. in conjunction with Hockey Canada the four western branches and the four western Canadian Jr. A Hockey Leagues - BCHL, AJHL, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League – have the framework is in place to move forward with a Western Canadian Championship.

The WCC Tournament would include the four provincial champions – AJHL, BCHL, SJHL and MJHL - and the host team.

“I had a phone call from Clippper coach/general manager Mike Vandekamp on Friday,” said Storm business manager Don Moon. “Nanaimo is going to bid to host the first tournament planned for April 26-May 5 in 2013. The Clippers know the Storm hosted the most successful Royal Bank Cup ever in 2004 so they are looking for some input from the Storm as they prepare their bid.”

Vandekamp said at least two other BCHL teams have shown interest in bidding for the first tournament, which would be held in B.C.

Two teams from the WCC would advance to the Royal Bank Cup in the spring of 2013– the gold and silver medalists.

Currently Alberta plays B.C. and Saskatchewan plays Manitoba with the winners of those two playoffs advancing to the RBC.

The new format would mean the No. 1 and No. 2 teams from the west would always advance.

“This would guarantee the best two teams from the west would be in the RBC,” said Moon. “The way it is currently set up the best team in the west advanced, but the second best team may have been eliminated in one of the provincial playoffs.”

The tournament would consist of 13 games, 10 round robin games, two semifinal games, and one final game. The top two teams would advance to the Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, PEI in the spring of 2013.

The AJHL stamp of approval for the new format is expected to come at the league’s semi-annual meeting in January.

The 2012 Royal Bank Cup is being held in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.